Constructivism as a General Philosophy of Learning

Constructivism as a General Philosophy of Learning

1. common beliefs

   • learning is active, not passive
   • language is an important element in the learning process
   • learning environments should be focused on the learner

2. Regular theories

   • situated cognition
     • Greeno (1989) argues that thinking is situated in physical and social contexts, so cognition (including thinking, knowing, and learning) should be considered a relation in a situation, rather than an activity in an individual’s mind. Thinking involves individuals’ constructive and cognitive interactions with objects and structures of situations, rather than simply processes and manipulations of symbols that occur in the minds of individuals, as many information-processing models propose. Knowing is a product of the students’ individual and social intellectual activity, so teachers should create social settings to support this production. 
     • Emphasis is on context and interaction
   • activity theory
     • Engagement and activity of the learner
       • Jonassen (2000) explores the use of the activity theory for the design of learnercentered learning environments. The activity theory is defined as a philosophical framework, based on the ideas of the German philosophers Immanuel Kant, Georg Hegel, and Karl Marx and the Russians Lev Vygotsky, Alexander Luria and Alexei Leontev. Activity and conscious learning are dynamically interrelated and cannot be separated. Therefore, it would be important to examine the activity systems (structures of activities in their sociocultural and sociohistorical contexts) as part of the process of instructional design. These systems are composed of individuals, tools, objects, division of labor, community, and rules, all involved in mutual interactions. In the design process, though, the concepts, rules, and theories that are not associated with action have no meaning. There is no sense, therefore, to simply slice content or decompose knowledge out of context, as proposed by many models of instructional design.
     • More a framework that entails priciples in other regular theories
   • experiential learning
     • Real-life and practice base experiences are central for learning
   • anchored instruction
     • Emphasis on context immersion under teacher guided-discovery.
       • Anchored instruction aims to overcome the problem of inert knowledge through immersion: as “novices have not been immersed in the phenomena being investigated, they are unable to experience the effects of the new information on their own noticing and understanding” (Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt, p. 3). The group anchors instruction in complex problem-solving environments, called macro contexts, which enable the exploration of a problem for extended periods of time from many perspectives, serving as environments for cooperative learning and teacher-directed mediation. Concepts that explore the relationships between anchored instruction and situated cognition include cognitive apprenticeship and authentic tasks (Brown et al., 1989), with the suggestion of transforming school instruction into apprenticeships. Anchors should provide opportunities for teacherguided discovery. The Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt (1993) revisited the concept; other articles were later published, as well as a book (1997).
   • authentic learning
     • learning contexts, tasks, activities, and assessment should be the most authentic possible
     • No founding author found

3. connectivism as a new philosophy of education

   • Connectivism or distributed learning is then proposed as a more adequate theory for a digital age, when action is needed without personal learning, using information outside our primary knowledge.
   • pedagogical view
     • The zone of proximal development (ZPD) is more flexible and stretching
       • Connectivism is positioned as a new philosophy of education for the digital age, making Vygotsky’s concept of zone of proximal development (ZPD) more flexible and stretching it to include learning that lies outside the learner, in social networks and technological tools. Vygotsky’s (1978) concept of zone of proximal development (ZPD) signalizes “the distance between the actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance or in collaboration with more capable peers” (p. 86), that is to say, a virtual space between (a) what a learner can know/do working alone and (b) what the learner can know/do supported by a teacher or a more experienced peer. We could even say that there is still a previous stage where the learner knows/can do things without working at all (–a) and a zone where the learner can ́t know/work even when guided, because, for instance, he or she is still not psychologically mature or technically prepared (b+).  Connectivism somehow subverts this hierarchy (–a, a, b, b+) and even blows these limits. Digital technologies contribute to a collaborative epistemology in which learning is constructed by a group, not only by an individual anymore, even when interacting with others. Learning is now negotiated through these interactions, it is a networked activity and construction.
       • Social media supports interaction
       • know-where
         • The understanding of where to find knowledge needed
       • group-collaboration
         • learning is constructed by a group and when interacting with others
     • It is a development of constructivism in response to the current scenario of the intense use of technology in education, functioning though as a philosophy of education.
     • Connectivism occurs when action is needed without personal learning, using information outside our primary knowledge.
       • external connections are more important than our current state of knowing
   • Pedagogical practice in MOOCs
     • problems
       • Not all students are able to autonomously direct their own learning and master critical literacies, such as thecreation and distribution of digital artifacts and the use of several tools
       • Some students felt disconnected, demotivated, demoralized, disenfranchised, and disturbed
   • different technologies, instructional designs, and educational activities arranged according to generations
     • 1st generation behaviorism/cognitivism
     • 2nd generation socialconstructivism
     • 3th generation conectivism
   • Educators rol (from metaphor)
     • Master Artist
     • Network Administrator
     • Concierge
     • Curator

4. Theories combined in constructivists projects

   • they are combined and used are frameworks
     • it transforms "distance learning from a highly industrialized mass production model to one that emphasizes subjective construction of knowledge and meaning derived from individual experiences"
   • The application in educational technology and distance education
     • Siemens (2008), for instance, argues that technological development and social software significantly alter the way learners access information and knowledge and interact with their instructors and peers. Dron and Anderson (2014) list some of the major pedagogical contributions of social software: it helps build communities and create knowledge; engages, motivates and is enjoyable; is cost-effective; is accountable and transparent; spans the gap between formal and informal learning; addresses both individual and social needs; builds identity, expertise, and social capital; is easy to use; is accessible; protects and advances current models of ownership and identity; is persistent and findable; supports multiple media formats; encourages debate, cognitive conflict, and discussion; leads to emergence; is soft; supports creativity; and expands the adjacent possible (new paths for changes opened up by new technologies).
     • According to constructivism learners have be active participants in several ways
       • self-motivated participants
       • self-directed participants
       • interactive participants
       • collaborative participants

5. dimensions of constructivism

   • The understanding of reality as objective/subjective
   • The design of knowledge as social/individual.

6. Types of constructiviusm

   • (1) cognitive constructivism
   • (3) situated constructivism
   • (2) radical constructivism
   • (4) co-constructivism

7. Educator's role

   • To use the time to understand the real and actual interests of learners
   • To incorporate learning activities that have real relevance for each learner
   • To focus in the process, not on content

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