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Constructivism
M. Osborn

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Tenants of Constructivism
 Learners create their own learning experience
 Learning is an active process
 Student will learn best by actively participating in the learning
process and by using their critical thinking skills to analyze
problems
 Learners form their own comprehension of reality and thus the
knowledge they construct and their learning process is shaped
by past experiences

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Founders/Contributors
 Jean Piaget
 Jerome Bruner
 Lev Vygotsky
 John Dewey
 Richard Rorty
 Giambattista Vico

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Piaget: Cognitive Stages
 Piaget hypothesized that children move through four stages of
development, each which alter the way they think and learn.
1. Sensorimotor
 Learning takes place primarily through the senses and motor actions,
children are egocentric.
2. Preoperational
 Children begin to use symbols and images, are concrete in thinking,
and egocentric.
3. Concrete operational
 Children begin to learn concrete facts, can reasons, solve problems,
understands multiple points of view, and begin to think abstractly.
4. Formal operational
 Children can now think very abstractly and can use deductive, logical
reasoning.

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How it Applies to Constructivism
 Piaget’s theory is similar to constructivism in that it shows that
learning is an ever changing process.
 Children constantly change how they see things and are forever
constructing their worldview.
 Piaget also discusses…
 Adaptation: Children’s cognitive development
 Assimilation: Children taking in new knowledge as they have new
experiences
 Accommodation: Children taking new information and using it to expand
their knowledge base and make sense of the world.
all of which support Constructivist theory that learning is an active
process.

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Jerome Bruner: Discovery Learning
 In this type of learning, the learner draws on past experiences and
knowledge to assist in problem-solving and gaining new
information
 Cognition
 A learner progresses through different intellectual stages
 He or she will select and alter information to be able to understand it
 Inquiry-based
 Learners should be participatory and actively engaged in the learning
process
 Subjects can be learned in a variety of ways in order to allow students
to discover concepts by themselves
 It is the teacher’s job to engage students and encourage exploration
 Spiral Curriculum
 Students continually build on what they already know

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Lev Vygotsky: Social Development Theory
 This theory is based on the belief that learning is influenced by
social development and culture
 A child’s social environment could positively or negatively affect their
cognitive development
 Vygotsky believed that the best way to learn was collaboratively
 If other students were to collaboratively learn with and help each other,
each would be able to share differing perspectives and benefit everyone
 “MKO” or The More Knowledgeable Other is the one who assists
others in gaining a better understanding
 Zone of Proximal Development refers to the distance between a
child’s current problem-solving ability and their potential if helps by an
MKO
 Vygotsky suggested the use of “scaffolding” or creating a knowledge
base off which students and teachers could build further knowledge

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John Dewey
 Often called “the Father of American Education”
 Founded the University Elementary School, often nicknamed the
Dewey School, and several others
 Viewed school as an extension of the community
 Supporter of progressive education which focused on educating
children physically, mentally, and socially to better prepare them for
life
 Believed learning should be active and student-directed
 Students learn best by doing and should be allowed creativity
 Teachers should act as resources, not guides

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Classroom Implications
 What the teacher does:
 Help the students if they need it and provide them with the proper
tools and resources
 What the students do:
 Learn at their own pace and in their own way
 Work with their peers to further their learning
 Constantly reconstruct their perceptions and knowledge base

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Personal Opinion
 I personally like this learning theory and would possibly use it in
my classroom for the following reasons
 It allows students creative freedom
 Students can learn in their own way and at their own pace
 Teachers won’t be intimidating and can be seen more as aides
 It fosters collaboration which leads to a more positive learning
environment
 Students will be actively engaged and learn about the world around
them, not just facts and figures

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Credits
SHELLY, GARY B., Glenda A. Gunter, and Randolph E. Gunter. Teachers
Discovering Computers: Integrating Technology in a Connected World. 7th ed.
New York: Cengage Learning, 2012. Print.
"Social Development Theory (Vygotsky)." Learning Theories RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 09
Apr. 2014
Images:
http://thepsychologyforum.com/home/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/12496301-abstract-
cognitive-intelligence.jpg
http://socdevelopment.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/child-social-development.jpg
http://www.mapsnworld.com/world-map/globe.jpg
http://ivs.emory.edu/images/Vico.gif
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2007/06/11/us/11rorty.190.jpg
http://dewey.pragmatism.org/dewey.gif
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/7e/Lev_Vygotsky.jpg/434px-
Lev_Vygotsky.jpg
http://ece205.wikispaces.com/file/view/bruner.jpg/93241244/261x267/bruner.jpg
http://www.nndb.com/people/359/000094077/piaget-3.jpg