Constructivist learning is based on constructivist learning theory. Constructivist teaching is based on the belief that learning occurs when learners engage actively in the process of constructing meaning and knowledge as opposed to passively receiving information. Learners are creators of meaning and knowledge.
Video Constructivist teaching methods
History
The teaching method of constructivist approach is based on constructivist learning theory. Together with John Dewey, Jean Piaget examines the development and education of childhood. Both Dewey and Piaget are very influential in the development of informal education. Dewey's idea of ​​influential education shows that education should involve and enlarge experiences and explorations of thoughts and reflections related to the role of educators. Piaget's role in constructivist teaching shows that we learn by extending our knowledge to the experience generated through games from childhood to adulthood necessary for learning. Their theories are now included in the broader progressive education movement. Constructivist learning theory says that all knowledge is built on the basis of prior knowledge. Children are not empty slate and knowledge can not be given without children understanding it according to its current conception. Therefore, children learn best when they are allowed to build a personal understanding based on experiencing things and reflect on the experience.
Maps Constructivist teaching methods
Constructivist teaching strategies
Characteristics
One of the main purposes of using constructivist teaching is that students learn how to learn by giving them training to take the initiative for their own learning experience.
According to Audrey Gray, the characteristics of constructivist classes are as follows:
- learners are actively involved
- the environment is democratic
- activities are interactive and student-centered
- Teachers facilitate the learning process in which students are encouraged to be responsible and autonomous
Examples of activities
Furthermore, in constructivist classrooms, students work primarily in groups and learning and knowledge are interactive and dynamic. There is a great focus and emphasis on social skills and communication, as well as collaboration and exchange of ideas. This is contrary to traditional classrooms where students work mainly alone, learning is achieved through repetition, and subjects are strictly adhered to and guided by textbooks. Some of the activities that are encouraged in constructivist classrooms are:
- Experiments: Students experiment individually and then gather together as a class to discuss the results.
- Research project: Students research a topic and can present their findings to the class.
- Field visits: This allows students to put the concepts and ideas discussed in the classroom in a real-world context. Field visits are often followed by class discussions.
- Movies: This provides the visual context and thus brings another sense into the learning experience.
- Class discussion: This technique is used in all methods described above. This is one of the most important differences of constructivist teaching methods.
The constructivist approach can also be used in online learning. For example, tools such as discussion forums, wikis and blogs can enable learners to actively build knowledge. A contrast between traditional classrooms and constructivist classrooms is illustrated below:
Traditional Classroom
- Start with part of whole-Emphasize basic skills
- Strictly adhere to the fixed curriculum
- Textbooks and workbooks
- The instructor gives/receives students
- The instructor assumes a directive, authoritative role
- Assessment via correct test/answer
- Inactive knowledge
- Students work individually
Constructivist class
- Start with the whole - extends to the section
- Pursue student questions/interests
- Primary Source/manipulative material
- Learning is an interaction - building what students already know
- Instructors interact/negotiate with students
- Assessment through student work, observation, point of view, test. Process is as important as product
- Knowledge is dynamic/changing with experience
- Students work in groups Source: Thirteen Ed Online (2004)
Since the existing schemata of knowledge is explicitly acknowledged as the starting point for new learning, constructivist approaches tend to validate the diversity and diversity of individuals and cultures.
Teacher role
In constructivist classrooms, the role of teachers is to encourage and facilitate discussion. Thus, the teacher's main focus should be on guiding students by asking questions that will lead them to develop their own conclusions on the subject. Parker J. Palmer (1997) suggests that good teachers merge themselves, subjects, and students in the structure of life because they teach from inseparable self, they manifest in their own lives, and awaken in their students the capacity to connect. "
David Jonassen identifies three key roles for facilitators to support students in constructivist learning environments:
- Model
- Training
- Scaffolding
A brief description of Jonassen's main roles is:
Modeling - Jonassen describes Modeling as the most commonly used learning strategy in CLE. Two types of modeling exist: behavioral modeling of real performance and cognitive modeling of cognitive processes in disguise. Behavioral modeling in the Constructivist Learning Environment shows how to perform the activities identified in the activity structure. Cognitive modeling articulates the reasoning (reflection-in-action) that the student should use when engaging in activities.
Training - For Jonassen, the role of the coach is complex and incorrect. He acknowledges that a good coach motivates learners, analyzes their performance, provides feedback and suggestions about performance and how to learn about how to perform, and provokes the reflection and articulation of what has been learned. In addition, he argues that coaching can be requested by the learner. Students seeking help can press "How Do I Do It?" button. Or coaching may not be asked, when the coach looks at the performance and provides encouragement, diagnosis, direction, and feedback. Training naturally and of course involves responses that lie in the performance of the learner's tasks (Laffey, Tupper, Musser, & Wedman, 1997).
Scaffolding - Scaffolding is a more systemic approach to support learners, focus on tasks, the environment, teachers, and learners. Scaffolding provides a temporary framework to support student learning and performance beyond their means. The concept of scaffolding represents all forms of support for cognitive activity provided by adults when children and adults do the tasks together (Wood & Middleton, 1975).
Constructivist learning environment (CLE)
Jonassen has proposed a model for developing constructivist learning environments (CLEs) around specific learning objectives. This goal can take one of several forms, from the least to the most complex:
- Questions or issues
- Case study
- Long Term Project
- Problems (multiple cases and projects integrated at the curriculum level)
Jonassen recommends making learning objectives attractive and relevant but not too structured.
In CLE, learning is driven by problems to solve; students learn content and theory to solve problems. This is in contrast to traditional objective teaching in which theories will be presented first and problems will be used afterwards to practice theory.
Depending on prior student experience, cases and related scaffolding may be required for support. Instructors also need to provide an authentic context for the task, plus information resources, cognitive tools, and collaborative tools.
Assessment
Traditionally, classroom assessment is based on testing. In this style, it is important for students to come up with the right answers. However, in constructivist teaching, the process of gaining knowledge is seen as important as the product. Thus, the assessment is based not only on tests, but also on students 'observations, student work, and students' point of view. Some assessment strategies include:
- Oral discussions. Teachers present students with "focus" questions and allow open discussion of topics.
- KWL Chart (H) (What do we know, what we want to know, what we have learned, how we know it). This technique can be used throughout the course for a particular topic, but it is also a good assessment technique as it shows the teacher's progress during the course.
- Mind Mapping. In this activity, students make lists and categorize concepts and ideas related to a topic.
- Live events. This encourages students to manipulate their environment or specific learning tools. Teachers can use checklists and observations to assess students' success with particular material.
- Pre-testing. It allows a teacher to determine what knowledge the students bring to a new topic and thus will assist in directing the course of study.
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A good example of a lesson taught in a constructivist fashion, with teachers who mediate learning rather than direct classroom teaching is demonstrated by the example of Faraday wax. There are various forms of this lesson, but they are all developed from Faraday's Christmas lectures on the function of candles. In an open constructivist lesson using this lecture as a basis, students are encouraged to discover for themselves how candles work. They do this first by making simple observations, from which they then build ideas and hypotheses which they then test. Teachers act to encourage this learning. If successful, students can use this lesson to understand combustion components, important chemical topics.
Constructivism for adults
The constructivist philosophy has a long history of application in educational programs for children, but is rarely used in adult learning environments. As humans develop, there is a qualitative change in their ability to think logically about experience, but the process by which learning occurs, cognitive adaptation and social mediation, is believed to be continuous or remain the same throughout life. At the heart of constructivist philosophy is the belief that knowledge is not given but acquired through real experience that has purpose and meaning for the learner, and the exchange of perspective about experience with others (Piaget & Inhelder, 1969; Vygotsky, 1978).
The learning environment for adults based on constructivist philosophy includes opportunities for students to make meaningful connections between new material and previous experiences, through discovery. One of the simplest ways to do this is to ask open questions. Open questions like "Tell me about the time when...." or "How might this information benefit you?" causing learners to think about how new information can relate to their own experiences. The student's response to such questions is an opportunity to experience the perspective of others. In order for these questions to be effective it is very important that the instructor focus on teaching content that is useful to the participants. The importance of using this type of strategy with adults contributes to what Bain (2004 p.4) is noted as a critical learning environment in which instructors "inculcate" the skills they teach in "authentic tasks that will arouse curiosity, challenge students to rethinking assumptions and checking the mental modes of their reality ". Mezirow J. (1997) which asserts that learners need to practice in recognizing the terms of reference and using their imaginations to redefine the problem from different perspectives. (Page 10) I made a connection with also adding points that "to promote discovery learning, educators often repeat learner questions in terms of the current participants' level of understanding • learning contracts, group projects, role plays, case studies, and simulations are related class methods with transformative education. "Such an approach emphasizes that learning is not a process" all or nothing "but students learn new information presented to them by building on the knowledge they already possess. Therefore, it is important for teachers to continually assess the knowledge their students gain to ensure that students' perceptions of new knowledge are what the teacher means. Teachers will find that because students build on existing knowledge, when they are called to retrieve new information, they can make mistakes. This is known as a reconstruction error when we fill our gaps of understanding with logical thinking, albeit wrong. Teachers need to catch and try to correct this error, although it is inevitable that some reconstruction mistakes will continue to occur due to our limited luggage capabilities.
In most pedagogy based on constructivism, the role of teachers is not only to observe and assess but also to engage with students as they complete activities, to wonder hard and ask questions to students for the promotion of reasoning (DeVries et al., 2002). (eg: I wonder why water does not spill over the edge of a full cup?) Teachers also intervene when a conflict arises; However, they only facilitate student resolutions and self-regulation, with an emphasis on conflict being students and that they should find out for themselves. For example, literacy promotion is achieved by integrating the need to read and write across individual activities in the print-rich classroom. The teacher, after reading the story, encourages students to write or draw their own stories, or by asking students to relive stories they may know well, both of which encourage students to understand themselves as readers and author.
Arguments against constructivist teaching techniques
Critics have voiced the following arguments for constructivist-based instructional instruction:
- A group of cognitive scientists also question the central claims of constructivism, saying that they are misleading or contrary to known findings.
- One possible deterrent for this method of teaching is that, because of the emphasis on group work, the idea of ​​more active students can dominate group conclusions.
While proponents of constructivism argue that constructivist students perform better than their peers when tested on high-level reasoning, constructive critics argue that this teaching technique forces students to "reinvent the wheel". Proponents say that "Students do not reinvent the wheel but, rather, try to understand how it alternates, how it functions." Proponents argue that students - especially elementary school children - are naturally curious about the world, and giving them the tools to explore it in a guided manner will give them a stronger understanding of it.
Mayer (2004) developed a literature review that included fifty years and concluded "The research in this brief review shows that the constructivism = direct activity formula is the formula for educational disaster." The argument is that active learning is often suggested by those who subscribe to this philosophy. In developing this instruction these educators produce materials that require learning to behave actively and not "cognitively active". That is, even though they are involved in the activity, they may not learn (Sweller, 1988). Mayer recommends using guided discovery, a mix of direct instruction and immediate activity, rather than pure invention: "In many ways, guided discovery seems to offer the best method for promoting constructivist learning."
Kirchner et al. (2006) agree with the basic premise of constructivism, that learners build knowledge, but are concerned with instructional design recommendations from this theoretical framework. "Constructivist learning descriptions are accurate, but the instructional consequences suggested by constructivists do not always follow." (Kirschner, Sweller, and Clark, 2006, p.Ã, 78). In particular, they say instructors often devise pointed instruction that depends on the learner to "discover or build important information for themselves" (Kirchner et al., 2006, p75).
For this reason they state that "it is easy to agree with Mayer's (2004) recommendation that we" move educational reform efforts from the world of fuzzy and unproductive ideology - which sometimes hides under various banners of constructivism - to the keen and productive world of research-based theories about how people learn. "(p.17) Finally Kirschner, Sweller, and Clark (2006) cite Mayer to conclude fifty years of empirical results do not support directed instruction.
Custom approach
Specific approaches to education based on constructivism include the following:
Constructionism
An approach to learning based on constructivist learning ideology presented by Jean Piaget (Harel & Papert, 1991). In this approach, individuals are consciously involved in product development (Li, Cheng, & Liu, 2013). The use of constructivism in educational settings has been shown to promote high-level thinking skills such as problem solving and critical thinking (Li et al., 2013).
Guided instructions
A learning approach in which educators use strategically placed hints, cues, questions, direct explanations, and modeling to guide student thinking and facilitate increased responsibility for task completion (Fisher & Frey, 2010).
Problem-based learning
A structured education approach consisting of large and small group discussions (Schmidt & Loyens, 2007). Problem-based learning begins with an educator who presents a series of problems or problems carefully constructed to a small group of students (Schmidt & Loyens, 2007). Problems or problems usually relate to phenomena or events in which students have limited prior knowledge (Schmidt & Loyens, 2007). The first component of problem-based learning is to discuss prior knowledge and ask questions related to a particular problem or problem (Schmidt & Loyens, 2007). After class discussions, there is usually a time when students individually research or reflect newly acquired information and/or look for areas that require further exploration (Schmidt & Loyens, 2007). After a predetermined amount of time (as outlined by the educator), students will meet in the same small group composed before class discussion (Schmidt & Loyens, 2007). In the first meeting, the group will spend between one and three hours to discuss further problems or problems of the class in addition to presenting new information collected during individual research (Schmidt & Loyens, 2007). After the first meeting, the students will independently reflect on the group discussion, especially in comparing thoughts on the problem or problem being asked (Schmidt & Loyens, 2007). Typically, the group will meet for the second time critically analyzing the thoughts and discussions of individuals and groups and will attempt to synthesize information to draw conclusions about a given problem or problem (Schmidt & Loyens, 2007). In educational settings, problem-based learning has enabled students to actively build an individual's understanding of a topic using both previous and newly acquired knowledge (Schmidt & Loyens, 2007). In addition, students also develop self-study skills and groups that ultimately facilitate understanding of problems or problems (Schmidt & Loyens, 2007).
On-demand learning
Educational approaches related to problem-based learning where students learn through investigation of problems or scenarios (Hakverdi-Can & Sonmez, 2012). In this approach, students propose and answer questions individually and/or collaboratively to draw conclusions about specific issues or scenarios (Hakverdi-Can & Sonmez, 2012). In educational settings, inquiry-based learning has been useful in developing student inquiry, investigation, and collaboration skills, in turn, enhancing a thorough understanding of the problem or scenario (Hakverdi-Can & Sonmez, 2012).
Effective important questions include student thinking and research, connected to student reality and can be solved in different ways (Crane, 2009). There is no wrong answer to important questions, rather than answers expressing students' understanding (Crane, 2009).
Excess command
Educational approaches are related to problem-based learning where educators introduce an 'anchor' or theme in which students will be able to explore (Kariuki & Duran, 2004). The 'anchor' acts as a focal point for all tasks, enabling students to identify, define, and explore problems while exploring topics from different perspectives (Kariuki & Duran, 2004).
Cooperative learning
Educational approaches that focus on individuals working together to achieve specific learning outcomes (Hsiung, 2012).
Mutual Teaching Teaching
A cooperative learning approach in which students alternate the role of teacher and student (Krych, March, Bryan, Peake, Wojciech, & Carmichael, 2005). The utilization of Reciprocal Peer Teaching (RPT) in educational settings has been effective in teamwork development, leadership, and communication skills in addition to improving students' understanding of course content (Krych et al., 2005).
Jigsaw
A highly structured cooperative learning approach implemented in four stages: introduction, focused exploration, reporting and re-establishment, and integration and evaluation. At the introduction stage, the class is divided into heterogeneous 'home' groups consisting of between three and seven students (Karacop & Doymus, 2013). After forming a 'home' group, the teacher will discuss the subtopics relating to the subject matter (Karacop & Doymus, 2013). In the focused exploration phase, each student in all 'home' groups selects one of the subtopics (Karacop & Doymus, 2013). Students from each of the 'home' groups who have chosen the same subtopic will form the 'jigsaw' group (Karacop & Doymus, 2013). In the 'jigsaw' group the students will explore the material related to the subtopics and will prepare to teach it to their 'home' group, the reporting and rebuilding stage (Karacop & Doymus, 2013). This approach ends at the fourth stage, integration and evaluation, where each group of 'homes' combines the learning of each sub-topic together to create completed work parts (Karacop & Doymus, 2013).
See also
- Constructivism in science education
- Constructivist epistemology
- Little Marian
- Montessori Method
References
- Laffey, J., Tupper, T., Musser, D., & amp; Wedman, J. (1997). Computer-mediated support system for project-based learning. Paper presented at the annual conference of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL.
- Taber, K. S. (2011). Constructivism as an educational theory: Contingency in learning, and instruction that is guided optimally. In J. Hassaskhah (Ed.), Theory of Education (pp. 39-61). New York: Nova. Available from https://camtools.cam.ac.uk/wiki/eclipse/Constructivism.html.
- Wood, & amp; Middleton, (1975). A study of problem solving is helped. Journal of English Psychology, 66 (2), 181-191.
- Thirteen Ed Online (2004). Constructivism as a paradigm for teaching and learning. http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/constructivism/index.html
- Durmus, Y. T. (2016). Characteristics of an Effective Learning Environment as a requirement of the Constructivist Curriculum: Teachers' Needs and Principal's View. International Journal of Instruction, 9 (2).
- Cross, K. P. (1987). Teach to learn. AAHE Bulletin, 39 (8).
- Winkler, T., Kritzenberger, H., & amp; Herczeg, M. (2002). Mixed Reality Environments as Collaborative and Constructive Learning Spaces for Primary School Children.
External links
- Constructive Learning and Learning Model
- SSTA Research Center Report on Constructivist Learning and Learning
- Constructivist Teaching
- Association for Constructivist Teaching
- Constructivist Teaching Practice: Perceptions of Teachers and Students
- Constructivist Learning and Teaching
- Constructivism as a Paradigm for Teaching and Learning
- Continued criticism of constructivism by Eric Scerri
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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