The learning theories described in this week's resources were very hands-on and interactive. They use educational technology to help students problem solve and hypothesize. The constructionist learning theory states that "people can learn best when they build and external artifact or something they share with others," as described by Dr. Michael Orey in the video, "Constructionist and Constructivist Learning Theories." This example shows a strong correlation between instructional strategies and the principals of constructionist and constructivist learning theories.
When students are required to use educational technology to complete a task most often they result with an artifact or document that they have created over the course of the project. The students are engaged in the creation of the artifacts throughout the duration of the project which is a perfect example of the constructionist learning theory. One example of how technology can keep students engaged in the construction of an artifact was given by Dr. Orey. He explained that allowing students to create their own PowerPoint provides them with the opportunity to be engaged and create their own personal artifact(s). Dr. Orey explains that in constructionism "students can use tools and technologies to create artifacts in order to achieve equilibration, which is the process of achieving a balance between differences in external reality and one's current beliefs and understanding, or schema."
With regard to constructivism, the correlation among instructional strategies is weaker. Once again, Dr. Orey defined constructivism as individuals constructing his or her own meaning as a result of individual experiences. We all create our own meaning and ideas as a result of individual experiences we go through and those ideas may determine how and why we complete projects and artifacts. Therefore, each student's artifact will be different and created differently due to his/her background knowledge and individual experiences. However, each student will go through the same process of gathering information and creating his/her artifact to successfully complete the project; constructionism.
In conclusion, the correlation between the instructional strategies described this week and constructionism is strong due to the hands-on, interactive strategies aimed at the students constructing some sort of artifact. The correlation between the instructional strategies and constructivism is weaker because constructivism is a theory based on the individual actively constructing his/her own meaning based on personal experiences.
REFERENCES:
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works. Alexandria, VA. ASCD.
Video. Constructionist and Constructivist Learning Theories. Laureate. (2010).
It looks like one theme you noticed about constructionism was the hands-on experience it provides students as well as how much it engages them. I liked how you mentioned students will all go through the same overall process to complete the problem, but how not one project will be the same. We often forget that every student is unique and therefore will see things differently. We have to remember that students’ prior knowledge and experiences are going to shape who they are and how they approach a problem. This reminded me of the cognitive learning theory we learned about last week in our class. That is why, although I support the idea of constructionism, I do not believe one theory is better than other. I think all the learning theories overlap and each has components we should integrate into our classroom.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Christa and like how you said that students will not create the same artifact due to differences in their background knowledge and individual learning experiences. I also feel as teachers that we need to take into consideration the technological skills and knowledge students already possess when coming into our classrooms. Because students' experiences with technology can vary drastically, it is important for us to take this into consideration when planning activities and lessons involving technology within the classroom. Students that have computers at home, who play lots of video games, and who are confident with using internet tools to find information and use it to show their understanding will need to be challenged further in these areas. Hands-on experiences allow activities to be differentiated easily to meet all their needs, both academically and technologically.
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