Assessment of Constructivist Elements

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a. Learning activities examine the learners own prior conceptions and relate
them to the new knowledge

b. The environment focuses on a problem, project, question, or issue, with

various interpretative and intellectual support systems surrounding it.

c. Learners have access to resources for problem solving, such and

information banks and discussion forums.
d. Learners are able to affect the environment in some way by manipulating
something, such as constructing a product, manipulating parameters,
making decisions
e. Hypermedia and multimedia is used primarily as a medium for the learner
to construct knowledge, rather than as a medium to deliver instruction.

a. The learning process involves planning the goals, topics and relationship
among topics.

b. Learners access, transform, and translate information into knowledge

through developing new interpretations and perspectives.

c. Learners evaluate the quality and quantity of the assembled content.

d. It is the process of constructing a perspective or understanding that is

essential to learning; no meaningful construction (nor authentic activity) is
possible if all relevant information is prespecified.

1. Construction of knowledge

2. Process, not product

Created by Maggie Beers, adapted by Karen Belfer

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a. Forums for social negotiation and mediation provide learners

opportunities to exchange perspectives and reconcile dissonant views.

b. Learners are provided with opportunities for collaboration.

c. Learners are able to reconstruct events by configuring a range of

perspectives and points of view on a subjective reality.

d. Related cases represent the real life complexity of problems.

a. Constructivist learning environments support question/issuebased, casebased, project-based, or problem-based learning.

b. Problems are interesting, relevant and engaging.

c. All the contextual factors that surround a problem are described.

d. The representation of the problem is interesting, appealing, and engaging.

e. The problem manipulation space provides a physical simulation of the

real-world task.

3. Multiple perspectives

4. Situated cognition

5. Reflexive cognition

Created by Maggie Beers, adapted by Karen Belfer

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b. Instructors and learners examine personal beliefs, conceptions, and

personal theories about the subject matter, teaching, and learning.

c. Learners are asked to articulate their inquiry based problem solving

process.

d. Learners are encouraged to think-ON action, and think-IN action to

develop professionalism.

a. Students, instructors, and personnel who support the learning receive

appropriate training.

b. Behavioural modeling of the overt performance and cognitive modeling of

the covert cognitive processes assist learners in completing the tasks.

c. Coaching allows the learner to improve personal performance to reach a

skilled level in task completion.

d. Scaffolding provides temporary frameworks to support learning and

student performance beyond their capacities.

a. Students should be encouraged to become self-regulatory, self mediated,

and self-aware.

6. Cognitive apprenticeship

7. Process-based evaluation
a. Assessment tests the learning outcomes. Assessment of skills involves

Created by Maggie Beers, adapted by Karen Belfer

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b. Self-regulated learners assume responsibility for setting their own goals,

determining their own strategies and monitoring their own learning.

c. Cognitive tools allow students to move beyond language to represent

what they know in ways that are more highly structured and visual.

d. Multiple perspectives are included in the evaluation process.

using the skills, not describing them verbally.

Comments
Station 1

Station 2

During this station I had focused on problem-based learning. Selecting our expert field was quite easy as our group was quite easy
going and selected a topic early in the week. While researching more about problem-based learning and completing the readings I
realized that my prior knowledge was quite limited in this area. I enjoyed reading the posts of other members in my expert field
although I found the dialogue and responses were lacking from other expert field members to help futher our understandings. One
other aspect that I found challenging was pace. While our group managed to brainstorm and formulate our lesson plan, sometimes
the slower pace can be a difficult challenge.
Throughout this week I also read the responses of other topics and enjoyed having the jigsaw activity where our group members
provided a summary of their findings. While group work can be challenging sometimes, I find that it offers another level of
understanding and futhering knowledge. Communication and providing personal experiences allow a different approach to the
content rather than just reading about them. I was able to learn more about various types of learning through the perspective of my
group members and other classmates.
Throughout the first two stations, I'm enjoying the use of the pre-reflection activity. In an online environment students can be quick to
jump into the task without considering their prior knowledge. When I take the time to reflect on what I know about each subject I can
set goals for what I want to achieve in each activity. After completing the reading "Pedagogy in Cyberspace: the dynamics of online
discourse" we were to engage in large group discussions and responses. The readings really highlighted how valuable
communication and disscussion are in online environments. In order to have a constructivist approach it is crucial that students
share their previous knowledge and experiences so that we can learn from one another and construct our own understandings on
each topic and the content presented. I find that I often look forward to the discussions more than the readings as they are more
memorable to me and help solidify the course content. I'm able to learn much more though this approach than if we were to just
read papers and submit single responses. Additionally, while learning is enhanced there is also a feeling of trust and community that
Created by Maggie Beers, adapted by Karen Belfer
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is generated through this approach.

Station 3

What has been highlighted for me for these last two stations is just how different certain concepts can be. While web quests and
weub projects sound very similar, there are certain aspects that make them very different. It is important for the instructor/facilitator
to be aware of these differences so that they are effective in their delivery and that they provide their students the best learning
enviornment possible.
In working through this station I had some previous background in webquests as well as creating one myself. However it was nice to
focus on the design steps in Dodge reading. Often times in trying to get information across to students we focus on the information
rather than the design. This was an important element to learn.
While learning about web projects I'm noticing that while the teacher is supposed to be more of a guide in constructivist learning,
they are an essential aspect of designing projects and obtaining information. We should be care not to confuse guide on the side
with someone who has less work to do since they are no longer the "sage on the stage."

Station 4

After completing my prior reflection and thinking about my previous knowledge, I read the information required for both types of
learning assignments. From there I formulated my own response about what each item is, the role of the teacher, the role of the
student, etc. Since this was an individual activity, there was no large group discussion. I would have enjoyed to hear responses from
other classmates about how they might have used these two assignments in the past and what they have learned from them. From
here I continued to manipulate the information that I learned on my concept map to add elements to my understanding of
constructivism.
I have to admit - while I'm enjoying working through the last two stations (3&4) as I can work at an individual pace, I am starting to
miss the interaction and discussion with other classmates. It's always interesting to read about different points of view and
perspectives and I find it hard to ensure that I am on the right track without some sort of clarification. At the beginning of this
program I never thought I would say this, but I am missing the group component of this course. Perhaps this is because I have
gotten used to participating in group discussions, but I do feel that I benefit from social construction and group learning.
In this station I completed the weekly readings which I thought were a benefit to my upcoming Assignment #1 as my topic is about
vocabulary instruction for ESL learners. I have done some research on situated learning previously in ETEC 512. In that course we
were required by the situated learning group to participate in a twitter chat. In this environment we had to remember to use
appropriate hashtags and limit our responses to 140 characters. I was aware of its ability to use authentic tasks and to simulate
learning in the context of its use.

Created by Maggie Beers, adapted by Karen Belfer

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For the map activity, I have done something similar to the map tracing with my own students. I have asked them to look at a map of
Canada for a few minutes and then have taken it away. After the image is gone I ask them to draw a map of Canada from memory.
It is always intresting to note that they do well with the west coast side of their map (aside from BC Islands), but they struggle with
the Eastern side of Canada. In creating my own map of BC I found that I was required to map numerous revisions in order to get it
as close to a near fit drawn map. In this form of learning my attempt was not perfect on the first try, nor was it perfect on the 8/9 th try.
My learning here presented itself to be a process and not something that could be easily mastered. As a result I had to break the
province into small sections and focus on small goals before obtaining my final one. In this activity, the traced map on the
transparency was my master. I had to trust that it was correct and I had to keep going back to it in order to obtain clarification and to
promote my learning.

Station 5

During the last activity I was able to appreciate the aspect of learning by completing an action. In working with co-workers in both
learning process A and learning process B I found that it was a great way to experience situated learning both with working online
and in social construction. My co-workers and I were required to have similar dialogues and mutual understandings of certain
concepts. I found that learning process B was an easier task as we were able to work together to complete the task. In learning
process A I found that while my co-worker had explained the situation to me clearly, I spent more time playing around with the
software afterwards as I had forgotten soe instructions and was trying to play around the it myself. In learning process B we were
both able to use our strengths to our advantage and use our previous experiences to help teach one another and complete the task
at hand. Both these activities highlighted how important prior knowledge is in learning and that it is important to reflect on what we
know and work together with others to help promote further learning.
I suppose you could say that I am aware that I know relatively little about metacognition. In completing the readings I understand
that a majority of it stems from an awareness about one's own cognition. A majority of this occurs without even thinking. Strategic
knowledge, knowledge about cognitive tasks and self-knowledge occur often internally that we almost don't realize we're thinking
about it until we take a moment to reflect. I found the Metacognition in an Amusement Park tasks to be quite difficult and I gave up a
couple times as I knew I wouldn't be able to understand it. Through this I was able to realize that my own knowledge of my learning
limited me from completing the task as I looked at it and believed I couldn't do it.
Taking the Questionnaire was a more welcome task as it was interesting to reflect on what type of learner and teacher I am. I scored
highest in areas of control and awareness, while knowledge connectivity and construction and monitoring planning and evaluation
were my lowest scores.It is clear that I am aware about the way that I construct knowledge and understanding and I am able to
control and regulate that process. However, while I am in control of how to adjust my learning, I do not keep track of it to check my
progess or my level of thinking during my learning.
The metaphors were also a fun task to place visual representation and comparision of metacognitive thinking. I selected my
answers and even tried looking online for them to see if I was on the right track. It definitely would have been interesting to see the
rest of the responses of the rest of the class.

Created by Maggie Beers, adapted by Karen Belfer

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Created by Maggie Beers, adapted by Karen Belfer

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