Constructivism: Its Benefits, Its
Costs, and What We Should Be
Doing.
JAMAS Group Mini Report Group Roles:
Adriana Diaz-Rocha: Cordinator
John Harp: Recorder
Abdul Abaker: Elaborator
Michelle Drolet: Explorer A
Susan Cotter: Explorer B
Audience: Professional Development Workshop for Teachers
IST524 Week 5
Constructivism - Its Benefits
• Teaching focuses on:
o problem solving
o critical thinking
o higher order cognitive outcomes.
• Instruction focuses on the holistic approach:
o it draws on the whole person
o integrates emotion, affect and engagement.
• Instruction emphasizes complex learning in a realistic
setting that can potentially be more relevant to out of the
classroom needs.
IST524 Week 5
Constructivism - Its
Benefits..cont.
• Constructivism and technology go hand in hand:
o it focuses on collaboration and engagement with real
world problems.
• Meaningful understanding occurs when students develop
effective ways to resolve complex problems.
• Constructivism is a close match to how people really learn:
o through direct engagement with their worlds.
IST524 Week 5
Constructivism - Its
Benefits..cont.
1. Constructivism fosters the culture of learning community and
2. It reduces the teachers burden:
1.shifts learning responsibility to learners
3. Teachers intervene only to:
1.clarify a point
2.ascertain that students are on task
Constructivism - Its Costs
• Learners take on the role of the instructor:
o i.e. choosing the area to focus on
o i.e. choosing an approach to solving a problem.
• Instructors must plan instruction that shifts energy and work
into the learners hands.
• Instructors must maintain a sense of control in the
classroom.
• Instructors must guide and direct without preempting
student initiatives
IST524 Week 5
Constructivism - Its Costs…cont.
• The shift toward constructivism learning is a major decision
and commitment involving new learning for both students
and instructors.
• There is the potential for misalignment with standards and
objectives.
• The full learning accumulated from constructivism teaching
methods can be hard to assess.
• Constructivism generally requires more careful design,
performance monitoring and field testing compared to
traditional approaches.
IST524 Week 5
Constructivism – What We
Should Be Doing?
• Teachers and Instructional Designers need to be aware of
constructivism and use it where appropriate.
• With the advent of modern technologies in our
classrooms we need to incorporate this theory into student
learning.
• We need to allow the students to transition from theory to
real world practices and use constructivism theories to
enhance collaboration, complex problem solving and
learning.
IST524 Week 5
Constructivism:
A Teaching Example
Use of Constructivism in the classroom to help
students:
• research non-fiction text
• collaborate among fellow students
• present findings of research
Lesson plan from "In a World of Mandates, Making Space for Inquiry"
IST524 Week 5
Constructivism
A Teaching Example
Preparation - Students Involved:
• Organize needed supplies (i.e. paper, scissors, glue and
non-fiction texts)
• Provide room for students to create presentation ideas
(don't limit them to just space on their desks)
• Request feedback from students as to areas of interest
(topics that interest them)
• Secure additional non-fiction text from library
IST524 Week 5
Constructivism
A Teaching Example
Beginning the Process:
• Model presentation idea (preferably something
already being discussed in classroom)
• Encourage students to contribute to presentation
with their own knowledge
• Create an interactive poster (encourage students to
use sticky notes and blank areas on the presentation
to write down their ideas)
IST524 Week 5
Constructivism
A Teaching Example
Loss of Control - Take a Deep Breath:
• Classroom will get loud! :-)
o Students sharing among themselves and
discussing ideas
• Students will relish freedom from usual
structure
• Allow them to learn in managed chaos!
IST524 Week 5
Constructivism
A Teaching Example
Be the "Guide on the Side"!!!!!!!!
Avoid guiding students to subjects... it may
take time for them to find something they are
interested in.
* Giving them a rubric to base their final results will
provide the high expectations.
* Provide 2-3 examples to give them a starting point
IST524 Week 5
Constructivism
A Teaching Example
Provide Support:
• Internet help for Google searches if not enough
information is readily available in classroom
• Encourage them to ask fellow classmates for
ideas and support
o (collaboration is KEY!)
• Give them website suggestions
• Provide warnings and tips on avoiding
plagiarism.
IST524 Week 5
Constructivism
A Teaching Example
Presentation Time:
• Not all presentations will be done at same time!
• Allow students to present to small groups
• Encourage students to comment on each
others work (as modeled in initial example)
• Stand back and let student "teach" the subject
(only correct if gross inaccuracies)
IST524 Week 5
Constructivism
A Teaching Example
Continued Learning:
• Post presentations around classroom
• Encourage students to comment on other
presentations
• Allow students to question presenters regarding
topics
IST524 Week 5
Constructivism
A Teaching Example
Provide Support (Cont):
• Ask them information regarding their research
to help them formulate their own ideas
Ask them questions to clarify their research (Tell me what
you are researching. Why did you pick this topic?)
o Don't provide your ideas or correct them!
o Encourage them to continue research on their own or as
part of the group!
o
IST524 Week 5
References
Guccione, L.M. (2011). In a world of mandates, making space
for inquiry. Reading Teacher, 64(7), 515-519.
doi:10.1598/RT.64.7.5
Reiser, Robert A. and Dempsey, John V. - Editors.
(2012).
Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and
Technology
(3rd Edition). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.