Two Views of Learning: Being Controlled vs. Self-controlling

Objectivist ConstructivistCompare and Contrast Two Epistemologies

Two Views of Learning:Being Controlled vs. Self-controlling

EDIT 732 / Summer 2009George Mason University

Ed Lane / Tom Sakell :: June 23, 2009

June 23, 2009 GMU EDIT 732 / Spring 2009 / Ed Lane / Tom Sakell1


Introduction

Objectivism presents the view is that the world is an entity external to, and containing structure that can be modeled for, the learner1. With that underlayment, the theories of objectivism guide the learner through an objective reality to teach about the real world2.

The concept of a world “completely and correctly structured”3, theorizes that to learn one simply needs to be supplied with “information frames or production rules”4.



Introduction

Constructivism postulates there are many ways to structure the world, and there are many meanings or perspectives for any event or concept. Thus there is not a correct meaning that we are striving for5.

Meaning is a function of how the individual creates meaning from his or her experiences and actions6.



Definitions

Objectivism, an epistemology supported through underlying foundations of Behaviorism and Cognitivism, postulates that “knowing and learning are processes for representing and mirroring reality”7. Learning is based upon exposure to an external existing reality and the identification, understanding, and response to that reality.8



Definitions

Constructivism, an epistemology that argues the placement of reality is internal, that the learner “constructs a reality, or at least interprets it, based upon his or her apperceptions (the process whereby perceived qualities of an object are related to a learner’s past experience).”9

“Learners do not transfer knowledge from the external world into their memories; rather, they build personal interpretations of the world based on individual experiences and interactions.”10

“...allow students to seek out a solution to the problem. There is no single right answer or single solution for a problem using this approach.” 11



FeaturesConstructivist• Multiple perspectives are supported• Learning occurs in context• Learning is mediated by tools/signs• Learners are distributed, multi-

dimensional participantsin a sociocultural process13

• Emphasis is on learners who interpret and construct meaning based on their own experiences and interactions. 14

Objectivist• Learner works alone

in specified environment• Specific information supporting

learning goal supplied to learner• Specific objectives path

to learning followed• Teaching generally occurs

in didactic manner• Practice focused

on supplied information• Results must adhere

to supplied objectives• Assessment is testing for acquired

knowledge/understanding126


ObjectivistReal-life ExampleAssessment

• Reality check of whether learning has occurred

• Can be internal or external• Can be in stages or at

completion, or both• Can be through questioning or

demonstration• Is always focused on the

problem being addressed

• Creation of the learningenvironment

• Introduction of the topic• Overview of the expected

Objectives to be met

• Understand the task• Overview

• Prepare the area• Cover floors and hardware• Sand all surfaces• Fill in gaps and holes

• Paint the walls• Cut in around edges• Run line of paint along

wall• Roll walls

Content

• Specific to problem• Linear• Results oriented

Learning is presumedto have occurred when:

• A change in the observable performance is present

• Attention to stimulus has occurred

• Practice has occurred• Knowledge mastery is evident

Typical Sequence of Learning

Objectivist learning, whether Behaviorist or Cognitive, follows a general pattern of attack:• Learners are told what they

are to learn• Learners are given specific

information to support that required learning

• Learners are encouraged to practice satisfying the objectives

• Learners are exposed to either external assessment, self-assessment, or both.

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ConstructivistReal-life Example

Evaluators• April - May 2008• Evaluators: 3,344• Evaluations: 410,089• Full evaluations: 575

All photos appeared randomly

Photographers• March 2008• Blind, open call• 100-word statement• 389 photographs submitted

Judges• all are welcome• self-evaluate• 5-point Likert scale• register online, with

only an e-mail address

Demographics• Brooklyn 38%• New York City 17%• Tri-State Area 10% • United States 28%• Outside U.S. 7%

Most DiscussedNot in anyone’s top 10Most Popular Everyone likes this view of BrooklynMost Popular (Brooklyn)How Brooklyn sees itselfMost Popular Not in Brooklyn!Creating an online communityThe Brooklyn Museum needed to find ways to retain their audience beyond the exit door.

How can the museum include users in the museum experience?

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When Learning Occurs

Objectivist ExampleLearning, in this example, occurs when the learner is able to show that the terms of the objective have been met and can be replicated. This occurs on an objective by objective level, with the ability to achieve and replicate the training goal the final assessment.

Constructivist ExampleThrough participation in this example, the online museum experience, and immersion in the media-rich environment, learners are exposed to multiple characteristics of photography and acquire information. As they are able to assimilate this information and use it to form the basis for perspectives in future decisions, learning has occurred.

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Comparison Matrix (Paint a Room and Library) Characteristics Objectivist LE: Paint A Room Constructivist LE: Library Online Photo Experience

The learner “Learning consists of grasping the referents of words, that is, the kinds of entities or concepts that the words denote in reality.” (Jonassen, p. 09, “Objectivism versus Constructivism”)

• The website specifies exactly what the learner is expected to do, in what order, and with what tools. The learning experience is fully guided toward a predetermined goal

The learner is expected to make use of sensory information to create “Internal coding and structuring” (Ertmer & Newby, p. 58)

The learner receives all of his or her cues from the visual and content information presented. This information is specific and objective-oriented.

Learners “build personal interpretations of the world, based on individual experiences and interactions.” (Ertmer & Newby, p. 63)

• At the library website, the learner is exposed to a concept, and to a rich visual content, and is given the opportunity to move about that content and to explore. Actions taken, while suggested, are left up to the learner.

“Constructivism does not preclude the existence of an external reality; it merely claims that each of us constructs our own reality through interpreting perceptual experiences of the external world” (Jonassen, p. 12, “Objectivism versus Constructivism”)

• Learners at the site were offered the opportunity to interpret and respond to information on their own terms and through their own interpretation of that information.

The Teacher “Students are not geared to make their own interpretations of what they perceive; it is the role of the teacher or the instruction to interpret events for them” (Jonassen, p. 10)

At this training website, a specific goal-oriented set of objectives, and their supporting content, moves the learner through a series of actions that are geared to leave the learner with learning based on those actions.

“Learning simply involves acquiring the information frames or productions rules.” (Duffy & Jonassen, p. 03)

The training is presented in step sequence, with each step providing the foundation for the next, as the learner is guided toward the training goal.

“Instruction, we believe, should not focus on transmitting plans to the learner but rather on developing the skills of the learner to construct ( and reconstruct) plans in response to situational demands and opportunities” (Duffy & Jonassen, p. 04)

• The website provides content and usable tools which the learner is free to explore and either use or not, depending on their interpretation of the site and how they wish to interact with it and other learners.

The Learning Context

Content is sequenced linearly, with each student given “the same instruction at the same pace within the same context.” (Dabbagh & Bannan-Ritland, p. 03)

The combination of pictures and text content moves each learner forward in the same manner, and is designed to produce the same results.

“Just as shades of meanings of given words are constantly changing a learner’s “current” understanding of a word, so too will concepts continually evolve with each new use” (Ertmer & Newby, p. 63)

• Learners are exposed to photographs of every type and description, allowing each to form opinions and to make comparisons based on inner realities that they are constructing in response to the environment.

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Comparison Matrix (Paint a Room and Library)

Characteristics Objectivist LE: Paint A Room Constructivist LE: Library Online Photo ExperienceThe Learning Activity

A combination of prompts and arrangement of environmental conditions are designed to move the learner toward correct responses, with reinforcement available for those responses. (Ertmer & Newby, p. 57)

The learner is led through a series of webpages which contain information about the objective for each step involved in successfully painting a room, content that supports each task involved, and visual information pertaining to the step. While there is not a formal assessment at the end, the learner does receive information concerning the expected result for comparison to their work.

Anchoring learning in meaningful contexts, emphasizing learner control, presentation of information in a variety of different manners, supporting the ability of learners to go beyond the information given, and allowing assessment focused on transfer of knowledge and skills. (Ertmer & Newby, p. 65-66)

The learner is invited onto the website, given the premise for its construction and allowed to move through the environment, viewing and comparing various content, forming associations internally, and acting in whatever manner seems warranted.

The Content Learning is driven by externally generated objectives….content is structured according to tasks, objectives and prerequisites. (Dabbagh & Bannan-Ritland, p. 04)

• The learner views the graphics, reads the directions, and uses the support material to obtain the items necessary to fulfill the objective.

“Content is not pre-specified; information from many sources is essential.” (Ertmer & Newby, p. 65)

The learner is exposed to a rich environment of photographs, garnered from multiple sources and with many themes and subjects, providing a wide spectrum of possibilities for comparison and study.

Assessment Learning occurs when practice and reinforcement shape the response until it is correctly executed. (Ertmer & Newby, p. 57)

At the end of each step, the learner is presented with the opportunity to confer with an expert and to ascertain whether or not the objective has been met. If it has not, the learner is given further instruction and permitted to repeat. When the learner achieves the desired response and is able to replicate it, learning has occurred.

Learning always takes place in a context and the context forms an inexorable link with the knowledge embedded in it. (Duffy & Jonassen, p. 26)

After the learner moves through the content offered at the site, considers possibilities and makes decisions based on those considerations, he or she is able to compare the results of those decisions with others, allowing the shaping and validation of the knowledge received through having participated in the event. When the learner is able to apply this knowledge to new situations, learning has occurred.

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Conclusion

So it comes to this: Two simple statements

• Objectivist (Behaviorist or Cognitive) learning is based on the need to structure the manner in which the learner receives and uses information.

• Constructivist learning provides the learner with a rich environment in which he or she is provided opportunities to determine how best to use it.



Group ExerciseDuring this time, we have discussed two epistemologies and offered examples of each.

As we have set the stage and populated it with characters, you have had a chance to view and reflect on this presentation.

Let’s Flip!



Thank You For Your Attention!



References (1 of 2)

1. (Jonassen, p. 5) 2. (Duffy & Jonassen, p. 2)3. (Duffy & Jonassen, p. 2)4. (Duffy & Jonassen, p. 03)5. (Duffy & Jonassen, p. 05)6. (Jonassen, 1991)7. (Jonassen, p. 05)8. (Duffy & Jonassen, p. 03)9. (Jonassen, p. 10)10. (Ertmer & Newby, p. 63)11. (Jonassen, 1999)12. These features based on information gleaned from the following sources:

Jonassen, D.H. “Objectivism versus Constructivism: Do We Need a New Philosophical Paradigm?,” Educational Technology Research and Development 39 (1991) 5-14Ertmer, P.A. and T.J. Newby. “Behaviorism, Cognitivism, Constructivism: Comparing critical features from aninstructional design perspective.” Performance Improvement Quarterly 6.4 (1993) 50-72Thomas M. Duffy, David H. Jonassen (Eds.). “Constructivism and the Technology of Instruction: A conversation (1992)

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References (2 of 2)

13. Duffy & Cunningham’s Constructivist Criteria14. Constructivist Learning Environments (CLE), who’s the author, what’s the year?

http://www.accesswave.ca/~hgunn/special/papers/hypertxt/cle.html

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http://www.accesswave.ca/~hgunn/special/papers/hypertxt/cle.html

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Two Views of Learning: Being Controlled vs. Self-controlling