ACTIVITYACTIVITYYou have:•a light bulb•a battery•a wire

1) How do you make the light bulb light up?

Light Bulb

Battery

Wire

2) What prior knowledge can you bring to bear on this task?

Jean PiagetJean Piaget

Piaget was most interested in the thinking Piaget was most interested in the thinking processprocess that a child used to produce an answer or solve a that a child used to produce an answer or solve a problem.problem.

Piaget thought of himself as a Piaget thought of himself as a genetic genetic epistemologistepistemologist: He wanted to study how knowledge : He wanted to study how knowledge develops in humans, and how a person’s develops in humans, and how a person’s relationship with knowledge changes over time.relationship with knowledge changes over time.

GeneticGenetic = the genesis (beginning) of a mode of = the genesis (beginning) of a mode of developmentdevelopment

EpistemologyEpistemology = the theory of knowledge= the theory of knowledge

Jean Piaget was a developmental psychologist: He was interested primarily in how people’s learning and knowing change as they grow.

Piaget’s MethodsPiaget’s Methods Piaget used a Piaget used a clinical methodclinical method for analyzing for analyzing

children: He posed problems to children & children: He posed problems to children & observed how they found solutions.observed how they found solutions.

His interviews were unusual: Instead of His interviews were unusual: Instead of asking a standard set of questions, he asking a standard set of questions, he improvised questionsimprovised questions as the child began to as the child began to solve the problem. solve the problem.

Piaget thought that this process would Piaget thought that this process would ensure that each child ensure that each child understood the understood the problem in the same wayproblem in the same way, even if the , even if the wording changed within each interview.wording changed within each interview.

Piaget’s Concept of Piaget’s Concept of KnowledgeKnowledge Knowledge is a processKnowledge is a process. People do not really know . People do not really know

something until they act on it, either physically or something until they act on it, either physically or mentally.mentally.

DevelopmentDevelopment is a process of constructing new ideas about is a process of constructing new ideas about how the world works: A child sees and understands how the world works: A child sees and understands “reality” differently from an adult.“reality” differently from an adult.

For young children, knowing something means For young children, knowing something means physically physically acting on itacting on it: A two year old knows that he can pick up, : A two year old knows that he can pick up, press, throw, and taste an apple. That is all he knows press, throw, and taste an apple. That is all he knows about the apple.about the apple.

Older children can useOlder children can use symbolssymbols (words or figures) within (words or figures) within their minds to represent physical objects or relationships.their minds to represent physical objects or relationships.

We can solve the abstract problem 3 + 4 in our heads, but a young We can solve the abstract problem 3 + 4 in our heads, but a young child would have a much easier time with it if he could child would have a much easier time with it if he could manipulatemanipulate 7 objects. 7 objects.

Assimilation & Assimilation & AccommodationAccommodation

RememberRemember: People have a certain set of : People have a certain set of schemesschemes with with which they understand events in the world. which they understand events in the world.

When a person begins to understand a new event, he/she When a person begins to understand a new event, he/she can either can either assimilateassimilate it into an existing scheme or it into an existing scheme or accommodateaccommodate that existing scheme so that the new event that existing scheme so that the new event fits.fits.

AssimilationAssimilation=fitting the new information to an existing =fitting the new information to an existing schemescheme

Whose Line is it Anyway – PropsWhose Line is it Anyway – Props We have schemes for different objects. The game Props is really We have schemes for different objects. The game Props is really

just making the prop fit into existing schemes!just making the prop fit into existing schemes! AccommodationAccommodation=changing the scheme to fit the new =changing the scheme to fit the new

informationinformation Learning to Drive that Darn Manual Car Again!Learning to Drive that Darn Manual Car Again! Assuming we know how to drive an automatic, we will have to Assuming we know how to drive an automatic, we will have to

change our scheme for driving in order to be successful with the change our scheme for driving in order to be successful with the manual transmission.manual transmission.

DevelopmentDevelopment As children develop, their schemes change in response As children develop, their schemes change in response

to:to: HeredityHeredity, and the time schedule for growth and change., and the time schedule for growth and change.

Physical experiencePhysical experience with objects & problem-solving in the with objects & problem-solving in the world.world.

Social transmissionSocial transmission from parents, school, society… from parents, school, society…

EquilibriumEquilibrium (which Piaget added because he believed that (which Piaget added because he believed that something maintained balance among the other three something maintained balance among the other three factors). factors).

As children’s schemes change, As children’s schemes change, they enter different they enter different stages of developmentstages of development..

Stage One: Sensori-MotorStage One: Sensori-Motor~ Birth ~ Birth 2 years old 2 years old• Infants first relate to the world only Infants first relate to the world only

through through reflexesreflexes • e.g. Sucking on a bottlee.g. Sucking on a bottle

• Then they begin to make many Then they begin to make many repetitive repetitive movementsmovements, practicing grasping objects , practicing grasping objects and making other simple motions.and making other simple motions.

• At first, they have At first, they have NO concept of object NO concept of object permanencepermanence..

• e.g. Once a toy moves out of sight, infants e.g. Once a toy moves out of sight, infants assume it is completely gone.assume it is completely gone.

• They begin to recognize They begin to recognize simple cause and simple cause and effect & object permanenceeffect & object permanence at the end of at the end of this stage.this stage.

Stage Two: Pre-Operational Stage Two: Pre-Operational ThoughtThought

~ 2 years old ~ 2 years old 7 years old 7 years old

• Children develop Children develop languagelanguage in this period, first in this period, first egocentric*egocentric* & then more social. & then more social.

• EgocentricEgocentric– running self-commentary that accompanies – running self-commentary that accompanies actionaction

• Children focus on Children focus on one characteristicone characteristic of an object at of an object at a time.a time.

• Imagining that both the height & width of a glass of water Imagining that both the height & width of a glass of water affect the amount of water is difficult for them.affect the amount of water is difficult for them.

• Imagining that increased space between pieces may make Imagining that increased space between pieces may make one row look longer than another is difficult.one row look longer than another is difficult.

• Thus, children have Thus, children have trouble with conservationtrouble with conservation..• Conservation of liquidConservation of liquid

• Conservation of numberConservation of number

Conservation of Liquid Conservation of Liquid Conservation of NumberConservation of Number

Children have Children have trouble trouble understanding that understanding that the same amount of the same amount of water is in each water is in each container.container.

Will say the taller Will say the taller one has more one has more because they can because they can only focus on one only focus on one dimension – height.dimension – height.

Children have Children have trouble trouble understanding that understanding that both rows have the both rows have the same number of same number of circlescircles

Will say that the Will say that the longer one has longer one has more because they more because they only focus on only focus on length.length.

Stage Three: Concrete Stage Three: Concrete OperationsOperations~ 7 years old ~ 7 years old 11 years old 11 years old

• Children begin to perform operations that are Children begin to perform operations that are directly related to objectsdirectly related to objects (but they do not (but they do not necessarily have to see or touch the objects.)necessarily have to see or touch the objects.)

• They can solve problems with They can solve problems with imagined objectsimagined objects

• e.g. If Alice has 2 apples & I give her 7 more apples, how many e.g. If Alice has 2 apples & I give her 7 more apples, how many does she have now?does she have now?

• Children begin to develop the concepts of Children begin to develop the concepts of conservation & reversabilityconservation & reversability. They can comprehend . They can comprehend processesprocesses..

• e.g. They can understand that there may be the same amount of e.g. They can understand that there may be the same amount of clay in one large ball and five smaller balls made from the large clay in one large ball and five smaller balls made from the large one.one. • = • • • •

•

Stage 4: Formal Stage 4: Formal OperationsOperationsLasts from age 11 Lasts from age 11 ......• Abstract ThoughtAbstract Thought: no longer limited by what they directly : no longer limited by what they directly

see and hear; can engage in “pure thought independent see and hear; can engage in “pure thought independent of actions.”of actions.”

• They can imagine the past, present, and future conditions They can imagine the past, present, and future conditions of a process and form hypotheses about possibilities.of a process and form hypotheses about possibilities.

• They can solve problems involving They can solve problems involving complex reasoningcomplex reasoning with concepts like transitivity:with concepts like transitivity:• Edith has fairer hair than Susan; Edith has darker hair than Lily. Edith has fairer hair than Susan; Edith has darker hair than Lily.

Who has the fairest hair of the three?Who has the fairest hair of the three?

Piaget believed that the most obvious difference Piaget believed that the most obvious difference between adolescents & adults is that between adolescents & adults is that

adolescents expect the world to conform to adolescents expect the world to conform to logiclogic (bc they have just acquired the potential (bc they have just acquired the potential

for logical reasoning).for logical reasoning).

Tenets of PiagetTenets of Piaget Piaget thought that children Piaget thought that children could could

never accomplishnever accomplish reasoning tasks that reasoning tasks that were above their level of development. were above their level of development. (discrete stages)(discrete stages)

He thought that all children developed He thought that all children developed in the same ways, in the same ways, regardless of regardless of differencesdifferences in environment or exposure in environment or exposure to problems.to problems.

He believed that children behaved like He believed that children behaved like solo scientistssolo scientists: he didn’t see social : he didn’t see social interaction playing a strong role in interaction playing a strong role in development.development.

Constructivism & Conceptual Constructivism & Conceptual ChangeChange Constructivist thinkers believe that children learn best when Constructivist thinkers believe that children learn best when

a lesson a lesson begins with their own understandingbegins with their own understanding & “scaffolds” & “scaffolds” to a new concept.to a new concept. e.g. Children believe that hats and sweaters make heat; extensive e.g. Children believe that hats and sweaters make heat; extensive

experimentation can begin to show them otherwise.experimentation can begin to show them otherwise.

Children Children base their thinking on their own experiencesbase their thinking on their own experiences – they – they find it difficult to learn a concept contrary to their beliefs.find it difficult to learn a concept contrary to their beliefs. Children’s textbook learning often doesn’t “stick” because the text Children’s textbook learning often doesn’t “stick” because the text

concepts are not their own.concepts are not their own.

Hands-on lessons can be structured in a way that Hands-on lessons can be structured in a way that forces them to forces them to confront & modify those beliefsconfront & modify those beliefs, but , but the process of the process of accommodationaccommodation (conceptual change) (conceptual change)

not an easy one.not an easy one.

ActivityActivity Watch the film on

Constructivism…

Was your solution to the ‘lighting the light bulb’ problem correct?

Why or why not? (in terms of how you learned the topic)