CONSTRUCTIVISM: A LEARNING THEORY

By Alexis

Based on a type of learning in which the learner forms or constructs, much

of what he or she learns or comprehends

Constructivist theory

Key Ideas

Students learn by doing Learning is a search for meaning,

students need issues they want to understand

The learning is centered around primary concepts

Teachers need to encourage students to discover concepts by themselves

Jean Piaget (1896-1980)

Believed children think differently than adults

Felt children were active learners and didn’t need motivation to learn

Defined four cognitive stages:

Sensorimotor

• Birth to 2 years

• Imitation, learn things through senses and motor activities, don’t understand the world around them

Preoperational

• 2 to 6/7 years

• Egocentric, pretend play, drawing ability, speech and communication development, concrete thinking, and intuitive reasoning

Concrete Operational

• 6/7 to 11/12 years

• Classification, logical reasoning, problem solving, and beginnings of abstract thinking

Formal Operational

• 11/12 years through adulthood

• Comparative reasoning, abstract thinking, deductive logic, and test hypotheses

Jerome Bruner (1915 - )

Proposed learning is an active process based on current or past knowledge

Believed constructivist learners are participatory

Felt the teacher’s role should be to encourage students through exploration of inquiry

Thought that curriculum should be organized in a spiral, so students continually build on information they already learned

Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934)

Developed social cognition Believed learning was influenced

significantly by social development Thought children have a zone of proximal

development (difference between the problem solving ability that a child has learned and the potential they can achieve with help from a more advanced peer)

Felt students needed to work together so they can share different perspectives

Proposed teachers should learn each child’s cognitive/social development and then teach them from that information

John Dewey (1859-1952)

Believed education was a social process Founded a school called the University

Elementary School and felt it should be viewed as an extension of society

Viewed learning as student-directed with a teacher serving as a guide for resources

He thought that students learn by doing and should be allowed to construct, create, and actively inquire

Broadened the curriculum and inspired teachers to use other forms of learning such as through science experiments and manipulative

Has been called by some the Father of American Education because of his influence in classrooms today

What does the teacher do?

With Technology Have them do projects with primary data on the

computer Allow the students to write the answers to open

ended questions using a word processor

Without technology Here is an example of constructivism in a

classroom. Ask follow up questions Give students time to answer questions

What do students do?

With technology Looking up information using the internet Using computer software to make a

presentation Doing a virtual science experiment on the

web or through a program Without technology

Working in a group of other students Asking a difficult question to a teacher Building with Lego pieces to make a car

I believe when I become a teacher I will use constructivism a lot. I feel that students learn better when they are involved in the classroom and not just listening to lectures. Also, working in a group allows social skills to develop and as a student, it helps you realize what you’re good at.

My Opinion:

Credits

Images http://ludricus.files.wordpress.com/2009/04

/jean_piaget1.jpg http://faculty.weber.edu/pstewart/images/m

edallist_bruner.jpg http://faculty.weber.edu/pstewart/images/v

ygotsky.jpg http://

www.lib.uchicago.edu/e/spcl/centcat/fac/images/faculty_img18_lrg.jpg

Information http://www.ndt-ed.org/TeachingResources/C

lassroomTips/Constructivist%20_Learning.htm