Constructivism:

Knowledge
Construction/Concept
Learning
Reporters: Ruby Anne Garcia
Jonalyn Frias
 What is Contrustivism?
• It is a theory on how humans generate knowledge and meaning
from an interaction between their experiences and their ideas.
• Based on observation and scientific study about how people
learn.
• It says that people construct their own understanding and
knowledge of the world, through experiencing things and
reflecting on those experiences.
• is a view of learning based on the belief that knowledge isn't a
thing that can be simply given by the teacher at the front of the
room to students in their desks. Rather, knowledge is constructed
by learners through an active, mental process of development;
learners are the builders and creators of meaning and
knowledge.
So, how did

CONSTRUCTIVISM
come about?
 Lev Semyonovich Vygotsky
November 17, 1896 – June
11, 1934

Vygotsky believed that learning needs

to be engaging. Vygotsky believed that
learning takes place as children are int
eracting with each other and exploring
their environment. He believed that lea
rning is simultaneous to social interacti
on and exploration. In other words, he
did not feel as though one was more i
mportant than the other.
Lev Vygotsky - associated with the social constructivist theory
1. Making meaning - the community places a central role, and the
people around the student greatly affect the way he or she sees the
world.
2. Tools for cognitive development - the type and quality of
these tools (culture, language, important adults to the student)
determine the pattern and rate of development.
3. The Zone of Proximal Development - problem solving skills of
tasks can be placed into three categories:
 Those performed independently by the learner.
 Those that cannot be performed even with help.
 Those that fall between the two extremes, the tasks that can be
performed with help from others.
 Jean Piaget
August 9, 1896 – S
eptember 16,1980
Piaget believed that children learn thr
ough organization and schemas. He
believed that by organizing concepts
and ideas, children place them into sc
hemas. He believed that children are i
n control of the knowledge that they a
re provided and move forward in cons
truct their own learning by taking part
in social activities and exploration.
Jean Piaget - The learner is advanced through three
mechanisms.
According to Jean Piaget the three mechanisms used are:
1. Assimilation - fitting a new experience into an existing mental
structure(schema).
2. Accommodation - revising an existing schema because of new
experience.
3. Equilibrium - seeking cognitive stability through assimilation
and accommodation.
 Two Views of Constructivism

Individual Constructivism – this is

called cognitive constructivism. It
emphasizes individual, internal
construction of knowledge.
Social Constructivism – this view
emphasizes that knowledge exists
in a social context and is initially
shared with others instead of
being represented solely in the
mind of an individual
Constructivism IS A LEARNING THEORY

 Learning is an active process in which the

learner uses sensory input and constructs
meaning out of it.
 People learn to learn as they learn.
 The crucial action of constructing meaning is
mental.
 Learning involves language.
 Learning is a social activity.
 Learning is contextual.
 One needs knowledge to learn.
 It takes time to learn.
 Motivation is a key component in learning.
Characteristics of CONSTRUCTIVISM

Learners construct understanding.

• Learners as active thinkers who interpret new information based on what they
already know.

New learning depends on current understanding.

Learning is facilitated by social interaction.

• Believes in creating a community of learners within classrooms

Meaningful learning occurs within authentic learning task.

• Involves constructing knowledge and understanding that is so akin to the
knowledge and understanding needed when applied in the real world.
 ORGANIZING
CONCEPT – A concept is Knowledge
a way of grouping or
categorizing objects or
events in our mind. It
includes a group of
tasks such as model,
discuss, illustrate,
explain, assist, etc.
 A defining feature is a characteristic present in ALL instances. EX: A triangle
has 3 sides. Having 3 sides is a defining feature of a triangle since ALL
Concepts as
triangles have 3 sides. A correlation feature is one that is present in many
Feature Lists
positive instances but not essential for concept membership EX: A mother is
loving. being loving is a common feature present in the concept. But a mother
may not be loving.

A prototype is an idea or a visual image of a “typical” Concepts as

example. EX: Thinking of a fruit that has a red colour. Usually Prototypes
people would think of an apple instead of a cherry.

Represents a variety of examples. It allows learners to know that an example

Concepts as under a concept may have variability. EX: A learner’s concept of vegetable
Exemplars may include a wide variety of diferent examples like cauliflower, kangkong,
string beans, etc. When he encounters a new type of vegetable like
“bistuelas”, he would search from the exemplars he knows and looks for one
that is similar, like string beans.
 Examples of CONCEPTS

Concrete concepts- have aspects or dimensions that are easily seen, heard, or
touched. Fruit would be an example of a concrete concept due to its tangible
characteristics of being seed-associated, fleshy, and plant-derived.
Semi-concrete concepts- have some combination of concrete and non-concrete
characteristics. Take the semi-concrete concept of a politician, for instance.
Some characteristics of a politician could be concrete, such as a holder or
candidate for an elected office. However, other characteristics may not be as
concrete, such as one who serves the public.
Abstract concepts-do not have many (if any) absolute characteristics that are
easy to comprehend with the senses. Unlike concrete and semi-concrete
concepts, abstract concepts are not explained by a list of well-defined rules or
characteristics.
How to make Concept-learning Effective?
 Provide clear definitions of the c
oncept.
 Make the defining features very
concrete and prominent.
 Give a variety of positive instan
ces.
 Cite a “best example” or a prot
otype.
 Provide opportunity for learners
to identify positive and negative
instances.
 Ask learners to think of their ow
n example of the concept.
 Point out how concepts can be
related to each other.
 SCHEMAS AND SCRIPTS

A schema is an organized body

of knowledge about something. It
is like a file of information you
hold in your mind about
something.

A script is a schema that includes

a series of predictable events
about a specific activity.
Applying Constructivism in Facilitating
Learning
 Aim to make learners understand a few
key ideas in an in- depth manner, rather
than taking up so many topics specifically.
 Give varied examples.
 Provide opportunities for experimentation.
 Provide lots of opportunities for quality
interaction.
 Have lots of hands-on activities.
 Relate your topic to real life situations.
 Do not depend on the explanation method
all the time.
“An investment in knowledge, always
pays the best interest.”
― Benjamin Franklin

Thank you for listening!!