(Ackermann, 2004)
Constructionism is the learning theory that recognizes learning as connecting new knowledge to prior knowledge while constructing a physical artifact. Community plays an important role in constructionist learning, as learning involves interactions with others and interactions between the community and the artifacts that learners create (Kafai, 2005).
Constructionist theory is attributed to Seymour Papert, who drew from the constructivist notion of "learning as a reconstruction rather than a transmission of knowledge" and incorporated the idea of learning through the construction of "meaningful product" (Papert, 1989). In other words, people learn by connecting new information to their prior knowledge, and this is most effective through the creation of products that have situational meaning.
Examples of constructionist learning environments:
Microworlds
Tangible computing
Construction kits
Physical learning objects (building blocks, puzzles)
Makerspaces
Ackermann, E. (2004). Constructing Knowledge and Transforming the World. In L. Steels, & M. Tokoro, Learning Zone of One's Own. IOS Press.
Blikstein, P. (2014). Digital Fabrication and “Making” In Education: The Democratization of Invention. In C. Buching, & J. Walter-Herrmann, Fablab: Of Machines, Makers, and Inventors. transcript.
Kafai, Y. (2005). Constructionism. In R. Sawyer, The Cambridge Handbook of Learning Sciences. Cambridge University Press.
Papert, S. (1989, April 10). Constructionism: A New Opportunity for Elementary Science Education. Retrieved from National Science Foundation: https://nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=8751190wAward%3FAWD_ID%3D8751190&sa=D