Take a look at these images below:
Retrieved from: http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2010/10/13/active-learning-classrooms
Retrieved from: http://www.squidoo.com/BuildingBlockToys?utm_source=google&utm_medium=imgres&utm_campaign=framebuster
Retrieved from: http://sabb46.edublogs.org/2011/01/09/social-constructivism/
Retrieved from: http://www.instructionaldesign.org/theories/social-development.html
What do these images mean and what comes to mind when you first saw them?
The images above actually reflect social-constructivism.
Now, what is social-constructivism?
Constructivism is the process of learning as the building and construction of knowledge. Learners are actively constructing their knowledge and meaning from experiences. This means that we learn absolutely nothing from scratch; ideas are related to something we have seen or experienced and we then continue to build on them and our knowledge of this idea has broadened.
Social and cultural factors influence learning, both providing new knowledge as well as creating a base of what we already know. In a learning environment, groups construct knowledge for one another – collaboratively sharing ideas and creating a framework of melded ideas and shared meanings. Likewise, the learner is an information constructor who actively constructs or creates their own subjective idea of objective reality and information is linked to prior knowledge.
Opposed to the constructivist learning environment is the traditional classroom environment. This theory refers to teacher-orientated learning in comparison to student-orientated learning. This table compares the two:
I strongly believe the Constructivist approach is much more effective. It allows students to acquire their own knowledge by building on what they already know. Students are the pioneers for their own learning which is scaffolded by teachers. I believe the classroom is more interactive, productive and stimulating for learners through physical and verbal practices and resources. I am fond of the aspect of social-constructivism that everyone has their own views on ideas – “Rather than transmitted, knowledge is created, or constructed, by each learner, thus the mind is not a tool for reproducing the external reality, but rather the mind produces its own, unique conception of events” (Enonbun, 2010, p. 19)
There are however a few limiting factors to constructivism. For example, allowing students to work in groups, it could take time to set up the groups, the teacher may need to teacher specific group work skills and there may be varying abilities and personalities in the group that could create conflict. Another factor is the teacher has to provide enough scaffolding to effectively facilitate student learning. Lack of scaffolding may result in the students being confused as well as disengaged.
Even though there are disadvantages of the constructivist theory, I would definitely implement it in my classroom so that learners are doing their own learning and creating their own experiences. The internet and increasing technologies are imperative to active learning and i would definitely recommend utilising a variety of technologies to assist students in creating their own knowledge.
REFERENCES:
Enonbun, O. (2010). Constructivism and Web 2.0 in the Emerging Learning Era: A Global Perspective: Journal of Strategic Innovation and Sustainability. Cnetrali Michigan University. Vol 6(4) p. 17-27)
Table – Brewer, J., & Daane, C.J. (2002). Translating constructivist theory into practice in primary-grade mathematics, 123(2), 416-417.
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