A summary of the new learning paradigms
Learner actively creates own meaning.
Authentic contexts and settings should be used.
There is negotiation and interpretation of personal belief from multiple perspectives, therefore collaboration is important.
Reflectivity and importance of learner’s prior experiences.
Possible use of technology to scaffold higher mental processes (not necessarily always a component of constructivism.)
General implications for instruction
Allow learners to raise questions, generate and test hypotheses. Use errors as a chance to improve learning. Use journal writing to foster reflection. Use open-ended discussion. Create authentic learning experiences.
Students’ learning drives theory (grounded design, empirically validated).
Learners come up with their own ways of problem-solving.
Technology often used to afford individualization and scaffolding.
Environments should be interactive.
Individuals can address unique needs.
Assumptions of a constructivist environments and SCLE:
Centrality of learner in defining meaning
Importance of authentic contexts
Personal beliefs and multiple perspectives (negotiation and interpretations)
Importance of prior learner experience in meaning construction
Use of technology as a scaffold
General implications for instruction
Examples: problem-based learning, anchored instruction, cognitive apprenticeschip, reciprocal teaching, goal-based scenarios, project-based learning, open environments
People interact with their environment and meaning is made through those interactions.
There is no set method or structure for instruction.
Learning is situation/context specific
Transfer is not a key issue because learning is only relevant in the context.
Knowledge resides in the environment.
General implications for instruction
No set curriculum; teacher coordinates resources and scaffolds learning; learning emerges from the situation; example – communities of practice
A collection of individuals sharing mutually defined practices, beliefs and understandings over an extended time frame in the pursuit of a shared enterprise.
Common tasks
Not only being present but being a participant
Common cultural and historical heritage with shared goals, belief systems
Communities have common goals that persevere through changes in membership
General implications for instruction
Build communities of practice within varied levels of students working in groups with tutoring/mentoring relationships; link students with experts outside of the classroom to provide context and relationships
Knowledge resides in the group.
Artifacts support learning.
Individuals possess unique knowledge that coheres into a larger whole.
Work toward consensus.
General implications for instruction
Possibly more applicable to skills; careful design of artifacts is important; group work is good; external inscriptions of ideas can be shared with all (across groups)
Learning is interpreted through the lens of personal experience.
Personal experience contributes to understanding of concepts (esp. abstractions)
Relevance and usefulness are incorporated into everyday learning and enhance motivation.
Used primarily in math, geometry, and measurement.
Transfer of knowledge to other settings is facilitated by incorporating previous experiences.
However, it cannot be used in all settings and can be detrimental in some.
General implications for instruction
Technology can be used for instruction to simulate real-life situations.
Foster opportunities for real world instruction that taps into learner’s previous experiences.