Constructivism is the theory that says learners construct knowledge rather than just passively

take in information. As people experience the world and reflect upon those experiences, they
build their own representations and incorporate new information into their pre-existing
knowledge (schemas).

Related to this are the processes of assimilation and accommodation.

​ Assimilation refers to the process of taking new information and fitting it into an
existing schema.

​ Accommodation refers to using newly acquired information to revise and redevelop an

existing schema.

For example, if I believe that friends are always nice, and meet a new person who is always nice
to me I may call this person a friend, assimilating them into my schema. Perhaps, however, I
meet a different person who sometimes pushes me to try harder and is not always nice. I may
decide to change my schema to accommodate this person by deciding a friend doesn’t always
need to be nice if they have my best interests in mind. Further, this may make me reconsider
whether the first person still fits into my friend schema.

Consequences of constructivist theory are that:

​ Students learn best when engaged in learning experiences rather passively receiving
information.

​ Learning is inherently a social process because it is embedded within a social context as

students and teachers work together to build knowledge.

​ Because knowledge cannot be directly imparted to students, the goal of teaching is to

provide experiences that facilitate the construction of knowledge.

This last point is worth repeating. A traditional approach to teaching focuses on delivering
information to students, yet constructivism argues that you cannot directly impart this
information. Only an experience can facilitate students to construct their own knowledge.
Therefore, the goal of teaching is to design these experiences.
Consequences for the Classroom

There are many consequences for teaching and the classroom if you adhere to constructivist
principles. The following chart from the Teaching and Learning Resources wiki compares
traditional and constructivist classrooms across several components

Traditional Classroom Constructivist Classroom

Curriculum begins with the parts of Curriculum emphasizes big concepts, beginning
the whole. Emphasizes basic skills. with the whole and expanding to include the
parts.

Strict adherence to fixed curriculum Pursuit of student questions and interests is

is highly valued. valued.

Materials are primarily textbooks Materials include primary sources of material and
and workbooks. manipulative materials.

Learning is based on repetition. Learning is interactive, building on what the

student already knows.

Teachers disseminate information Teachers have a dialogue with students, helping

to students. Students are recipients students construct their own knowledge.
of knowledge.

Teacher's role is directive, rooted in Teacher's role is interactive, rooted in negotiation.

authority.

Assessment is through testing and Assessment includes student works, observations

correct answers. and points of view, as well as tests. Process is as
important as product.

Knowledge is seen as inert. Knowledge is seen as dynamic, ever changing with

our experiences.
 Students work primarily alone. Students work primarily in groups.

Constructivist Classroom Examples:

-​ Constructivism is an action-oriented approach to learning, requiring students to build

upon existing knowledge to understand better and apply new concepts. Teachers are
there to shepherd students through their cognitive processing and devise classroom
activities to help students learn.
-​ Constructivist classrooms focus on student questions and interests, they build on what
students already know, focus on interactive learning, and are student-centered, teachers
have a dialogue with students to help them construct their knowledge, they root in
negotiation, and students work primarily in groups

Cooperative Learning: Students can work in small groups or one-on-one with another
student to converse about a concept presented to them. This activity differs from more
traditional group work in that students work together to share their ideas and knowledge to
complete a task instead of assigning specific tasks to a different group member or placing an
undue burden on one or two students in a group.
●​ Cooperative learning is a strategy used within groups of learners and aims to improve
their learning experience and understanding of a learning subject.

Types of Cooperative Learning

-​ Formal Cooperative Learning: Groups are assembled for at least one class period
and may stay together for several weeks working on extended projects. These groups are
where students learn and become comfortable applying the different techniques of
working together cooperatively.
-​ Informal Cooperative Learning: used for breaking up a lecture into shorter
segments interspersed with group activity. While this method leads to less time for
lectures, it will increase the amount of material retained by students and their comfort
working with each other.
-​ Group-Base/Cooperative Base Learning: The group members make sure everyone
is completing their work and hold each other accountable for their contributions.
Implementing cooperative base groups so that students meet regularly for the duration
of a course completing cooperative learning tasks can provide the permanent support
and caring that students need "to make academic progress and develop cognitively and
socially in healthy ways."

Inquiry-Based Learning: Students ask questions and arrive at answers based on

independent research and observation. They share evidence to support the theories they
gleaned, then observe how their new findings connect to their previous knowledge and how it
may be similar or different.
 -​ Inquiry-based learning is a learning process that engages students by making real-world
connections through exploration and high-level questioning. It is an approach to
learning that encourages students to engage in problem-solving and experiential
learning.

Four different levels of inquiry

1.​ Confirmation Inquiry: Students confirm a principle through an activity when the
results are known in advance.
2.​ Structured Inquiry: Students investigate a teacher-presented question through a
prescribed procedure.
3.​ Guided Inquiry: Students investigate a teacher-presented question using
student-designed or selected procedures.
4.​ Open Inquiry: Students investigate questions that are student-formulated through
student-designed or selected procedures.

Examples of Inquiry-based learning:

-​ Field Trips
-​ Class Debate
-​ Group Works
-​ Projects

Problem-based Learning: Problem-based learning differs from inquiry-based learning in

that students are presented with an actual problem that requires them to work together to arrive
at a solution. This fosters students’ social and communication skills, requiring them to work
with others instead of working independently to arrive at a solution or conclusion.
-​ is a student-centered approach in which students learn about a subject by working in
groups to solve an open-ended problem.
-​ In addition to course content, PBL can promote the development of critical thinking
skills, problem-solving abilities, and communication skills. It can also provide
opportunities for working in groups, finding and evaluating research materials, and
life-long learning (Duch et al, 2001).

Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL) are both

student-centered teaching pedagogies that encourage active learning and critical thinking
through investigation. Both methods offer students interesting problems to consider.

Reciprocal Teaching/Learning: Reciprocal teaching is a reading practice based on the

foundational skills introduced through guided reading in addition to the use of scaffolded talk
between a teacher and group members or group members with each other to develop and
support comprehension. Students who participate in this practice are encouraged to read, talk,
and think their way through the text.

References:

Constructivist Classroom:
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Cooperative Learning:
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Inquiry-based Learning:
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earning.

[Link]
-the-difference/

Problem-based Learning:
[Link]
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[Link]
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Reciprocal Teaching/Learning: