Constructivism and a Multi-media Project: Initial Questions and Problem

A cohesive approach to leaning where an individual is highest in terms of their involvement is one of the best approaches. It makes the learning approach an enjoyable activity and contributes to new knowledge. Therefore, for this reason the paper holds that the constructivism approach is one of the best methods of effectively teaching in the education sector, as my personal philosophy for education. It is beneficial and helps solve some of the unanswered questions such ambiguity, in knowledge and it being devoid of human experience that this paper goes on to support this notion.

The constructivist teacher be responsible for tools such as problem-solving and inquiry-based learning activities like in e-learning structure so that pupils can express and test their ideas, draw conclusions and inferences, and transport their knowledge in a collaborative learning setting. The teacher must comprehend the pupils' previous conceptions and monitor the activities to address this information and then construct and build on it. Constructivist teachers hearten pupils to evaluate how the activity is helping them increase understanding. By enquiring themselves and their approaches, pupils develop expert learners as they acquire how to learn, with the use of computers and online. The pupils then have the essential tools to become life-long learners.

Mrs. Driver and I discussed what Constructivism is, and how it is evidenced in her classroom. As we discussed the model, it became apparent that her classroom is structured around such model. In this paper, I will explain what I have observed that directly aligns to the Constructivist model.

Constructivism is an educational philosophy with many faces, however it primarily emphasizes on the social and cognitive abilities of the learner. A constructivist view on learning is where students share their experiences and knowledge in order to learn from another. Humans derive knowledge from previous knowledge, yet the teachers must conduct an environment that facilitates the learning process. It is a method of learning where the learner is active and makes sense of the world through external interventions. More importantly, educators that use collaborative learning to build morale and social skills collectively, contribute to the enhancement of student teaching (Hernandez, 2012).

Constructivism is where students are learning more by having their own active involvement then just listening and observing during instruction. Although there is a teacher present in the classroom, they take a step back and observe how students are learning. This is not an easy job for a teacher though. The teacher should know their classroom, the subject matter, and above all, their students. Each student is unique. In an article about student-centered classrooms entitled, Student-Centered Instruction: Involving Students in Their Own Education, the author writes, “Put simply, student-centered instruction is when the planning, teaching, and assessment revolve around the needs and abilities of the

Educational philosophies differ from person to person. From behaviorist to constructivist and everything in between, the one thing they have in common is that they attempt to explain how people learn. This paper will explain why I tend to lean toward the constructivist theory of education and defend this theory using a variety of current literature. It is important to note that the theories that are talked about as educational theories are often looked at as both theories of teaching and learning; however most of these theories are not theories of teaching but rather learning (Baviskar, Hartle, Whitney, 2009). This may be especially true for constructivism where there can be a common misunderstanding of what constructivism actually is

According to constructivist theorists it is important that students do not have misconceptions before they start to learn a new concept. Teachers should identify the students current understanding and ideas in order to construct new meaning. This can be done, for example, by giving a quiz as an introduction to a new subject, by group discussion, by giving activities after presenting new

Constructivism is a learning theory describing the process of knowledge construction (Major & Mangope 2012:139). Borich and Tombari (2004 as cited in Booyse, 2010:10) described constructivism as an approach to learning in which learners are provided with the “opportunity to construct their own sense of what is being learned by building internal connections or relationships among the ideas and facts being taught. Therefore constructivism is based on a learner’s own construction of knowledge. Learners use their prior knowledge to make sense of new information by relating them together (Stavredes, 2011).

A problem arises because teachers typically report they agree that constructivist teaching is more effective to achieve student learning goals, but the empirical research into how many teachers actually use a constructivist method in the classroom does not align with the reported teacher beliefs. The best way to align the reported beliefs of teachers with the strategies they use in the classroom is to praise and reward those who utilize it so that other teachers can follow in their footsteps as well as see the benefits of doing so.

A Constructivist approach according to Wenglisnky, H.,(2005) will use technology to help a student better learn and understand a given topic, using visual aids, programs etc. While a didactic will do the complete opposite. It will combine the larger picture of a scenario, going into advanced and more complicated problems that the student can understand.

Constructivism takes a different approach to developing instruction than the traditional approach taken by objectivism. Objectivist instruction communicates knowledge by breaking it into component parts and then systematically presenting the components to learners. Objectivism begins by deciding what the student needs to know and then constructing a task analysis of that knowledge. After analyzing the existing abilities of the learners, the instructional designer develops a strategy to communicate the required information to the learners. Assessments are used to determine if the communication process was successful. The process is usually conducted in an artificial setting, such as a classroom, to minimize distractions. By contrast, constructivist instruction seeks to provide learners with their own means of constructing their own interpretation of a problem. Constructivism begins by selecting a task relevant to the learner’s lived experience. The instructional strategy provides tools for inquiring into the problem and various means for collecting information about the problem in order to understand or construct solutions to the problem. The task is usually accomplished better by working in a group than by working alone. The instructor helps the learner see multiple perspectives. No separate test is required since constructivism believes successful completion of the task indicates successful learning. The emphasis is on showing

This model of teaching espouses “teaching basic skills within the authentic contexts…for modeling expert thought processes, and for providing for collaboration and external supports to permit students to achieve intellectual accomplishments they could not do on their own…” (Means et al., 1993, p. 2) In simpler terms, a constructivist environment allows the student to be a teacher and a learner, ask as well as answer questions, and to be assessed in ways other than traditional tests. In classrooms rich in technology, students become more engaged and active learners, and there is a greater emphasis on inquiry. I contend that the teachers who practice constructivist principles will be the ones who are able to interweave technology successfully into their classrooms.

Instructional design and technology is a mixture of the designer’s knowledge of learning behaviors that is connected to the human psychology depending on educational materials to best help and facilitate the learning objectives. Instructional design is intensively linked with psychology in terms of variety of theories that are available to put the designers and learners on the right path to learn. The description of those theories give the designers a chance to see the vision and the outline of how to well create lessons for the learners including the media in ways as a tool for learning. The first thing to keep into consideration is to make sure the learners achieve the educational goals with high performance and efficiency.

The purpose of a constructivist education, therefore, is to facilitate the process for learners in constructing their understanding. Constructivist learning “fosters critical thinking and creates active and motivated learners,” according to McClurg (2009). The educational emphasis is not on delivering knowledge nor organizing that knowledge in a prescriptive system, but rather on teaching students how to build their own understanding within meaningful contexts for lasting effect (Learning Theories Knowledgebase, 2012).

There are five identified central tenets of constructivism as a teaching philosophy: Constructivist teachers seek and value students’ points of view. This concept is similar to the reflective action process we call withitness, in which teachers attempt to perceive students’ needs and respond to them appropriately; Constructivist teachers challenge students to see different points of view and thereby construct new knowledge. Learning occurs when teachers ask students what they think they know about a subject and why they think they know it; Constructivist teachers recognize that curricula must have meaning for students. When students see the relevance of curricula, their interest in learning grows; Constructivist teachers create lessons that tackle big ideas, not small bits of information. By seeing the whole first, students are able to determine how the parts fit together; Constructivist teachers assess student learning in daily classroom activities, not through the use of separate testing or evaluation events. Students