Discussion Questions:
- Describe your use or observation of a constructivist teaching strategy. Was it successful? Explain.
- There are many kinds of constructivist classrooms. What common features do they share? What will always be in a constructivist classroom?
- Driscoll and Lebow (1992) say it is still questionable how teachers will motivate learners who don’t want to participate in instruction. How would you encourage reluctant learners to participate in a constructivist lesson?
- Can constructivist teaching methods be used effectively in all types of educational settings?
The following case studies (as cited in Nanjappa and Grant, 2003) exemplify the relationship between constructivist practises and technology. Please consider these applications when participating in the discussion questions above:
Electronic Exchange Program
Access to the internet has allowed students to experience people and cultures first hand instead of just reading about them in books. For example, electronic pen pals in the exchange between students in Northern Ireland and the U.S. provided authentic learning environments and allows multiple perspectives as students collaborated from different cultures (Duffy and Cunningham, 1996).
Logo
“The primary objectives of our software are to develop a child’s creativity, problem-solving and critical thinking skills.” (Logo, 2009) Logo sells many products like software for virtual microworlds where students can interact and work on science and math related experiments. Some projects involve multimedia like sounds, movies, sprite animation, movies and paint tools. (Kafai et al. 1997) See video presentation here: http://www.microworlds.com/solutions/flashdemos/mwjrmath/
Archaeotype
Archaeotype is a simulation program used to imitate a real archaeological dig. Black & McClintock (1999) did a comparison between students who participated in this type of project and a control group of those who didn’t. They found that the students who used the program had learned the objectives at a much deeper level than the control group.
E-portfolios
Student teachers at Winthrop University in South Carolina used electronic portfolios centred to share their learning experiences with others. Richards (1998) said the infusion of technology was helped by implementing constructivist-based activities, such as collaboration and cooperation in a group, engaging in problem solving and constructing potential solutions to societal dilemmas, and communicating the deeper processing of content and the critical development of literacy skills and strategies.
The MET Program (as cited in Gaskell, 2006)
Students in the MET program meet together online from across the globe to work on projects and answer discussion questions. Thereby, bringing unique perspectives from different cultural, professional, and personal backgrounds. Projects involve planning, monitoring, creating, evaluating, collaborating and researching as they challenge each other’s views and construct knowledge together.
Videos of Constructivism in Action:
The following video shows grade 4/5 students constructing their knowledge in a social studies lesson as they work in groups on a project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6pFMPSWBds&feature=related
The following video shows students construct knowledge in a primary classroom as they learn about sorting principles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GR9LqmT0k-U&feature=related
The following video shows students in a primary classroom constructing knowledge as they learn to compare objects: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxKtqDLNG6Y&feature=related
This site has several videos about constructivism in practice. There are several videos (you don’t need to view all of them): http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/constructivism/demonstration.html
Reference
Gaskell, J., (2006). Constructivist Approaches to Developing Diverse Communities of Learners Online: Examples from the MET program. University of British Columbia: Commonwealth of Learning and the Caribbean Consortium. Retrieved from: http://pcf4.dec.uwi.edu/viewabstract.php?id=448
Nanjappa, A., and Grant, M., (2003) Constructing on Constructivism: The Role of Technology. Idaho State University: Electronic Journal for the Integration of Technology in Education. Retrieved from: http://ejite.isu.edu/Volume2No1/nanjappa.htm