Constructivist Learning

· What are features of constructivist learning?

Constructivism is based on the idea that students construct their own knowledge through information they gather from their interaction with the other people and with the world around them.This view learning takes into consideration the fact that, usually, students don’t share the same background experiences and, accordingly, interpret new information in different ways.

· Using the case of how electricity works to light a light-bulb, describe at least 5 aspects of constructivist learning/teaching that are demonstrated in Can we believe our eyes?

Relinquishing control of student learning: In this video the teacher doesn’t state concepts to be understood and memorized but offers students questions for consideration. In this process, the student controls the pace at which they gain knowledge and pretty much control the overall pace of the course.

Allowing students’ interests to drive the process of knowledge construction: In this video students are motivated through a hands on activity with tangible results to succeed at learning the concept. These students feel they are facing a challenge they can solve and become interested in getting to the bottom of the problem in search for an answer.

Letting students make intellectual choices for themselves: As the students are given questions and guidance to solve the problem instead of straight answers, they have to use their creativity and recall previous knowledge in order to lean a new concept. The teacher offers guidance but the ultimate choices of what tools or ideas to try and in what order lies on the students’ hands.

Students learn from others: In this video the students are not asked to figure out the solution by themselves. Sharing information is not seen as cheating but as collaboration. Also, students are not placed on a competitive track where the first to find the solution is a winner but are given the chance to assist each other and learn from others’ mistakes and ideas.

Students actively construct their knowledge: These teachers give the students a problem that is appropriate for their age, the tools to figure out the concept and enough guidance without giving away definitive answers. This makes the students accountable for gathering data and constructing a concept all by themselves. In the process, they (i.e. students) look at the problem from different angles, recall past experiences, share ideas and use other strategies as they gather elements that would become a final answer and concept.

· Based on what you learned from all the videos, what socio-cognitive and constructivist ideas might you need to consider when planning your own lessons within your own domain of knowledge?

The library is full of chances for independent work and for building new knowledge from past experiences. Constructivist concepts could work great when teaching students effective research skills. I could guide them as they gather data, discriminate among sources, check for credibility and the like without telling them what to do but asking them why they chose one source over another, why do they trust that information, etc. Allowing students to interact amongst themselves is determinant: as human beings we are rarely isolated from others so learning how to share information from an early age as a mean to come up with new concepts and solutions is surely useful beyond the concept I’m teaching them at the moment.