1.4 ConstructivismConstructivism is a theory of learning and knowledge acquisition that is applied to classroom instruction since it's introduction by theorists like Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky, Maria Montessori and John Dewey. It's roots reach back to Greek philosophy (Socrates, Plato) and are more closely examined by Jerome Bruner and David Ausubel. When teaching with digital technologies, an awareness of constructivism theory is essential. Learn more with this module - Concept to Classroom Workshop: Constructivism as a Paradigm for Teaching and Learning.
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Constructivism has a direct link to new theories of learning within multiple layers and levels of all forms of literacy.
Pedagogy of Multiliteracy
The New London Group coined the term 'multiliteracies' in the document A Pedagogy of Multiliteracies. The document examines forms of 'meaning making' and issues relevant to changes in work lives, public lives and private lives as it explores what schools can do to 'design social futures'. A pedagogy of mutiliteracies encompasses designing meaning, dimensions of meaning and design elements through a process of describing, interpreting and judging modes of meaning (audio, linguistic, visual, spacial, gestural). The impact to teaching and learning is immersed in meaningful and purposeful practice, overt through active intervention, framed in context (historical, social, cultural, political, idealogical, value-centered), and reformulated in new situations. |
Designing Constructivist Learning Environments (David Jonassen, 1999) outlines essential elements when teaching and learning.
Constructivist theory has several fundamental principles that apply to teaching and learning
Constructivist theory has several fundamental principles that apply to teaching and learning
- learning needs to be grounded in meaningful, real world tasks
- context, content and social engagement are essential elements
- instructors’ roles include coaching, mentoring and scaffolding the learner and learning
- learners control, mediate and self assess their own learning
- knowledge is constructed – building new knowledge on foundations of prior learning
- action and reflection are applied to learning tasks
Teaching in the 21st Century
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What is Active Learning
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