Constructivism(vs. Behaviorism vs. Cognitivism)

Behaviorism (behavior)B.F. Skinner – Skinner Boxes

(classical cond.)Ivan Pavlov - Dogs (operant

conditioning)classroom- behavior analysis, direct instruction

Cognitivism (cognitive)Gestalt psychology (pattern,

configuration)classroom- teacher structures learning activities to build intelligence & cognitive/meta- cognitive development

Constructivism

“Learning is an active, contextualized process of constructing knowledge rather than acquiring it. Knowledge is constructed based on personal experiences and hypotheses of the environment. Learners continuously test these hypotheses through social negotiation. Each person has a different interpretation and construction of knowledge process. The learner is not a blank slate (tabula rasa) but brings past experiences and cultural factors to a situation.”

-Learning-Theories.com-The learner constructs knowledge from personal experience.-A theory of learning (not a pedagogy)

CONSTRUCTIVISTS

Kolb – Experiential LearningMontessori – “Education is a natural process spontaneously carried out by the human individual, and is acquired not by listening to words but by experiences upon the environment…. Teachers can only help the great work that is being done.”

Application & Issues in the Classroom

-Relax current climate of control by policymakers-Teacher as mediator, not expert.-Assessing student knowledge can be problematic. -Knowledge can not be defined as a set of objective facts.-Students may not always be willing to work in collaborative groupings.

Constructivism Today

Then vs. NowNote: The Parallel Curriculum, p 39-40. Content

“Students must attend and perceivethe new content in the learning environment, and they must Teacher Student

make a connection between prior

knowledge and this new content.”

Bibliography Learning Theories Knowledgebase (2012, September). Constructivism at

Learning-Theories.com. Retrieved September 25th, 2012 from http://www.learning-theories.com/constructivism.html

Baker, E.; McGaw, B. & Peterson P (Eds) (2007) International Encyclopaedia of Education 3rd Edition, Oxford: Elsevier ( print)

Sjoberg, Sven. Constructivism and learning. University of Oslo, Norway. Hein, George. Constructivist Learning Theory. The Museum and the

Needs of PeopleCECA (International Committee of Museum Educators) ConferenceJerusalem Israel, October 1991.

Tomlinson, Et al. The Parallel Curriculum. 2nd Edition. 2009. Corwin Press, Thousand Oaks, CA. Print.