constructivist approaches

Question 1

constructivist techniques
inquiry learning

Answer 1

• working to solve a problem, explore an issue/topic
• starts with a question, desire to learn about a topic

1. formulate hypotheses
   - general question (context, memory, attention), seeing what they generally know/connected with
   - specific questions, guide discussion/understanding
2. investigate
   - first hand research (observation, experimentation etc)
   - second hand research (library, online etc)
3. draw conclusions
4. reflect on original problem
5. reflect on thinking process

Question 2

constructivist techniques
discovery learning

Answer 2

• form of inquiry learning
• providing practice for independent/small groups problem solving
• work to discover basic principles
• inductive reasoning (specific to general), providing a range of examples and the learner has to find what ties them all together
• impact questioned, effective?
• guided (assisted) discovery, teacher provides direction, guidance
• unguided (unassisted) discover, no direction, just given all the examples, difficult to manage, unpredictable

Question 3

constructivist techniques
problem based learning

Answer 3

• form of inquiry learning, treated separately
• starts with a problem that needs to be solved, emphasis on finding a solution
• unformed, real world problems
• open ended questions, may not have a single correct answer
• used a lot at university level
• some schools: no tests, advance through curriculum when you can solve the problems

1. teacher presents problem, provides guidance/support throughout process
2. students formulate hypotheses
3. collect data/do research
4. draw conclusions, arrive at solutions
5. reflect on original problem
6. reflect on thinking process

Question 4

constructivist techniques
cooperative learning

Answer 4

• mixed ability groups, zone of proximal development, scaffolding, vygotsky
• cooperate to complete task,
• jigsaw, task divided into segments, assign different group members roles to ensure cooperation, initially developed to reduce conflict in desegregated schools
• students need to be taught how to work together, intellectual collaboration is a skill

Question 5

criticisms of group work/cooperative learning

Answer 5

• pressures to conform
• judgements on bases other than quality
• social status
• interpersonal relationships
• is everyone contributing?
• motivation for behaviour? learning, socializing, performance etc

Question 6

constructivist techniques
instructional conversation

Answer 6

• student-directed dialogue
• opportunities for scaffolding, peer learning

Question 7

constructivist techniques
cognitive apprenticeship

Answer 7

• observe expert
• expert provides coaching, mentoring, assisted learning
• immediate feedback and monitoring
• reflection

Question 8

why are constructivist techniques so popular?

Answer 8

• student involvement, forced to participate for group success
• connected to high level learning outcomes, promotes deep learning

Question 9

criticisms of constructivist techniques

Answer 9

• unpredictability, out of the teachers direct control
• deeper processing requires higher levels of motivation
• demands more of students
• demands more of teachers, teacher flexibility with unexpected answers, classroom management skills

Question 10

flipped classes

Answer 10

• started in colorado highschool 2007
• swapped order of instruction in class and homework at home
• instruction (lessons, lectures, direct teaching, outside of class time, typically online
• learning activities (homework, projects, practice), done in class
• content self paced
• self regulation
• students tend to not like them, heavier workload
• mixed results on effectiveness
• most research on post secondary
• meta analysis (sih et al, 2020), 33 studies, small advantage over traditional classes

Question 11

constructivism key ideas

Answer 11

• learners construct their own understanding
• social interactions

Question 12

individual (cognitive) constructivism

Answer 12

• construct personal knowledge, beliefs, self-concept, identity
• unique individual understanding shaped by experiences and interactions
• known as first wave, focusing on individual cognition vs sociocultural influences (second wave)
• piaget, learners engaging with their environment to construct understanding

Question 13

social constructivism

Answer 13

• learning through social and cultural processes
• co construction: shared meaning making
• second wave, expanding beyond piaget including social interaction and cultural context
• vygotsky, zone of proximal development, scaffolding

Question 14

radical constructivism

Answer 14

• form of constructivism
• argues that we can never truly know whether our understanding of the world is accurate, only that it works for us now
• knowledge is not a reflection of objective reality but a personal construction created through our experiences and perceptions
• all knowledge temporary and reversible

Question 15

constructive alternatives

Answer 15

• part of radical constructivism
• idea that there are many possible interpretations of reality
• individuals construct alternative ways of understanding the world

Question 16

community of practice (CoP)

Answer 16

• context in which ideas considered are useful/true
• learning happens through participation in a community not just individual study, engaging with others with a similar goal
• learning takes place in real contexts
• apprenticeships: form of CoP, learning through experts
• helps form professional and personal identities

Question 17

elements of constructivist approaches

Answer 17

1. complex learning tasks
   - learning mirroring real world problems/contexts
   - analyzing, applying and integrating knowledge
   - transfer of learning, understand relevance
2. social negotiation
   - collaborative and social
   - discussion, debate, cooperation, challenge ideas, multiple perspective, build shared understanding, diversity
3. multiple representations
   - concepts explored through varied examples, formats, contexts to deepen understanding
   - flexible thinking
   - bruner’s spiral curriculum, coming back to key ideas with increasing complexity over time
4. understand construction
   - learners active role is key, students constructing meaning vs passively receiving information
   - connecting new knowledge to prior experiences, evaluating own understanding
   - teachers as facillitators/guides
5. ownership of learning
   - learners must feel responsible/invested in their own learning process
   - encourages student agency, autonomy, motivation
   - student experiences, choices and efforts central to meaning making