constructivism...jean piaget lev s. vygotsky cognitive constructivist jean piaget (1896-1980) swiss...
TRANSCRIPT
CONSTRUCTIVISM
Desiree P. Dionsay
What is constructivism
Constructivism is basically a theory---
based on observation and scientific
study --- about how people learn. It says
that people construct their own
understanding and knowledge of the
world, through experiencing things and
reflecting on those experiences.
In the classroom
The constructivist view of learning
can point towards a number of
different teaching practices.
It usually means encouraging
students to use active techniques to
create more knowledge and then to
reflect on and talk about what they
are doing and how their
understanding is changing.
Constructivist teachers
encourage students to constantly
assess how the activity is helping
them gain understanding. By
questioning themselves and their
strategies, students in the
constructivist classroom ideally
become “expert learners”.
Consider this……
Key Words
Metaphors of the
Mind
Zone of Proximal
Development
Scaffolding
Discovery Learning
Key Figures
John Dewey
Jean Piaget
Jerome Bruner
Lev Vygotsky
Vico Giambattista Jean Jaques Rousseau
John Dewey Jerome Brunner
Constructivists:
Historical Predecessors
Historical Predecessor Vico Giambattista
(1668 - 1744) Italian
– “… to know means to
know how to make”
– Getting away from
memorization and
recitation
Reference: http://www.connix.com/~gapinton/
Historical Predecessor
Jean Jaques Rousseau (1712-1778) born in
Switzerland and died in
France.
– “emphasized learning by
doing”
– Teachers should present
problems that stimulate
curiosity and promote
learning.
Reference: http://www.wabash.edu/Rousseau/
Historical Predecessor
John Dewey (1859-1952)
American
– “… education is not
preparation for life it is life
itself …”
– Focus on inquiry-based
learning
– Teachers as providers of
tools, materials, appliances,…
– Teachers will guide the
learning process.
Reference: http://www.siu.edu/~deweyctr/
Historical Predecessor Jerome Bruner (1915- )
American
Theory of Instruction: predisposition,
structured knowledge, sequence, and
pacing rewards and punishments.
Instructional methods:
Discovery Learning, Inquiry,
Experimentation, Observation,
Interviewing, Literature search,
Summarizing, Defense of opinion
Scaffolding Theory
Spiral Curriculum
References: http://www.massey.ac.nz/~i75202/lect14/lect1499.htm,
http://tip.psychology.org/bruner.html
Constructivism
How does it
fit in?
Constructivism • Content, activity and learning
is seen as a whole.
• Learning is an active process that occurs by:
– testing a hypothesis, gathering and sharing information, and solving a problem.
• “… learning … is a process of active cognitive reorganization.”
• “… learning … is a process of acculturation …
Constructivists:
Two Schools of Thought
Cognitive
constructivism
Socio-Cultural
constructivism
Jean Piaget
Lev S. Vygotsky
Cognitive Constructivist
Jean Piaget (1896-1980) Swiss
• Learning is adaptation accomplished by:
– Acculturation
– Assimilation
– Equilibrium
• Information is organized into interrelated ideas or schemas
Reference: http://www.indiana.edu/~intell/piaget.html
18
A Constructivist Approach
• Jean Piaget’s theory remains
the standard against which all
other theories are judged
– Often labeled constructivist because it depicts children as constructing knowledge for themselves
• Children are seen as
– Active
– Learning many important lessons on their own
– Intrinsically motivated to learn
Social Constructivism
Socio-cultural Constructivist
Lev Semenovich Vygotsky
• Zone of proximal development (Zo-ped)
• Mediators of human actions in order to construct meaning – Technological tools
– Psychological tools
• Importance of culture and historical experience
• Experience of others 1897-1933
Reference: http://www.massey.ac.nz/~i75202/lect17/lect1799.htm
Vygotsky’s ZPD
Scaffolding Theory
• He used the term to
describe young
children's oral
language acquisition.
Helped by their
parents when they first
start learning to speak,
young children are
provided with
instinctive structures to
learn a language. Bed-
time stories and read
alouds are classic
examples
Spiral Curriculum
• Instead of focusing
for relatively long
periods of time on
specific narrow
topics, a spiral
curriculum tries to
expose students to a
wide varies of ideas
over and over ago.
Students
• Will develop cultural understanding so that they can:
– communicate adequately
– develop collaborative skills
– develop content knowledge
Instructor – Is viewed as a guide, manager, coach or tutor.
– Help students develop thinking and reasoning skills:
• Problem solving
• Metacognition
• Critical thinking
– Challenge learning by asking questions such as:
• Why?
• What do you mean?
• How do you know that’s true?
– Avoid giving the answer or opinion.
Constructivism and
Educational Technology
• Technology as:
– “a tool for the learner.”
– “an integral part of the
cognitive activity.”
– Mind tools
* Jonassen, David H. (2000). Computers as Mindtools for Schools: Engaging
Critical Thinking. (2nd. Ed.) NJ: Merrill.
Mind as Rhizome (MAR)
• Knowledge cannot be organized as a global system.
• The mind is dynamic, constantly changing.
• Thinking takes place through connections and interactions.
Metaphors we teach by All knowledge is constructed.
Multiple perspectives can be constructed.
Learning should occur in contexts to which it is
related.
Learning is mediated by tools and signs.
Learning is inherently social-dialogical activity.
Learners are distributed, multidimensional
participants in a socio-cultural process.
Knowing how we know is the ultimate human
accomplishment.
“The end of human activity
is not rest, but rather richer
and better human activity.”
Rorty (1991), p. 172
Duffy, T.M. and Cunningham, R. J. Constructivism: Implications for the
design and delivery of Instruction. In: Jonnasen, D. (Ed.) Handbook of
research for educational communications and technology (170-198).
Now think about this…
Thank You
for listening!
Desiree P. Dionsay
Presenter