CONSTRUCTIVISM

Monica DellaMea Harless and Kandas QueenCI 703 - Dr. Calvin MeyerMarch 11, 2010

What is constructivism?

It believes that individuals construct their own perspective of the world based on their own experiences and schema.

It aims to prepare learners to solve problems by expanding current knowledge and applying it to new situations.

Reality is recognized through a sharing process known as “social negotiation”.

(Mergel, 1998)

What is constructivism?

Teacher Tube video clip: What is constructivism?

http://teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=31099&title=What_Is_Constructivism__

Constructivism believes…

Learning is an active process that is constantly changing as we learn from new experiences.

The learning process is driven by the child and their level of individual knowledge.

Students learn by being involved and having hands-on experience with real world activities.

Assessments are used to demonstrate student knowledge versus standardized testing.

Fundamentals of Constructivism

http://www.muskingum.edu/~psych/psycweb/history/vygotsky.htm

Also known under names like:

COGNITIVE CONSTRUCTIVISM SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIVISM CONTEMOPORARY COGNITIVISM REALITISTIC CONSTRUCTIVISM RADICAL CONSTRUCTIVISM CONSTRUCTIONISM

Behavioral & Cognitive Influences

BEHAVIORAL & COGNITIVE THEORIES

CONSTRUCTIVISM THEORY

Behavioral - Observations are used by both to measure outcomes. Watch for signs of changed behavior.

Cognitive – focuses on the mental processes involved in learning and how the brain organizes knowledge and experiences into schema.

Observations are used as a form of assessment versus standardized tests to test students’ levels of learning.

Learners construct own knowledge based on individual experiences and perceptions to build new schema as new content is introduced.

(Great Philosophers, 2002)

History of constructivism Socrates 5th Century B.C. Greek

philosopher Questioning leads to the

‘truth’ Contemporary views

emphasize critical thinking

Immanuel Kant Born in Prussia 1724 Minds are always active

and knowledge is constructed through world experience.

Some theorists worth mentioning…

Maria Montessori – Born 1870, Italy

Believed environment played a large role in enriching student learning. Piaget was a student of her works and built on her theory.

Von Glasersfeld – Born 1917, Germany

Advocate for radical constructivism.

(Mooney, 2000) (Wikipedia, 2010) (UMassAmhurst,2008)

Starburst and Key Buzz Words

Four leading constructivism theorist: Vygotsky, Dewey, Piaget, and Bruner

Lev Vygotsky – Born in Russia, 1896

“Learning and development are interrelated from the child’s very first day of life.”

Lev Vygotsky

Graduated from University of Moscow in 1917.

Educator and researcher on learning theories.

Social Constructivism

(Mooney, 2000)

John Dewey - Born in Vermont, USA, 1859

“The fundamental issue is not of new versus old education nor of progressive against traditional education but a question of what, if anything whatever, must be worthy of the name Education.”

John Dewey

Graduated from Johns Hopkins University in 1884.

Professor, founder of Dewey’s Laboratory School

Progressive Education

(Mooney, 2000)

Jean Piaget – born in Switzerland, 1896

“The teacher-organizer should know not only his own science but also be well versed in the details of the development of the child’s or adolescent’s mind.” Jean Piaget

Graduated from University of Neuchatel around 1919.

Degree in Biology,

but turned to Psychology.

Cognitive Development

(Mooney, 2000, Benjafield, 1996)

Jerome Seymour Bruner – born in the USA, 1915

"To perceive is to categorize, to conceptualize is to categorize, to learn is to form categories, to make decisions is to categorize.“

Jerome Bruner

Graduated from Harvard University

Psychologist

Discovery Learning

(Wikipedia)

Key Distinctions Between Branches of Constructivism

Branches of Constructivism Cognitive-Developmental Sociocultural

Primary Advocate Jean Piaget Lev Vygotsky

Learner’s role Learners’ explorations and actions shape their knowledge of the world.

Interactions with their would and the people in it shape learners’ knowledge.

View of knowledge construction Knowledge is individually constructed, shaped by processing new experiences.

Knowledge is co-constructed, shaped by interaction with people, and influenced by culture and environment.

Role of peer/social partner Peers can unwittingly provoke cognitive conflict (passive role).

More expert partner purposefully guides the exploration of ideas (active role).

Relationship of development and learning

Development leads learning. Learning leads development.

Relationship between language and thought

Language-knowledge construction connection is not emphasized.

Language is promoted as strong influencing thought.

(Follari, 2007).

Explaining theory development…

(Microsoft Office Picture Manager)

(Mergal, 1998)

Atomic Atom and developing theories

(Constructivism Basics, n.d.)

Knowledge comes from personal experiences or schema

Students learn by doing. Promotes dialogue, with teacher and each

other, build relationships. Student responses drive instructional lesson. Encourages acceptance of student diversity. Nurtures natural curiosity. Engender contradictions, then encourages

discussion of varying view points.

Nature/roles of the student

Active participants in the learning process Constructs new meaning of concepts

introduced based on the knowledge they currently possess.

Selects the information to be learned and transforms it into their own schema to be used to provide meaning to new experiences or problems they will encounter.

(TIP: Theories, n.d.)

Nature/roles of the student

Students are creators of their own unique education, because learning is individualized and based on prior knowledge.

(Boettcher, 1998)

Nature/roles of the teacher

Encourages students to make new discoveries by themselves.

Assists in translating information into a format that is appropriate for the student.

Provides motivation to students that encourages learning = curiosity.

Knowledgeable about students and their experiences so they can better guide learning.

(TIP: Theories, n.d.)

Nature/roles of the teacher

Encourages open-ended questioning Serves as a resource and/or partner during

the learning process, not the primary source of information

Facilitates the process of finding out answers, rather than telling the answers

Encourages autonomy and initiative

(Hanley, 1994)

Constructivism concept map

http://constructivism512.pbworks.com/Constructivism-Concept-Map

Utilization of Constructivism

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F00R3pOXzuk

Instructional Design

Teacher sets up problems then monitors and guides students as they make inquiries and explore new information and schema.

Teachers uses open-ended questions to promote reflective thinking.

Instructional Design

Traditional Classroom Constructivist Classroom

Curriculum begins with the parts of the whole. Emphasizes basic skills.

Curriculum emphasizes big concepts, beginning with the whole and expanding to include the parts.

Strict adherence to fixed curriculum is highly valued.

Pursuit of student questions and interests is valued.

Materials are primarily textbooks and workbooks. Materials include primary sources of material and manipulative materials.

Learning is based on repetition. Learning is interactive, building on what the student already knows.

Teachers disseminate information to students; students are recipients of knowledge.

Teachers have a dialogue with students, helping students construct their own knowledge.

Teacher's role is directive, rooted in authority. Teacher's role is interactive, rooted in negotiation.

Assessment is through testing, correct answers. Assessment includes student works, observations, and points of view, as well as tests. Process is as

important as product.

Knowledge is seen as inert. Knowledge is seen as dynamic, ever changing with our experiences.

Students work primarily alone. Students work primarily in groups.http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/constructivism/index_sub1.html

Clay Activity

Break

Passing Notes Activity

Case study and role playing

(Mergal, 1998)

Passing Notes Activity

How does this activity illustrate constructivism learning theory?

(Mergal, 1998)

Constructivism’s strengths and weaknesses

The learner can relate to multiple realities and can better deal with real life situations because they are better problem solvers and better able to apply existing knowledge to new situations.

When conformity is necessary or essential the path of divergent thinking and action can become problematic.

Forms of instruction

Project-based learningOffering first-hand, real-world experiencesCooperative learningJoint problem solvingCoachingMentoringCollaboratingSituated learning(Kostelnik & Grady, 2009)

Also,

ApprenticeshipsService learning (www.funderstanding.com/content/communities-of-practice)

Forms of assessment

Projects Portfolios Demonstrations of knowledge Self-reflection

Assessment and co-construction of knowledge in the constructivist classroom

Models of instruction

Which models fit best into this theory? Why?

21st Century Learning

Constructivism: Meeting the needs of 21st Century Learners

21st Century Learning:

Creates learning practices, human support and physical environments that will support the teaching and learning of 21st century skill outcomes

Supports professional learning communities that enable educators to collaborate, share best practices and integrate 21st century skills into classroom practice

Enables students to learn in relevant, real world 21st century contexts (e.g., through project-based or other applied work)

Allows equitable access to quality learning tools, technologies and resources Provides 21st century architectural and interior designs for group, team and individual learning

Supports expanded community and international involvement in learning, both face-to-face and online

http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=354&Itemid=120

References

Benjafield, J. G. (1996). A history of psychology. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon. Boetcher, J. (1998). Pedagogy and learning strategies. California State University at Sacramento. Retrieved

January 21, 2010 from http://vccslitonline.cc.va/usingweb/bckgrnd.htm Communities of Practice. (n.d.). Retrieved February 5, 2010 from

http://www.funderstanding.com/content/communities-of-practice Constructivism as a Paradigm for Teaching and Learning. (n.d.). Retrieved March 1, 2010 from

http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/constructivism/index_sub1.html Constructivism Basics. http://www.edwebproject.org/constructivism.basics.html. Hanley, S. (1994). On constructivism. Maryland College for Teacher Preparation. Retrieved February 5, 2010

from http://www.inform.umd.edu/UMS+State/MUD-Projects/MCTP/Essays/Constructivism.txt Lev Semyonovich Vygotsky. (n.d.). Retrieved March 8, 2010 from

http://www.muskingum.edu/~psych/psycweb/history/vygotsky.htm Mergel, B. (1998). Instructional design & learning theory.

http://www.usask.ca/education/coursework/802papers/mergel/brenda.html. Microsoft Office Picture Manager, clip art. Mooney, C. (2000). Theories of childhood. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press. Partnership for 21st Century Skills: 21st Century Learning Environments. (n.d.). Retrieved February 20, 2010

from http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=354&Itemid=120 SEDL- SCIMAST Classroom compass. N.d. Constructing knowledge in the classroom.

http://www.sedl.org/scimath/compass/v01n02/1.html. TIP: Theories. Constructivist Theory (J. Bruner). http://tip.psychology.org/bruner.html. What is constructivism? (n.d.) Retrived March 5, 2010 from

http://teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=31099&title=What_Is_Constructivism__ Wikipedia. Retrieved March 7, 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerome_Bruner#Quotations