CONSTRUCTIVIST EPISTEMOLOGY

Teaching verses Learning

Barbara Truitt Beckmeyer Make Up Mini Report

Cognitive and Social Constructivism

Under the general heading of the Constructivist Epistemology various types of constructivist theories have emerged:◦ Radical, social, physical, evolutionary, postmodern

constructivism, social constructionism, information-processing constructivism and cybernetic systems to name a few (Steffe & Gale, 1995; Prawat, 1996; Heylighen, 1993).

This mini report I will be looking at two that are at the forefront of current trends, Cognitive, (also know as individual, rational, and/or psychological constructivism) and Social Constructivism and how they are being used in faculty development.

Social vs Cognitive Constructivism

Social/Vygotskian constructivismKnowledge is constructed by the individual and

built on prior knowledge.Learning is based on personal but shared

interpretation of knowledge Learning is an active process built on the learners

personal experience within a social context.Cognitive/Pagietian constructivismInternal constructions of knowledge more

individualized.Social interaction is a catalyst for learning.

Cognitive Constructivism learning environment

Engage learners in activities authentic to the discipline in which they are learning.

Provide for collaboration and the opportunity to engage multiple perspectives on what is being learned.

Support learners in setting their own goals and regulating their own learning.

Encourage learners to reflect on what and how they are learning. (Reiser & Dempsey, p.42)

Social Constructivism learning environment

Reflect “real-world” complexities.Encourage students’ explain their

responses through discussion and questioning.

Encourages group work and group processing.

Socially constructed knowledge is built together by a group and thus fosters multiple ways of understanding.

Combining the two forms of constructivism

Working in small groups but with the outcome that each individual instructor will be developing his or her own course it seems a perfect fit to combine the two theories to help produce the desired outcome.

Audience and Setting

Audience are faculty members from across curriculums at a state university working to create courses based on Universal Design for Learning as part of a grant project.

The setting is one fostering Faculty Learning Communities and incorporates many principles of Constructivism.

Faculty members work in small groups and come together several times within the year to share their progress and knowledge with all of the individual groups as a whole.

Using Constructivism for Faculty Development

Working in small groups sharing ideasAuthentic/Real World problemsQuestioning new models and techniquesExplaining how they intend to implement

changes furthers understandingShared experience builds a sense of

community and a body of knowledgeIndividual instructors will implement their

owns separate course materials and delivery model

Benefits

Benefits include peer to peer networking and sharing across curriculums

Fostering community for the instructorsDeveloping new skill sets for instructors

based on different perspectivesCreating socially constructed knowledge

that is shared not only within the campus but within the extended network of other campuses involved in the grant

Costs

Time constraints on group activities and organizing times and places for the entire group to meet together

Scalability problems…How can this translate into a larger instructor population

Time for development of group interactions and collection of feedback

Keeping track of outcomes and collecting quantitative results/data

What We Should Be Doing?

Developing more Student-centered active methods of instruction

Ask students to be a part of their education

Have students contribute to the development and design of instruction by using polls and other feedback mechanisms

Shift the focus from teaching to learning

Some Principals we may want to incorporate

In their book A Case for Constructivist Classrooms, J.G. and M.G. Brooks state 12 principals essential to constructivist teaching:

Encouragement and acceptance of student autonomy and initiative. Utilization of raw data and primary sources along with manipulative, interactive, and

physical materials. When planning, teachers use cognitive terminology such as "classify", "analyze", and

"create." Allowance of student responses to drive lessons, shift instructional strategies, and alter

content. Inquiry concerning students' understanding of concept before sharing their own

understanding of those concepts. Encouragement of students to engage in dialogue, both with the teacher and with one

another. Encouragement of student inquiry by asking thoughtful, open-ended questions and

encouraging students to ask questions of each other. Pursuit of elaboration of students' initial responses. Engagement of students in experiences that might engender contradictions to their initial

hypotheses and then encourage discussion. Allowances for wait time after posing questions. Providing time for students to construct relationships and create metaphors. Nurturing students' natural curiosity through frequent use of the learning cycle model.

References

Brandon, B. (2004). How do people learn? Some new ideas for e-learning designers. Learning Solutions Magazine. Retrieved June 14, 2010 from learningsolutionsmag.com. http://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/301/how-do-people-learn-some-new-ideas-for-e-learning-designers

Brooks, Jacqueline Grennon., and Martin G. Brooks. In Search of Understanding the Case for Constructivist Classrooms: with a New Introduction by the Authors. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Merrill/Prentice Hall, 2001. Print.

Ertmer, P.A. & Newby, J.T. (1993). Behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism: Comparing critical features from an instructional design perspective. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 6(4), 50-72.

Reiser, R. & Dempsey, J.V. (2007). Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology (2nd ed.), Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Education/Prentice-Hall, Inc.