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