Constructivism

A theory of knowledge that argues that humans generate knowledge and meaning from an interaction
between their experiences and their ideas. The learner constructs their knowledge in order for learning to
occur. New information is linked to prior knowledge and creates a learning ladder.

Originators and Important Contributors include:

 Lev Vygotsky
 Jean Piaget
 John Dewey
 Giambattista Vico
 Richard Rorty
 Jerome Bruner

Constructivism states that “learning is an active, contextualized process of constructing knowledge

rather than acquiring it. Knowledge is constructed based on personal experiences and hypotheses of
the environment.” Learners are continuously trying new things and working through problems. Each
person has different experiences and understands differently. The learner is not a blank slate, like
sometimes believed, but instead will bring past experiences and understandings to the learning
environment.

There is an important role that experiences play in student education. Experiences are interactions that
students have first hand that enhance their learning. The constructivism learning theory states that
people will produce knowledge and form meaning based upon their experiences. Two of the key concepts
within the constructivism learning theory which construct the learners’ new knowledge
are accommodation and assimilation.

Assimilation- incorporating new experiences into the old experiences. This means the individual must
develop new outlooks, rethink misunderstandings, and altering their opinions.

Accommodation- reframing new experiences into the mental capacity already present. Individuals
believe that the world operates in a particular manner. But when things do not work within that context,
they must accommodate and reframe.

The constructivism classroom

The role of teachers is to aid the student to help them come to their own understanding. The resources
and lesson plans differ from traditional learning as well. The teacher is not lecturing and telling the
students but instead the teacher begins with asking. The teacher
in the constructivism classroom must make it so that the student
comes to their own conclusions on their own and are not being told
the information and the correct answers. Teachers are also constantly
in discussion with the students, creating a learning experience that is
open to different directions and different ways of solving the problems.
The students are not depending on what someone else says is correct as
the truth but instead the constructivism theory supports that students
are exposed to data, primary source documents, and to interact with others. Through the incorporation
of different experiences and exposures students reach their own understanding of the material at hand.
The classroom is a blending ground of different people from different backgrounds combining to gather
information.

References:
Learning Theories Knowledgebase (2011, April). Constructivism at Learning-Theories.com. Retrieved April 23rd, 2011
from http://www.learning-theories.com/constructivism.html

Teachnology website. (2011, April). Constructivism Learning Theory. Retrieved April 23rd, 2011 from: http://www.teach-
nology.com/currenttrends/constructivism/

Page created by: Nicole Conrad

https://sites.google.com/a/nau.edu/learning-theories-etc547-spring-2011/theory/constructivism