Constructivism and constructionism are easily interchangeable for some, but the truth is, they have differences. According to Dr. Orey (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011), constructivism is a process where learners construct meaning according to their own personal experiences. While constructionism also follows that same belief, it further includes the necessity for learners to construct or build a product, or artifact. This theory maintains the belief that people learn best when involved in hands-on experience. Furthermore, Dr. Orey explains that constructionism has four mechanisms for learning: equilibration, assimilation, accommodation, schema. Equilibration is the human’s natural happy place – the balance of what one knows compared to reality. Assimilation is taking new experiences and making them fit with what one has already experiences. When humans experience something completely new, they must accommodate this new information.
With the implementation of these theories, students construct their own knowledge through project and problem based learning. With this in mind, it is easily understood that the classroom environment should be student-centered. In this strategy, teachers transition into the role of a facilitator and motivator. In the section, “Constructionism, Learning by Design, and Project Based Learning,” of Dr. Orey’s (2001) book, it is revealed that project based learning results in a learner created product. Not only does this correlate with constructionism in the fact that an artifact is created, but students are collaborating with classmates, searching resources, organizing, presenting, reflecting, etc., and therefore, students are progressive in their own learning.
Additionally, through project and problem based learning and testing hypotheses, students are involved in new experiences. Consequently, Dr. Orey (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011) believes that disequilibration has occurred. He states that educators want students to be fully engaged in their investigations so that they must assimilate and accommodate these new experiences. In order to return to equilibration, learners can utilize technology tools. Pitler, Hubble, and Kuhn (2012) suggests that the use of brainstorming software such as Inspiration can help students organize their higher-level tasks and education spreadsheets can calculate results automatically. Instructional interactives allow virtual experiences that may otherwise not be accessible in real life. NOVA Building Big is such an example as provided by Pitler et al.
Constructivism and constructionism theories provide promising learning experiences for students. In order to prepare our children for a successful future, it may mean that learners should take charge of their own learning and make decisions as cultivated through problem and project based learning and through creating and testing their own hypotheses.
References:
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011). Program seven: Constructionist and constructivist learning theories [Video webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Retrieved from http://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5700267&CPURL=laureate.ecollege.com&Survey=1&47=2594577&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=0&bhcp=1
Orey, M. (Ed.). (2001). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Main_Page
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E. R., & Kuhn, M. (2012). Using technology with classroom instruction that works (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: ASCD
Dorothy,
ReplyDeleteI deem it a pleasure to be able to visit your blog, one which I tried on many occasions to tap into but without success. Guess this was my lucky day! I like the blue color tones, actually my favorite color. I am here to share the comments that you have expressed in your post.
Our students are attracted to hands-on experiences, hence, constructivist learning and constructionists learning are approaches that employ students’ cognitive abilities whereby they can create something meaningful or draw meaning from something. These approaches auger well with the instructional strategy of problem-based learning. Here students are asked to generate a hypothesis in which they predict the outcome of something and later test this hypothesis to see whether their predictions were accurate or inaccurate. According to Dr. Orey, (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011), they create a product, a task that students enjoy doing. While they are having fun in the learning process, the teacher who acts as the guide to assist students in unleashing their innate abilities knows that students are also learning the higher order thinking skills, collaborative skills, and creative skills.
Constructivist/constructionist approaches to classroom delivery may appear challenging to some students but they both help students’ cognition and with new technologies on the market that have constructivist software, these help to make students’ learning fun. We are training our students to become independent thinkers as the role of the teacher and students have changed rapidly and teachers are no longer resource persons for information. Rather, the information is now at the fingertips of students to create information with new meanings or to make new products.
Reference
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011). Program seven: Constructionist
and constructivist learning theories [Video webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Retrieved from http://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/
/default.learn?CourseID=5700267&CPURL=laureate.ecollege&=1&47=2594577&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=0&bhcp=1
Sandra, Thank you for your positive feedback. I chose the color tones because I though they looked technologyish. I am sorry that you were not able to access my blog before as I am not sure why this would happen. I am glad though that you were able to visit!
DeleteI agree that students are attracted to hands-on experience. Many of my memories from my elementary education years are hands-on experience – whether or not they were educational. Since we as students were fond of projects and hands-on learning, I find it hard to understand why we as teachers do not teach using the strategies we loved as children. You mentioned that, “Rather, the information is now at the fingertips of students to create information with new meanings or to make new products.” It is necessary that we teach them how to use technology and incorporate it into our lessons so that students are able to accomplish this.
Thanks for your reply!
Christine