What is cognitive constructivism?
Cognitive constructivism focuses on the way a person makes sense of new information by linking it to what they already know and then drawing new conclusions.
The term schema is often used in relation to constructivism. It was used by Jean Piaget in his theory of cognitive development but had been more widely adopted.
What is a schema?
A schema is a way of thinking about something or doing something. A child may develop a schema that their key person belongs in the nursery because this is where the child always sees them. When the child meets the key person in a shop, this is new information that will challenge the child’s current thoughts and so may eventually change the child’s schema about the key person
What are the key features of cognitive constructivism?
- Assimilation
learning builds on what students already know and can do - Accomodation
Knowledge is actively constructed through a process of discovery - sequential/ schematic
learning follows a sequence of stages
What are the pedagogical approaches of cognitive constructivism and how are they applied?
High Scope: an early childhood programme that began in the usa
- Teachers provide challenging experiences and resources matched to their students stages of development
Project based learning:
- Students engage in real life problems, such as designing a product and are responsible for their choices,
decisions and solutions
Virtual reality
- Using digital technology, learning takes place within a simulated real world environment
- The students directly interacts with objects, tests out their ideas and instantly experiences the result of their actions.
What theorists support cognitive constructivism as an approach?
- Piaget’s four stages of development - Jean piaget suggested that were were 4 stages of cognitive development. In each stage children’s thinking showed specific characteristics
- Bruner’s three models of representation - Jerome Bruner suggested that there are three ways of storing information (representation) to learn: Enactive, Iconic and Symbolic. They develop sequentially in children between 0-7 years +. Once gained, more than one way can be used to problem solve or develop a new skill.
- Kolb’s experiential learning cycle: David Kolb’s theory of learning suggests that learning is a four part cycle. Moon highlights the importance of experience reflection and experimentation.
- Bloom’s taxonomy - Bloom helped to classify educational objectives into different levels and the skills associated with them. Teachers can use this taxonomy when designing programmes to help learners make progress
