This document discusses constructivism and concept learning. It describes two views of constructivism: individual constructivism which emphasizes internal knowledge construction, and social constructivism which views knowledge as socially constructed. It identifies four key characteristics of constructivism: learners construct understanding, new learning depends on prior knowledge, social interaction facilitates learning, and meaningful learning occurs through authentic tasks. The document then focuses on concept learning, describing concepts as feature lists, prototypes, exemplars, schemas and scripts to organize knowledge. It provides recommendations for making concept learning effective.

1. Module 14
Constructivism: Knowledge
Construction / Concept Learning

2. Constructivism
Views of
Constructivism
Characteristics
of
Constructivism
Organizing
Knowledge
Individual
Constructivism
Social
Constructivis
m
1. Learners construct
understanding.
2. New learning
depends on
current
understanding.
3. Learning is
facilitated by
social interaction.
4. Meaningful
learning occurs
within authentic
tasks.
•Concept
•Concept as
Feature Lists
*Defining feature
*Correlation
feature
•Concept as
prototypes
•Concepts as
Exemplars
•Making
Concept-
learning Effective
•Schema and
scripts

3. Two Views of Constructivism
Individual Constructivism.
This is also called cognitive constructivism. It
emphasizes individual, internal construction of
knowledge. They believe the learners should be
allowed to discover principles through their own
exploration rather than direct instruction by the
teacher.

4. Social Constructivism.
This view emphasize that “knowledge
exists in a social context and is
initially shared with others instead
of being represented solely in the
mind of an individual”.

5. 1. Learners construct understanding.
As discussed earlier, constructivists do not
view as just empty vessels waiting to be filled
up.
2. New learning depends on current
understanding.
Background information is very important.
3.Learning is facilitated by social interaction.
Constructivists believe in creating a
“community of learners” within classroom.

6. 4.Meaningful learning occurs within authentic
learning tasks.
An authentic task is one that
involves a learning activity that
involves constructing knowledge and
understanding that is the knowledge
and understanding needed when
applied in the real world.

7.  Concepts. A concept is away of grouping or
categorizing objects or events in our mind. A
concept of “teach” includes a group of tasks
such as model, discuss, illustrate, explain,
assists, etc.
 Concept as Feature Lists.
Learning a concept involves specific
features that characterize positive instance of
the concept.

8. Included here are defining features and
correlation feature.
A defining feature is a characteristics
present in ALL instances. Example, a triangle
has three sides.
A correlation feature is one that is present
in many positive instances but not essential
for concept membership. For example, a
mother is loving. Being loving is a feature
commonly present in the concept mother. But
a mother may not be loving. So “being
loving”, is only a correlation feature, not a
defining one.

9.  Concept as prototypes.
A prototype is an idea or a visual image
of a “typical” example. It is usually formed
based on the positive instances that
learners encounter most often. Example,
close your eyes now and for a moment
think of a cat. Picture in mind what it looks
like.

10.  Concept as Exemplars.
Exemplars represent a variety of examples.
It allows learners to know that an example
under a concept may have variability. Example,
a learner’s concept of vegetable may include a
wide variety of different examples like
cauliflowers, kangkong, cabbage, string beans,
squash, corn, potatoes. When he encounters a
new type of vegetable like “bitsuelas”, he would
from the exemplars he knows and look for one
that is most similar, like string beans.

11.  Make the defining features very concrete and
prominent
 Provide a clear definition of the concept
 Give a variety of positive instances
 Give a negative instances
 Cite a “best example” or a prototype
 Provide opportunity for learners to identify
positive and negative instances
 Ask learners to think of their own example of the
concept
 Point out how concepts can be related to each
other

12.  Schemas and scripts.

A schema is an organized body of
knowledge about something. It is like a file of
information you hold in your mind about
something. Like a schema of what is a teacher
is.
A scripts is a schema that includes a series
of predictable events about a specific activity.
Example would include knowing the series of
steps done when we visit a doctor, or what
transpires at the beginning of the class when
teacher arrives.

13.  Aim to make learners understand few key ideas
in an in-depth manner, rather than taking up so
many topics superficially.
 Give varied examples.
 Provide opportunities for experimentation.
 Provide lots of opportunities for quality
interaction.
 Have lots of hands-on activities.
 Relate your topic to real life situations.
 Do not depend on the explanation methods all
the time.

14. Thank you
and
God bless