The document discusses how constructivism and technology can support meaningful learning through problem solving. It argues that students learn best when actively engaged in solving real-world problems. Various technologies, including video, hypermedia, virtual worlds, and online communities can help students learn by providing tools to research information, model scenarios, collaborate, and demonstrate their knowledge by creating projects. The document also stresses the importance of authentic assessment, such as performance tasks evaluated with rubrics, to measure meaningful learning.

1. Learning to Solve Problems
with Technology:
A Constructivist Perspective
P. Brandon Crenshaw
TED 8770
March 4, 2009
Table of Contents

2. Table of Contents
 Preface - Constructivism & TechnologyVisualizing with Tech: Reco
 5-
 1- What is Meaningful Learning? 6 – Learning with Hypermedia
 2 - Problem Solving  7 - Learning with Virtual Realiti
 3 - Learning from the Internet  8 - Problem-Based Learning En
 4 - Building Tech-Supported Learning -Communities
 9 Assessing Learning & Probl
2

3. Preface
Constructivism & Technology
Table of Contents

4. Preface
 People naturally construct meaning.
 Teaching/learning that relies on efficient
transmission of pre-packaged material is not
natural.
 This book is about how to use technology to
support constructive learning.
learning 4

5. Preface
 Meaningful learning is:
 active
 constructive
 intentional
 authentic
 cooperative
 Students learn best by solving problems.
5

6. Preface
 I could not agree with these statements more.
 We expect our students to learn material simply
because it is there.
 We rarely give true meaning to what we do in
class.
 It is assumed that because it’s in the book, it’s important to
students.
 Conversely, if it’s not in the book/curriculum, then it needn’t
be taught because it’s not important.
 These ideas have to change if today’s students
are to take education seriously.
seriously 6

7. Chapter 1
What is Meaningful Learning?
Table of Contents

8. What is Learning?
 a biochemical activity in the brain
 a change in behavior
 information processing
 remembering and recalling
 social negotiation
 thinking skills 8

9. What is Learning?
 knowledge construction
 conceptual change
 contextual change
 distributed among the community
 chaotic! (at times)
9

10. What is Meaningful Learning?
 Active (Manipulative, Observant)
 Constructive (Articulative, Reflective)
 Intentional (Reflective, Regulatory)
 Authentic (Complex, Contextualized)
 Cooperative (Collaborative, Conversational)
10

11. How does technology
facilitate learning?
 In the Past: educators used new tech to
teach in old ways.
 Students’ role was to learn from tech, just like
they did from the teacher.
 Students used tech to produce products, but
they've been simply reproducing what the teacher
told them.
11

12. How does technology
facilitate learning
 Students should use tech to present what
they know, not simply reproduce it.
 Tech should function as a tool kit to let
learners build meaning.
 Students don't learn from teachers or tech,
but learn from thinking and doing. 12

13. How Tech Fosters Learning:
 Supports:
 knowledge construction
 learning by doing
 learning by collaborating
 Provides:
 information to explore learning
 means to reflect
13

14. My Thoughts on
Educational Technology
 Tech should be used as a tool for learning, not
the end goal itself.
 Tech should make the job easier and better.
 We shouldn’t use tech just to say we did so.
 Not all tech is good, and we should carefully
inspect what’s out there before purchasing.
14

15. Implications of Constructivism
 Teachers:
 must relinquish some authority
 help students evaluate what others think
 be familiar with technology
 Students:
 must construct own meaning from learning
 assume responsibility for own learning 15

16. Chapter 2
Problem Solving is Meaningful Learning
Table of Contents 16

17. What Drives Learning?
 The nature of the task is what drives learning.
 Memorizing for a test engages learners in
rehearsal and organization.
 Writing a paper engages learners in finding
information and writing.
 In order for learning to be meaningful, students
must be engaged in meaningful tasks. 17

18. What Drives Learning?
 The most meaningful tasks require learners
to solve problems.
 Everyday life is about problem solving!
 Doctors cure disease.
 Business people maximize profits.
 Homeowners care for their living spaces.
 Students should solve problems, too!
18

19. What Drives Learning?
 I don’t believe that we ask students to
problem-solve enough (or at all!).
 This will take a major shift in education, as
we have forgotten how to teach these skills.
19

20. What Drives Learning?
 What is a problem?
 It is an unknown; a goal.
 Finding the unknown must have value.
20

21. Kinds of Problem-Solving
 Logical Problems
 abstract puzzle tests
 used to measure logical reasoning
 Algorithmic Problems
 solve questions using rigid procedures
 ex. – most Math problems
 Story Problems
 attempt to make algorithmic problems mimic real
situations
21

22. Kinds of Problem-Solving
 Rule-Use Problems
 have a correct solution but multiple methods
 ex. – filing taxes, doing web info searches
 Decision-Making Problems
 decisions with limited number of solutions
 ex. – which health plan to select
 Troubleshooting Problems
 Very common real-life problem
 experience is usually very helpful
 ex. – fix a computer problem
22

23. Kinds of Problem-Solving
 Diagnosis-Solution Problems
 very similar to troubleshooting
 the goal is to fix a system and get it back online
 Tactical/Strategic Problems
 real-time, complex decision making
 solve a situation with multiple activities to achieve an
objective
 Case/Systems Analysis Problems
 learners must understand complex systems in which the
problem is often vague
 ex. – deciding factory production levels
23

24. Kinds of Problem-Solving
 Design Problems
 require a great deal of knowledge to make an
original design
 the goal is to design things (products) as
solutions
 Dilemmas
 can be very difficult, as there is usually no
solution that is acceptable to all
24

25. Kinds of Problem-Solving
 I know this list of problem-solving is
extensive.
 I don’t think it’s severely important what kind of
problems students are solving (yet).
 Just get them started thinking and not repeating!
25

26. Problem Solving with Technology
 Information Searching
 Webquests do no guarantee learning; students
simply fill in info that teachers are looking for.
 Activities must have a purpose other than
finishing an assignment.
 Students must be able to evaluate the info that
they find on the internet.
26

27. Problem Solving with Technology
 Modeling Tasks or Content
 building models of real-world phenomena can
help solve problems through virtual trials
 technology can be used to efficiently model
situations
27

28. Problem Solving with Technology
 Decision Making
 these problems involve selecting an option from
a list of choices
 technology can be used to model situations to
try to predict the best outcome
28

29. Problem Solving with Technology
 Designing
 design problems are difficult because the goals
are unclear and feedback is delayed
 people use technology for design problems
when they create videos, webpages, etc.
29

30. Problem Solving with Technology
 Again, be careful with tech!!!
 Don’t use it just because it’s there.
 Don’t make tech the focus of your work.
30

31. Chapter 3
Learning from the Internet:
Information to Knowledge Through Inquiry
Table of Contents 31

32. What is the Internet?
 It is a world-wide network of local computers.
 It connects millions of users around the world.
 It’s a collection of documents stored in
electronic formats.
 Different documents/sites are linked together.
32

33. What’s New with the Internet?
 Increased Access, Bandwith, Multimedia
 Videoconferencing / Distance Learning
 Internet 2 (advanced applications and tech)
 Wireless & Human-Centric Computing
33

34. What Should We Do with the Internet?
 search for information
 evaluate information
 webquests
 web collections
 web publishing
 virtual field trips 34

35. My Thoughts on the Internet
 Try to keep current with what’s new.
 I’ve found myself not keeping current, and now I feel
like I’m playing catch-up.
 It’s easiest to absorb a bit at a time.
 Keep notes on what you like so that you can revisit
sites later.
 Don’t be afraid to ask the students for help!!!
35

36. Chapter 4
Building Technology-Supported
Learning Communities on the Internet
Table of Contents 36

37. Forming Communities
 Learning in collaborative communities is
natural, so why do schools isolate students?
 Technology allows us to:
 form communities far beyond local boundaries
 find others with common interests
 share our knowledge with others
37

38. Supportive Technologies
 The internet has many aspects:
 Email
 Listservs
 Electronic Bulletin Boards
 Chats
 Videoconferencing
 Groupware (ex. Google Docs)
38

39. Scaffolding Conversations in
Computer Conferences
 Online communication requires students:
 interpret messages
 appropriately respond
 construct coherent statements
39

40. Learning Circles
 A Learning Circle connects a small group of
students in order to solve a problem.
 Learning Process – research, collaboration, reporting
 Problem Solving – devise a solution
 Teacher Roles – manage (but don’t hinder) learning
 Assessment – project meets schedule, solution is reached
40

41. Chapter 5
Learning by Visualizing with Technology:
Recording Realities with Video
Table of Contents 41

42. The Case For TV in Learning
 Many educational programs exist.
42

43. The Case Against TV in Learning
 The nature of TV puts viewers in a low state of
alertness.
 TV overexposure can result in a lack of persistence
in difficult mental tasks.
 TV can induce a slow, hypnotic state.
 It is a passive form of learning.
43

44. Video in Schools
 Student-made video has several benefits:
 involves planning, producing, sharing
 provides valuable feedback
 fosters cooperative learning
 creates good PR material to be used
44

45. Necessary Equipment
 video recorder
 microphone
 projector / television
 computer with video-editing software
45

46. Video Learning Activities
 Video press conference
 Newscast
 Talk show
 Digital storytelling
 Documentary
 Videoconferencing
46

47. Chapter 6
Learning by Constructing
Realities with Hypermedia
Table of Contents 47

48. What are Multimedia?
 DVD
 CD
 Internet (hypermedia)
 Computer-based multimedia
 flash, video games
48

49. Student-Created Hypermedia
 Students are actively engaged when creating
hypermedia projects.
 networking
 interactivity
 problem-solving
 creativity
 flexibility
49

50. Chapter 7
Learning by Exploring
Micro-Worlds & Virtual Realities
Table of Contents 50

51. Modeling for Learning
 Computer-based models allow users to explore
situations easily.
 variables can be easily manipulated
 the real world can be cheaply recreated for experiments
 graphs can be made from data
 Virtual Reality can take learners around the world
51

52. Chapter 8
Learning in Problem-Based
Learning Environments
Table of Contents 52

53. Story Problems
 the most common type of problem-solving
 Students take info from the story, run numbers
through a formula, and get the answer.
 Students are rarely successful at transferring their
ability to solve these problems to other problems.
 From a personal standpoint, I like using these to
provide a context for problems.
 Although not perfect, they are better than simple
problems.
53

54. Laboratory Problems
 They require:
 a set of procedures
 observing results
 taking measures
 inferring what happened
 They can be dangerous and expensive, so
virtual labs are becoming popular.
54

55. Chapter 9
Assessing Constructive Learning &
Problem-Solving with Technology
Table of Contents 55

56. Authentic Performance Assessment
 We are moving from assessment that sorts
students to those that improve performance.
 Performance Assessment must:
 have students construct a response or product.
 observe student behavior or product
56

57. Assessing Learning with Rubrics
 A rubric is designed to govern action.
 Good rubrics:
 include all important elements
 each element is easy to understand
 ratings are distinct and descriptive
57