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One of the central theories that underpins contemporary models of education, and related curriculum designs, is “constructivism,” which, to oversimplify, typically refers to the notion that knowledge is not a given, that is “out there”, but represented in the mind, and it is created actively by the knower. Jonassen (1991) talks about constructivism as follows:

Constructivism, founded on Kantian beliefs, claims that reality is constructed by the knower based upon mental activity. Humans are perceivers and interpreters who construct their own reality through engaging in those mental activities…thinking is grounded in perception of physical and social experiences, which can only be comprehended by the mind. What the mind produces are mental models that explain to the knower what he or she has perceived…. We all conceive of the external reality somewhat differently, based on our unique set of experiences with the world and our beliefs about them. (p. 10)

Constructivism is a very important, and multi-faceted set of theories concerning how new knowledge is created, and the status of any understanding of a rationally determined, objective world of knowledge. Constructivism is probably the most prevalent philosophical orientation amongst Western, 21C educators, even if frequently our teaching practices and learning environments are more closely based on behaviorist learning principles, than constructivist ones.