Unit Four

CONSTRUCTIVISM

Constructivism is a learning theory that focuses on learners’ own construction of knowledge. Constructivism emphasizes that people learn best when they actively construct their own understanding of new information rather than passively receiving information (Clark, 2018).

KEY RESEARCHERS

JEAN PIAGET

(1896-1980)

Piaget’s first contribution to learning theory was the cognitive development of children in cognitivism. Piaget continues to influence learning theory by developing cognitive constructivism. He stated that the social constructive process is based on adaptation (Damico & Mary, 2019). His key ideas were assimilation, which he defined as the process by which information is built on existing knowledge, and accommodation, which he defined as the cognitive process in which existing knowledge is changed because new experiences or information are presented. He posited that external experiences assimilate into existing understanding (Sanjeef, 2022)

LEV VYGOTSKY

In contrast to Piaget, Vygotsky developed social development theory, which argues that social interactions preceded cognitive development. Vygotsky postulated that the best time for learning to occur is when internal cognitive processes are followed by social interactions between individuals (Clark, 2018).

Vygotsky’s idea were:

Zone proximal development – It is defined as the distance between the level of understanding and the more advanced level of potential development that grows from social interactions with other people (Clark, 2018)

Scaffolding- Vygotsky’s idea of scaffolding was explained as the process of providing support to at the appropriate time and level for successful advancement across the ZPD (Clark, 2018).

JOHN DEWEY

(1859-1952)

He advocated learning by doing.

Dewey perceived learning by watching as a passive approach; he therefore advocated for active participation of learners during the learning process, which allows learners to assume a specific role and learn while utilizing the knowledge they already have (Painter, 2017).

JEROME BRUNER

He identified discovery learning (Clark, 2018).

He posited that learners should construct and discover new information individually or collaboratively with the resources provided by the instructor instead of presenting the information to them directly. He believed that this process would help learners remember knowledge effectively (Clark, 2018).

CONNECTION TO TEACHING AND LEARNING

Constructivism is a learner-centered approach that emphasizes the importance of learners' active participation in the teaching and learning process. This approach requires students to build understanding by relating new ideas to what they already know, through asking questions or making connections to create meaning (Clark, 2018). Constructivism believes that learning should not just be absorbed, but built gradually, which requires teachers to act as facilitators of learning rather than just providers of knowledge. It is also the role of teachers to guide learners, motivate them by encouraging collaboration, hands-on activities, and reflection, to help learners make connections between new information and prior knowledge (Clark, 2018).

IMPLICATION OF CONSTRUCTIVISM TO INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN

Considering the contribution of constructivism to improve the teaching and learning process, constructivism has significantly impacted Instructional design by highlighting the roles in learning, which are:

- Designers are required to acknowledge that each learner is unique and craft their understanding differently, which categorizes constructivism as learner-centered. Therefore, learners should be able to derive their own form of meaning without criticism.

- Vygotsky's social interaction principle has set the outline for designers to create social environments for learning to take place, for example, the incorporation of platforms where learners can share knowledge, ideas, discuss, and work on projects (Clark, 2018).

-Dewey’s approach of learners as active participants in teaching and learning has provided designers with the guidelines of how to design content and tasks to engage learners through experiments, asking questions, and problem-solving.

- Vygotsky’s ZPD and scaffolding have influenced instructional design by providing designers with guidelines on how to provide support to learners and understanding when and how to remove the support to promote independence for learners' success (Clark,2018).

STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS

STRENGTHS

The concept of scaffolding motivates learners to become independent.
It creates an environment to build self-directed learners.
It motivates learners to collaborate with others to acquire knowledge. For example, the use of collaborative group projects amongst students in higher education.
It promotes critical thinking and encourages self-reflection.
It allows learners to have control over their learning and understanding (Clark, 2018).

DRAWBACKS

It can be time-consuming with respect to learners having to wait on one another to complete a project.
Learners' discoveries could lead to misconceptions if they are not well guided

REFERENCES

Clark, K. R. (2018). Learning Theories: Constructivism. Radiologic Technology, 90(2), 180–182.

Damico, J. S., & Ball, M. J. (Eds.). (2019). The sage encyclopedia of human communication sciences and disorders. SAGE Publications, Incorporated.

https://lxdlearningexperiencedesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Constructivism-Learning- Theory.jpg

Painter, E. (2017). Constructivism. In The sage encyclopedia of marriage, family, and Couples Counseling Vol. 4, pp. 347-351). SAGE Publications, Inc, https://doi.org/10.4135/9781483369532.n109

Thampinathan, Sanjeef. (2022). The application of the constructivism learning theory to physician assistant students in primary care. Education for Health (Abingdon, England), 35(1), 26–30. https://doi.org/10.4103/efh.EfH_333_20

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