Constructivism in Practice

Instructional strategies described in the resources this week correlate with the principles of constructivist/constructionist learning theories because the strategies allow the students to deepen their understanding of content material and produce artifacts that represent what they have learned. Students need to be engaged in what they are learning and when they are completing tasks that have “real world” significance to them, they are more likely to take an interest in what they are learning and develop a clear understanding of the information.

The first strategy that correlates with the constructivist/constructionist learning theories is “Generating and Testing Hypotheses.” Technology can play a vital role in generating and testing hypotheses because new developments in probeware and interactive applets allow students to spend more time interpreting the data rather than gathering the data—a process that can be tedious and error prone (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007). Students are creating artifacts that promote further understanding. The data they are receiving can be used as a study guide and can help students visually organize information.

Another strategy that correlates with the constructivist/constructionist learning theories would be the use of inquiry-based activities. One activity that I would like to focus on is WebQuests. A WebQuest is a web-based, inquiry-oriented activity through which students examine evidence about a particular topic and then respond to an issue or make a decision from a particular point of view (Orey, 2001). This form of learning engages students and promotes and student-centered environment without lectures and memorization of facts. Students work independently and/or collaboratively to explore resources related to a problem and create a final product that represents what they have learned.

An important component of constructivist theory is to focus a child's education on authentic tasks (Matusevich, 1995). If a student does not feel that the information is relevant, they will recall it long enough for the assessment but will not develop a clear understanding and will not retain the information in long-term memory. Technology is playing an important role in the change of how we educate students. “The key to success lies in finding the appropriate points for integrating technology into a new pedagogical practice, so that it supports the deeper, more reflective self-directed activity children must use if they are to be competent adults in the future" (Strommen and Lincoln, 1992, p. 473 as cited in Matusevich, 1995).

References:

Matusevich, M. (1995). School reform: what role can technology play in a constructivist setting? Retrieved on November 25, 2009 from http://pixel.cs.vt.edu/edu/fis/techcons.html

Orey, M. (Ed.). (2001). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Main_Page

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.