CONSTRUCTIVISM

Constructivism is the theory that says learners construct knowledge rather than just passively take in
information. As people experience the world and reflect upon those experiences, they build their own
representations and incorporate new information into their pre-existing knowledge (schemas).

The constructivist theory is based around the idea that learners are active participants in their learning
journey; knowledge is constructed based on experiences. As events occur, each person reflects on their
experience and incorporates the new ideas with their prior knowledge. Learners develop schemas to
organize acquired knowledge. This model was entrenched in learning theories by Dewey, Piaget,
Vygotsky, Gagne, and Bruner.

Related to this are the processes of assimilation and accommodation.

 Assimilation refers to the process of taking new information and fitting it into an existing
schema.
 Accommodation refers to using newly acquired information to revise and redevelop an
existing schema.

For example, if I believe that friends are always nice, and meet a new person who is always nice to me I
may call this person a friend, assimilating them into my schema. Perhaps, however, I meet a different
person who sometimes pushes me to try harder and is not always nice. I may decide to change my
schema to accommodate this person by deciding a friend doesn’t always need to be nice if they have my
best interests in mind. Further, this may make me reconsider whether the first person still fits into my
friend schema.

As an educator, it is important to understand the theory of constructivist learning. Each student that
enters your classroom has a unique perspective on life that has been created by their unique
experiences. This will impact their learning. If the basis of the constructivist theory states that students
construct new knowledge on what they have already had, the entry point of their learning journey is of
utmost importance. Learning theories are as valuable as credentials to educators; it is important to
understand what will affect the learning journey of your students.

The theory of constructivism has many elements. These principles outline the theory as a whole
and how they affect the learning of the students. The main points are listed below:

 Knowledge is constructed. Every student begins the learning journey with some
preexisting knowledge and then continues to build their understanding on top of that.
They will select which pieces of the experience to add, making everyone’s knowledge
unique.
  Learning is a social activity. Interacting with others is vital to constructing knowledge.
Group work, discussions, conversations, and interactions are all important to creating
understanding. When we reflect on our past experiences, we can see how our relationship
with others is directly connected to the information learned.
 Learning is an active process. Students must actively engage in discussions and activities
in order to construct knowledge. It is not possible for students to take on a passive role
and retain information. In order to build meaningful ideas, there must be a sensory
response.
 Learning is contextual. Isolation is not the best way to retain information. We learn by
forging connections between what we believe and the information we have already.
Learning also occurs in the situation within the context of our lives, or alongside the rest
of our understanding. We reflect on our lives and classify the new information as it fits
into our current perspective.
 People learn to learn, as they learn. As each student moves through the learning journey,
they get better at selecting and organizing information. They are able to better classify
ideas and create more meaningful systems of thought. They also begin to recognize that
they are learning multiple ideas simultaneously, for example, if they are writing an essay
on historical events, they are also learning elements of written grammar. If they are
learning about important dates, they are also learning how to chronologically organize
important information.
 Learning exists in the mind. Hands-on activities and physical experience are not enough
to retain knowledge. Active engagement and reflection are critical to the learning
journey. In order to develop a thorough understanding, students must experience
activities mentally as well.
 Knowledge is personal. Because every person’s perspective is unique, so will be the
knowledge gained. Every individual comes into the learning activity with their own
experiences and will take away different things as well. The theory of constructivist
learning is based entirely around each individual’s own perspective and experiences.
 Motivation is key to learning. Similar to active participation, motivation is key to making
connections and creating understanding. Students cannot learn if they are unwilling to
reflect on preexisting knowledge and activate their thought process. It is crucial that
educators work to motivate their students to engage in the learning journey.

Constructivism in Education
It is not enough to simply know the theory of constructivist learning. Educators must also know
how to implement it in their classrooms. Their goal is to create a welcoming environment that
promotes active engagement in learning. In the theory of constructivist learning, instructors act
as facilitators. They must promote collaboration and adjust their lessons based on the prior level
of understanding of the class. Once they identify students’ existing knowledge, instructors must
work to grow the understanding in those areas.

There are four key areas that are crucial to the success of a constructivist classroom:
  The instructor takes on the role of a facilitator instead of a director.
 There are equal authority and responsibility between the students and the instructor.
 Learning occurs in small groups.
 Knowledge is shared between both the students and the instructor.

These four areas must be addressed in order for the constructivist classroom to be successful. As
you can see, it differs greatly from the traditional classroom. Constructivist classrooms are more
student-centered and the learning revolves around their interests and questions. Teachers guide
learning by implementing group activities, creating collaborative dialogue, and facilitating
interactive experiences. Students build on their prior knowledge and construct new
understanding based on the lessons taught. Dialogue and negotiation are also key components to
successful learning

Constructivist Classroom Traditional Classroom

Pursues student interests and questions Follows a strict curriculum
Textbooks and workbooks are primary
Uses manipulative and primary materials
materials
Learning is based on big ideas with exploration Learning emphasizes skills and curriculum is
into smaller parts taught in parts to achieve the whole idea
Instructor is responsible for guided and interacting Instructor is responsible for directing
with students; negotiator role learning; authoritative role
Instructors assist students in creating knowledge Instructors communicate information and
with dialogue students receive knowledge
Students build knowledge on prior understanding Students acquire knowledge through
through interactions repetitive practice
Knowledge is continuously evolving with student Knowledge is acquired, then remains
understanding stagnant
Process is important, therefore evaluations may Tests and evaluations demonstrate student
include observation, discussion, and student work understanding
Learning activities occur mostly in groups Learning activities are mostly independent

When implementing the constructivist theory in the classroom, lessons must include the following
components:

 liciting prior knowledge. As new understanding is constructed on preexisting knowledge, the

instructor must first activate prior knowledge. This can be done with collaborative activities,
relaxed discussions, or pre-tests.
 Creating cognitive dissonance. Knowledge is built when new ideas are presented and
activities are just challenging enough for students. “Just right problems” force students to
reevaluate the schemas in their mind and organize new solutions.
 Applying knowledge with feedback. The instructor’s role is to encourage students and provide
feedback. This may be seen in the form of quizzes, presentations, or discussions in the
classroom. The goal of applying feedback should be to encourage even more growth and
challenge knowledge of the new situation.
 Reflecting on learning. Students should be offered the opportunity to reflect on their
understanding and demonstrate their learning. This could be in the form of an essay, a
presentation, or even the responsibility of sharing their knowledge with another student.

What are the principles of constructivism?

KNOWLEDGE IS CONSTRUCTED, RATHER THAN INNATE, OR PASSIVELY ABSORBED

Constructivism's central idea is that human learning is constructed, that learners build new
knowledge upon the foundation of previous learning. This prior knowledge influences what new
or modified knowledge an individual will construct from new learning experiences

LEARNING IS AN ACTIVE PROCESS

The second notion is that learning is an active rather than a passive process.

The passive view of teaching views the learner as ‘an empty vessel’ to be filled with knowledge,
whereas constructivism states that learners construct meaning only through active engagement
with the world (such as experiments or real-world problem solving).

Information may be passively received, but understanding cannot be, for it must come from
making meaningful connections between prior knowledge, new knowledge, and the processes
involved in learning.

ALL KNOWLEDGE IS SOCIALLY CONSTRUCTED

Learning is a social activity - it is something we do together, in interaction with each other,

rather than an abstract concept (Dewey, 1938).

For example, Vygotsky (1978), believed that community plays a central role in the process of
"making meaning." For Vygotsky, the environment in which children grow up will influence
how they think and what they think about.

Thus, all teaching and learning is a matter of sharing and negotiating socially constituted
knowledge.

For example, Vygotsky (1978) states cognitive development stems from social interactions from
guided learning within the zone of proximal development as children and their partner's co-
construct knowledge.

ALL KNOWLEDGE IS PERSONAL

Each individual learner has a distinctive point of view, based on existing knowledge and values.
This means that same lesson, teaching or activity may result in different learning by each pupil,
as their subjective interpretations differ.

This principle appears to contradict the view the knowledge is socially constructed.

Fox (2001, p. 30) argues (a) that although individuals have their own personal history of
learning, nevertheless they can share in common knowledge, and (b) that although education is a
social process, powerfully influenced by cultural factors, nevertheless cultures are made up of
sub- cultures, even to the point of being composed of sub-cultures of one. Cultures and their
knowledge-base are constantly in a process of change and the knowledge stored by individuals is
not a rigid copy of some socially constructed template. In learning a culture, each child changes
that culture.

LEARNING EXISTS IN THE MIND

The constructivist theory posits that knowledge can only exist within the human mind, and that it
does not have to match any real world reality (Driscoll, 2000).

Learners will be constantly trying to develop their own individual mental model of the real world
from their perceptions of that world.

As they perceive each new experience, learners will continually update their own mental models
to reflect the new information, and will, therefore, construct their own interpretation of reality

What are the three main types of constructivism?

Typically, this continuum is divided into three broad categories: Cognitive constructivism based on the
work of Jean Piaget, social constructivism based on the work of Lev Vygotsky, and radical constructivism.

COGNITIVE CONSTRUCTIVISM states knowledge is something that is actively constructed

by learners based on their existing cognitive structures. Therefore, learning is relative to their
stage of cognitive development.

Cognitivist teaching methods aim to assist students in assimilating new information to existing
knowledge, and enabling them to make the appropriate modifications to their existing intellectual
framework to accommodate that information.

According to SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIVISM learning is a collaborative process, and knowledge

develops from individuals' interactions with their culture and society. Social constructivism was
developed by Lev Vygotsky (1978, p. 57) who suggested that,
Every function in the child's cultural development appears twice: first, on the social level and,
later on, on the individual level; first, between people (interpsychological) and then inside the
child (intrapsychological).

The notion of RADICAL CONSTRUCTIVISM was developed by Ernst von Glasersfeld (1974)
and states that all knowledge is constructed rather than perceived through senses.

Learners construct new knowledge on the foundations of their existing knowledge. However,
radical constructivism states that the knowledge individuals create tells us nothing about reality,
and only helps us to function in your environment. Thus, knowledge is invented not discovered.

The humanly constructed reality is all the time being modified and interacting to fit ontological
reality, although it can never give a ‘true picture’ of it. (Ernest, 1994, p. 8)

 Cognitive. Cognitive constructivism focuses on the idea that learning should be related to
the learner’s stage of cognitive development. These methods work to help students in
learning new information by connecting it to things they already know, enabling them to
make modifications in their existing intelligence to accommodate the new information.
Cognitive constructivism comes from the work of Jean Piaget and his research on
cognitive development in children. 
 Social. Social constructivism focuses on the collaborative nature of learning. Knowledge
develops from how people interact with each other, their culture, and society at large.
Students rely on others to help create their building blocks, and learning from others
helps them construct their own knowledge and reality. Social constructivism comes from
Lev Vygotsky, and is closely connected to cognitive constructivism with the added
element of societal and peer influence.
 Radical. Radical constructivism is very different from cognitive and social
constructivism. It focuses on the idea that learners and the knowledge they construct tell
us nothing real, only help us function in our environment. The overall idea is that
knowledge is invented, not discovered. The things we bring to the table make it
impossible for us to have truth, only interpretations of knowledge. This theory was
developed by Ernst von Glasersfeld in 1974. 

Constructivism in education.

It’s important to understand how teachers can apply constructivism inside their classroom to
create a unique learning environment for students. In constructivist classrooms, the teacher has a
role to create a collaborative environment where students are actively involved in their own
learning. Teachers are more facilitators of learning than actual instructors. Teachers must work
to understand the preexisting conceptions and understanding of students, then work to
incorporate knowledge within those areas. Teachers will also need to adjust their teaching to
match the learner’s level of understanding. 

Constructivist classrooms rely on four key areas to be successful:

  Shared knowledge between teachers and students.
 Shared authority between teachers and students.
 Teachers act as a guide or facilitator.
 Learning groups consist of small numbers of students.

Constructivist classrooms are often very different from normal classrooms in many ways.
Constructivist classrooms focus on student questions and interests, they build on what students
already know, they focus on interactive learning and are student-centered, teachers have a
dialogue with students to help them construct their own knowledge, they root in negotiation, and
students work primarily in groups.

Constructivist classrooms often have teachers who do small group work, collaborative and
interactive activities, and open dialogues about what students need in order to find success.

DISADVANTAGES OF CONSTRUCTIVIST METHODS.

The biggest criticism of constructivist learning is its lack of structure. Some students need highly
structured and organized learning environments to thrive, and constructivist learning focuses on
a more laid-back method to help students engage in their own learning.

Grading is often removed from constructivist classrooms and places more value on student
progress, which can lead to students falling behind and not meeting standardized grading
requirements.