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Constructivist Theory

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Constructivist Theory
Constructivist theory
Formalization of the theory of constructivism is generally attributed to Jean Piaget, who articulated mechanisms by which knowledge is internalized by learners. He suggested that through processes of accommodation and assimilation, individuals construct new knowledge from their experiences. When individuals assimilate, they incorporate the new experience into an already existing framework without changing that framework. This may occur when individuals' experiences are aligned with their internal representations of the world, but may also occur as a failure to change a faulty understanding; for example, they may not notice events, may misunderstand input from others, or may decide that an event is a fluke and is therefore unimportant as information about the world. In contrast, when individuals' experiences contradict their internal representations, they may change their perceptions of the experiences to fit their internal representations. According to the theory, accommodation is the process of reframing one's mental representation of the external world to fit new experiences. Accommodation can be understood as the mechanism by which failure leads to learning: when we act on the expectation that the world operates in one way and it violates our expectations, we often fail, but by accommodating this new experience and reframing our model of the way the world works, we learn from the experience of failure, or others' failure.
It is important to note that constructivism is not a particular pedagogy. In fact, constructivism is a theory describing how learning happens, regardless of whether learners are using their experiences to understand a lecture or following the instructions for building a model airplane. In both cases, the theory of constructivism suggests that learners construct knowledge out of their experiences. However, constructivism is often associated with pedagogic approaches that promote active learning, or learning by doing.



References: 1. ^ Jean Piaget, 1967 2 3. ^ Increasing Reading Comprehension and Engagement Through Concept-Oriented Reading Instruction, Guthrie et al., 2004, Journal of Educational Psychology, 96(3), pp. 403–423 4 5. ^ Doğru and Kalender, 2007, Applying the Subject “Cell” Through Constructivist Approach during Science Lessons and the Teacher’s View, Journal of Environmental & Science Education, 2 (1), 3-13 6 9. ^ [http://ehlt.flinders.edu.au/education/iej/articles/v6n3/liu/paper.pdf Vygotsky’s philosophy: Constructivism and its criticisms examined] Liu & Matthews, International Education Journal, 2005, 6(3), 386-399. 10 11. ^ a b Kirschner, Sweller, Clark (2006) Readings, Stephen Downes, November 12, 2007 12 13. ^ Why We Still Need Teachers, Drs. Fernette and Brock Eide, October 26, 2006 14 17. ^ Bellevue Reporter March 22, 2008 18 * Atkinson, R. K., Derry, S. J., Renkl, A., & Wortham, D. W. (2000). Learning from examples: Instructional principles from the worked examples research. Review of Educational Research, 70, 181–214. * Bruner, J * Bransford, J., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R. R. (2000). How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School (expanded edition), Washington: National Academies Press. * Cooper, G., & Sweller, J * Chandler, P., & Sweller, J. (1992). "The split-attention effect as a factor in the design of instruction". British Journal of Educational Psychology 62: 233–246.  * Clark, R., Nguyen, F., and Sweller, J * Dalgarno, B. (1996) Constructivist computer assisted learning: theory and technique, ASCILITE Conference, 2-4 December 1996, retrieved from http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/adelaide96/papers/21.html * DeVries et al * Duckworth, E. R. (2006). "The having of wonderful ideas" and other essays on teaching and learning. Third edition. New York: Teachers College Press. * Duffy, T.M * Gerjets, P. Scheiter, K. and Catrambone, R. (2004).Designing instructional examples to reduce intrinsic cognitive load: molar versus modular presentation of solution procedures. Instructional Science. 32(1) 33–58 * Hilbert, T * Holt, D. G.; Willard-Holt, C. (2000). "Lets get real – students solving authentic corporate problems". Phi Delta Kappan 82 (3).  * Jeffery, G * Kalyuga,S., Ayres,P. Chandler,P and Sweller,J. (2003). "The Expertise Reversal Effect". Educational Psychologist 38 (1): 23–31. doi:10.1207/S15326985EP3801_4.  * Kirschner, P * Moreno, R., & Mayer, R. (1999). "Cognitive principles of multimedia learning: The role of modality and contiguity". Journal of Educational Psychology 91: 358–368. doi:10.1037/0022-0663.91.2.358.  * Mousavi, S., Low, R., & Sweller, J * Piaget, Jean. (1950). The Psychology of Intelligence. New York: Routledge. * Jean Piaget (1967) * Mayer, R. (2004). "Should there be a three-strikes rule against pure discovery learning? The case for guided methods of instruction". American Psychologist 59 (1): 14–19. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.59.1.14.  * Paas, F * Renkl, A., Atkinson, R., Maier, U., & Staley, R. (2002). "From example study to problem solving: Smooth transitions help learning". Journal of Experimental Education 70: 293–315.  * Sweller, J (see also Tuovinen, J.E. & Sweller, J. (1999). A Comparison of Cognitive Load Associated With Discovery Learning and Worked Examples. Journal of Educational Psychology. 91(2) 334-341) * Sweller, J * Sweller, J., & Cooper, G. A. (1985). "The use of worked examples as a substitute for problem solving in learning algebra". Cognition and Instruction 2 (1): 59–89. doi:10.1207/s1532690xci0201_3.  * Scerri, E.R * Sweller, J. (1988). "Cognitive load during problem solving: Effects on learning". Cognitive Science 12 (1): 257–285. doi:[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016%2F0364-0213%2888%2990023-7 10.1016/0364-0213(88)90023-7. ] * Tarmizi, R.A * Vygotsky, L.S. (1978). Mind and society: The development of higher mental processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press * Wood, D * Wertsch, J.V (1997) "Vygotsky and the formation of the mind" Cambridge.

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