Constructivism and Educational Technology

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Constructivism and Educational Technology

• Ugur Baslanti
• Ginnopaoli Kelley
• Madeline Ortiz-Rodríguez
• EME 5054 Foundations of Ed. Tech.
• October 1st, 2002

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Behaviorism and Learning

• Learning is a change of observable behavior due
  to experience.
• Learning is accomplished by doing, experience,
  trial and error. (Skinner, 1938)

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Behaviorism and Educational Technology

• Teaching machines give immediate feedback to
  students.
• Use of tutorials, and drill and practice SW.
• Use of media TV, films, newspapers,

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Cognitive Theory and Learning

• Learning is changing mental representations. It
  is to construct meaning about the world and
  themselves.
• Learning is accomplished by the cognitive
  processes Information Processing, Symbol
  Manipulation (Visual Literacy) and Knowledge
  Construction.

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Cognitive Theory and Educational Technology

• Use of intelligent tutor systems, expert systems,
  interactive multimedia environments, virtual
  reality.
• Technology is used to go beyond direct
  instruction.

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Metaphors of the Mind
Mind as a computer -- Knowledge is a matter of
storage and retrieval.
Mind as a brain -- Knowledge is a function of
distributed connections and network activations.
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ConstructivistsHistorical Predecessors
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Historical Predecessors

• Vico Giambattista (1668 - 1744) Italian
• to know means to know how to make
• Getting away from memorization and recitation

Reference http//www.connix.com/gapinton/
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Historical Predecessors

• Jean Jaques Rousseau (1712-1778) born in
  Switzerland and died in France.
• emphasized learning by doing
• Teachers should present problems that stimulate
  curiosity and promote learning.

Reference http//www.wabash.edu/Rousseau/
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Historical Predecessors

• John Dewey (1859-1952) American
• education is not preparation for life it is
  life itself
• Focus on inquiry-based learning
• Teachers as providers of tools, materials,
  appliances,
• Teachers will guide the learning process.

Reference http//www.siu.edu/deweyctr/
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Historical Predecessors

• Jerome Bruner (1915- ) American
• Theory of Instruction predisposition, structured
  knowledge, sequence, and pacing rewards and
  punishments.
• Instructional methods
• Discovery Learning, Inquiry, Experimentation,
  Observation, Interviewing, Literature search,
  Summarizing, Defense of opinion

References http//www.massey.ac.nz/i75202/lect14
/lect1499.htm, http//tip.psychology.org/bruner.ht
ml
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Historical Predecessors

• Alfred North Whitehead (1861 to 1947) born in UK
  and died in US
• Education is being able to use knowledge.

Reference http//www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/his
tory/Mathematicians/Whitehead.html
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Constructivism
How does it fit in?
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Constructivism

• Content, activity and learning is seen as a
  whole.
• Learning is an active process that occurs by
• testing a hypothesis, gathering and sharing
  information, and solving a problem.
• learning is a process of active cognitive
  reorganization.
• learning is a process of acculturation

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ConstructivistsTwo Schools of Thought
Cognitive constructivism
Jean Piaget
Socio-Cultural constructivism
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Cognitive Constructivist

• Jean Piaget (1896-1980) Swiss
• Learning is adaptation accomplished by
• Acculturation
• Assimilation
• Equilibrium
• Information is organized into interrelated ideas
  or schemas

Reference http//www.indiana.edu/intell/piaget.
html
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Cognitive Constructivist

• Ernst von Glasersfeld
• Radical Constructivism
• Our subjective experiences interact with our
  previous knowledge to construct new knowledge.

Reference http//www.oikos.org/vonen.htm
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Socio-cultural Constructivist

• Lev Semenovich Vygotsky
• Zone of proximal development (Zo-ped)
• Mediators of human actions in order to construct
  meaning
• Technological tools
• Psychological tools
• Importance of culture and historical experience
• Experience of others

1897-1933
Reference http//www.massey.ac.nz/i75202/lect17/
lect1799.htm
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Socio-cultural Constructivist

• Barbara Rogoff
• .. learning requires the active involvement of
  the learner
• importance of collaborative learning
• developing learning communities

Reference http//www.newswise.com/articles/2001/1
0/LEARN2.UCS.html
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Students

• Will develop cultural understanding so that they
  can
• communicate adequately
• develop collaborative skills
• develop content knowledge

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The Instructor

• Is viewed as a guide, manager, coach or tutor.
• Help students develop thinking and reasoning
  skills
• Problem solving
• Metacognition
• Critical thinking
• Challenge learning by asking questions such as
• Why?
• What do you mean?
• How do you know thats true?
• Avoid giving the answer or opinion.

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Constructivism and Educational Technology

• Technology as
• a tool for the learner.
• an integral part of the cognitive activity.
• Mindtools

Jonassen, David H. (2000). Computers as
Mindtools for Schools Engaging Critical
Thinking. (2nd. Ed.) NJ Merrill.
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Assessment

• Tests generated by students learning
• Multiple choice, essays, short answer
• Peer and self-evaluation
• Portfolios
• Performance Assessment
• Authentic Assessment
• Dynamic Assessment

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Compatibility

• Seeking compatibility in order to
• understand others point of view
• understand learners thinking
• map knowledge

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Mind as Rhizome

• Knowledge cannot be organized as a global system.
• The mind is dynamic, constantly changing.
• Thinking takes place through connections and
  interactions.

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Metaphors we teach by

• All knowledge is constructed.
• Multiple perspectives can be constructed.
• Learning should occur in contexts to which it is
  related.
• Learning is mediated by tools and signs.
• Learning is inherently social-dialogical
  activity.
• Learners are distributed, multidimensional
  participants in a socio-cultural process.
• Knowing how we know is the ultimate human
  accomplishment.

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Instructional Methods

• Discovery Learning
• Zone of Proximal Development
• Scaffolding
• Cognitive Apprenticeship
• Coaching

• Context is a Dynamic Whole
• Learner Control
• Not teacher-control
• Not computer-control
• Assessment
• Collaborative Learning
• Computers and Media

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To conclude
The end of human activity is not rest, but
rather richer and better human activity. Rorty
(1991), p. 172
Duffy, T.M. and Cunningham, R. J. Constructivism
Implications for the design and delivery of
Instruction. In Jonnasen, D. (Ed.) Handbook of
research for educational communications and
technology (170-198).