Constructive Learning

Constructivism is child centered and focused on knowledge construction, not knowledge reproduction. It is a belief that one constructs knowledge from one's experiences, mental structures, and beliefs that are used to interpret objects and events. According to Bagley and Hunter (1992) knowledge continues to double every two years, which active learning leads to greater retention and higher level thinking, thus becomes a dynamic process where students must learn to access information. Learning is an internal process and influenced by the learners personality, prior knowledge and learning goals (Brooks & Brooks, 1993). Piaget studied how children reasoned and called it genetic epistemology, or the study of the development of knowledge. Piaget went on to identify four major stages of cognitive growth that emerge from birth 0-2 years which is the sensorimotor stage, 2-7 years which is the preoperational stage, 7-11 years which is the concrete stage, and 11 years and beyond which is the formal operational stage. (web.archieve.org). Therefore, learning is an active process in which the learner uses sensory input and constructs meaning out of it. The learner needs to do something, because learning involves the learner engaging with the world. An example would be a baby 0-2 years old. This is the sensorimotor stage where infants use sensory and motor capabilities to explore and gain understanding of their environments. If a baby cries, the care giver will pick the baby up and try to find out why the baby is crying. Once the baby’s realize that if he or she cries someone will pick them up and care for their needs. This will allow the baby to begin to gain understanding of their environment. As the child begins to walk, talk, and do things that will engage their mind as well as their hands, they will become motivated to continue to learn and understanding more about their environment. According to Von Glasersfeld (1989) sustaining motivation to learn is