What is the process called when you derive rules based on examples, also known as discovery learning?

• A. induction
• B. deduction
• C. inference
• D. analysis

Answer: (A)

Inductive reasoning involves forming general rules from observed instances. When you derive rules based on examples, you notice patterns in the data and generalize them into a rule that can apply beyond the specific cases you've seen. This matches discovery learning, where learners figure out concepts and rules by exploring examples themselves rather than being told the rule upfront.

Think of it as moving from particular observations to a broader generalization. In contrast, deduction uses a known general principle to determine specifics of a case, which is the reverse direction. Inference is a broad term for drawing conclusions from evidence, but it doesn’t specifically capture the process of building a general rule from many examples. Analysis focuses on breaking something into parts to understand its structure, not on deriving new rules from examples.

So the process of deriving rules from examples, as in discovery learning, is induction.