2. Constructivism:
•A learning theory in which the learner
constructs what he or she learns or
comprehends.
•Considers learning as an active and
constructive process.
•Theorists Associated: Piaget,
Vygotsky, Dewey, Vico, Rorty, Bruner
3. Social Development
Theory
•Vygotsky
•Constructivist Theory
•Social development theory that argues the
importance of social interaction as it precedes
development. Cognition can be achieved through
socialization with others.
4. Communities of practice
•Lave and Wenger
•Constructivist Theory
•Groups of people who share a
concern or passion for something
they do can learn better about it and
grow in that subject if they interact
regularly with others who share that
specific common interest.
6. Stage theory of Cognitive
Development
•Piaget
•Constructivist Theory
•Stage theory that is a description of cognitive
development as four stages: sensorimotor,
preoperational, concrete, and formal.
7. Piaget’s Stages
• Sensorimotor (0-2): infant builds and understanding of himself/herself and figures
out how things work through interacting with their surroundings.
• Preoperational (2-4): objects classified by physical features; abstract
conceptualization can not yet be reached.
• Concete Operational (7-11): physical experience accumulates and and accomodation
increased; beginning of abstract thinking.
• Formal Operational (beginning at 11-15): cognition is fully reached and concrete
objects are no longer needed to make rational judgements; capable of upper level
thinking.
8. Classroom Implications
• Constructivism can be used in virtually every classroom setting as it allows for children to
create their own learning setting.
• The communities of practice theory can be utilized by creating small groups of children
who all are excited about the same things and can learn by bouncing ideas off of each other.
The use of elective classes utilizes this theory to its fullest potential because students in the
classroom all have some level of excitement for the subject being learned, or they would not
have signed up for that class.
• Discovery learning seems to cater more toward higher level thinkers, such as students who
work well in a math or science class. Experiments allow students to work out problems on
their own, and learn through doing, not by seeing.
• Stage theory is really only useful for teachers to get an idea about the level of thinking their
students are cognitively able to achieve. Knowing these boundaries can help teachers when
they are making lesson plans and/or activities for the class.
9. How teachers can use
Constructivism
• Take on role of facilitator instead of director
• Provide students with raw data and primary materials
• Use cognitive terminology such as “classify”, “analyze” and “create”
• Build upon student’s previous knowledge and facilitate directional
thinking
• Encourage critical thinking by asking questions and promoting inquiry
within the group
• Provide enough time to students to construct their own meaning
10. Constructivism Instruction with
technology
• Constructivism can be taught well with interactive technology
programs that allow students to learn through trial and error and
participate in cooperative learning. There are many websites that
allow for this type of learning in various subject areas. For
example, an Art History class might want to utilize the Louvre’s
online virtual tour to get a better understanding of the Louvre and
see it’s artwork at a more personal viewpoint than one would
through a book alone.
