Constructivist Learning

Constructivism is an educational theory that states that learners learn better by doing than by being lectured to ...Genuine constructivist learning strives to create an authentic learning environment from which learners can do the following: (1) articulate and access prior knowledge on a related and previously unrelated subject areas; (2) allow users to experiment, conduct inquiry, thereby modifying and creating new schema; (3) support the possibility of cooperative learning; (4) allow users to play as a means of practicing real world experiences; (5) take the emphasis off  expert teaching and allow for novice-centered learning; and (6) create a virtual environment that is genuine and authentic (Shore, 2012).

 

As a math instructor for the last twenty-three years, I believed that I became a better instructor because I became more comfortable with my subject matter. In some ways, that notion is still true. Upon reflection, I think my teaching may have changed primarily because I made a commitment years ago to enter into the math experience from the point of view of my students; to imagine what its like learning algebra from  through the eyes of a teenager. Although not a perfect thought experiment, the reflection process did help me become more focused and targeted in how I presented my material. I was able to focus not only on the content itself, but on the motivation and pressures experienced by teenagers in today's world.

 

What crystalized for me in the last few years is that learners learn more effectively by DOING not by being lectured to . . . and hence my turn toward Constructivism and constructivist projects. In the Exploratorium in San Francisco, there is a message board that reads:

                                  People retain 

                                         10% of what they read

                                         20% of what they hear

                                         30% of what they see

                                         70% of what they talk over with others

                                         80% of what they use and do in real life

                                         95% of what they teach to someone else. 

Great reminder and great food for though. A perfect capsualization of constructivist learning.