This document discusses constructivism in teaching and learning. It states that constructivism views teaching as providing experiences for students to construct their own meanings, rather than just transmitting facts. The teacher's role is to facilitate learning through stimulating dialogue and skillful questioning. Lessons are activity-centered so students can gain personal knowledge through active participation and experience. Constructivist teaching emphasizes hands-on learning, problem solving, and authentic experiences.
6. Teaching is not considered as merely
transmitting knowledge and information such
as facts, concepts and principles but rather
as providing students with relevant
experiences from which they can construct
their own meaning.
Constructivism is anchored on the assumption
that “the absorption or assimilation of
knowledge is somewhat personal and
therefore no two learners can build up the
same meaning out of one situation”.
7. The teacher’s role is to facilitate learning by
providing opportunities for a stimulating
dialogue so that meanings could evolve and
be constructed. She guides the students
through skillful questioning and appropriate
cognition processing.
The instructional materials include learning
activities and events rather than fixed
documents (laws, principles) that almost
always are learned unquestioned and simply
recalled.
8. Lessons are activity-centered in order for
them to experience or gain personal
knowledge through active involvement.
Participation with understanding enables
them to “live through” a learning episode.
9.
10. Teaching should have lessons
where “hands on”
experimentation, problem
solving, logical reasoning, and
authentic learning are
emphasized.
11. Teachers should generally
behave in an interactive
manner mediating the
environment for students
where student questions are
highly valued.
12. Teachers should seek the
student’s point of view in order
to understand student learning
for use in subsequent lessons.
13. Strength and Weakness
WEAKNESS STRENGTH
In a situation where
conformity is essential
divergent thinking &
action may cause problem.
The goal is to train
learners to do a task the
same way to enable
consistency
EXAMPLE:
-Imagine the fun revenue
Canada would have it
every person decided to
report their taxes in
their own way, although,
there probably are some
very “constructive”
approaches used w/n the
system we have
EXAMPLE:
-Logging onto & off of a
workplace computer is the
same for all employee; it
may be important to an
exact routine to avoid
problems
(SCHUMAN,1996)
14.
15. Experimentation: students individually perform an
experiment and then come together as a class to
discuss the results.
Research projects: students research a topic and
can present their findings to the class.
Field trips. This allows students to put the concepts
and ideas discussed in class in a real-world context.
Field trips would often be followed by class
discussions.
16. Films. These provide visual context and thus
bring another sense into the learning
experience.
Class discussions. This technique is used in all
of the methods described above. It is one of
the most important distinctions of
constructivist teaching methods.