`Constructivist Learning Theory

What is Constructivist?

The constructivist theory is based around the idea that learners are active participants in their learning
journey; knowledge is constructed based on experiences. As events occur, each person reflects on their
experience and incorporates the new ideas with their prior knowledge. Learners develop schemas to
organize acquired knowledge. This model was entrenched in learning theories by Dewey, Piaget,
Vygotsky, Gagne, and Bruner.

The theory of constructivist learning is vital to understanding how students learn?

As an educator, it is important to understand the theory of constructivist learning. Each student that
enters your classroom has a unique perspective on life that has been created by their unique
experiences. This will impact their learning. If the basis of the constructivist theory states that students
construct new knowledge on what they have already had, the entry point of their learning journey is of
utmost importance. Learning theories are as valuable as credentials to educators; it is important to
understand what will affect the learning journey of your students.

The theory of constructivism has many elements.

Knowledge is constructed.

Students take pieces and put them together in their own unique way, building something different than
what another student will build

Every student begins the learning journey with some preexisting knowledge and then continues to build
their understanding on top of that. They will select which pieces of the experience to add, making
everyone’s knowledge unique.

Learning is a social activity.

Interacting with others is vital to constructing knowledge. Group work, discussions, conversations, and
interactions are all important to creating understanding. When we reflect on our past experiences, we
can see how our relationship with others is directly connected to the information learned.

Learning is contextual

Isolation is not the best way to retain information. We learn by forging connections between what we
believe and the information we have already. Learning also occurs in the situation within the context of
our lives, or alongside the rest of our understanding. We reflect on our lives and classify the new
information as it fits into our current perspective.

People learn to learn, as they learn.

As each student moves through the learning journey, they get better at selecting and organizing
information. They are able to better classify ideas and create more meaningful systems of thought. They
also begin to recognize that they are learning multiple ideas simultaneously, for example, if they are
writing an essay on historical events, they are also learning elements of written grammar. If they are
learning about important dates, they are also learning how to chronologically organize important
information.

Motivation is key to learning.

Similar to active participation, motivation is key to making connections and creating understanding.
Students cannot learn if they are unwilling to reflect on preexisting knowledge and activate their
thought process. It is crucial that educators work to motivate their students to engage in the learning
journey.

These four areas must be addressed in order for the constructivist classroom to be successful. As you
can see, it differs greatly from the traditional classroom. Constructivist classrooms are more student-
centered and the learning revolves around their interests and questions. Teachers guide learning by
implementing group activities, creating collaborative dialogue, and facilitating interactive experiences.
Students build on their prior knowledge and construct new understanding based on the lessons taught.
Dialogue and negotiation are also key components to successful learning.

Eliciting prior knowledge. As new understanding is constructed on preexisting knowledge, the instructor
must first activate prior knowledge. This can be done with collaborative activities, relaxed discussions, or
pre-tests.

Creating cognitive dissonance. Knowledge is built when new ideas are presented and activities are just
challenging enough for students. “Just right problems” force students to reevaluate the schemas in their
mind and organize new solutions.

Applying knowledge with feedback. The instructor’s role is to encourage students and provide feedback.
This may be seen in the form of quizzes, presentations, or discussions in the classroom. The goal of
applying feedback should be to encourage even more growth and challenge knowledge of the new
situation.

Reflecting on learning. Students should be offered the opportunity to reflect on their understanding and
demonstrate their learning. This could be in the form of an essay, a presentation, or even the
responsibility of sharing their knowledge with another student.
Examples Of Constructivist Classroom Activities

Reciprocal teaching/learning: a group of 2 or more students work together and teach one another.

Inquiry-based learning: students create their own questions and seek to solve them through research
and observations. After underlining the arguments for their response, they make connections between
their prior knowledge and the information discovered through their research. Students conclude by
identifying possible gaps and developing further questions for the next project.

Problem-based learning: similar to inquiry-based learning, except focuses on problems in the real world.
Students work in groups to research possible solutions and gain valuable skills by working together.
Seeking evidence, making connections, and drawing conclusions as a team help students develop
communication and collaborative skills while solving real-world issues.

Cooperative learning: small group activity with one key difference – interdependence. While most
constructivist activities rely on group learning, cooperative activities are where group members are
dependent on others to achieve solutions. There is no division of tasks in cooperative learning; instead,
group members rely on the knowledge of others to further their own understanding.