I don't know who first coined the term "constructivism", but in 1997, I came across it a couple of times and it has refined the way I think. The only comprehensive treatise I've found on constructivism is in The Case for Constructivist Classrooms, by Brooks and Brooks. I have also included some of my own ideas and examples.
In General: it is not a theory about teaching; it is about learning. "It defines knowledge as temporary, developmental, socially and culturally mediated, and thus non-objective." ... [Contrast this to teaching which attempts to have learners conclude that there is only one objective "reality", or way of viewing the world and the self.] "Learning from this perspective is understood as a self-regulated process of resolving inner cognitive conflicts that often become apparent through concrete experience, collaborative discourse, and reflection." (p. vii)
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Constructivist Learning Methods (The Case for Constructivist Classrooms, p. vii) |
Traditional Teaching Methods (My Conclusions from My Experiences) |
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Posing problems of emerging relevance to learners. |
Presenting facts and theories, not necessarily establishing relevance to the learners and their lives. |
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Structuring learning around big ideas and primary concepts. |
Structuring teaching around sub-topics and micro-skills, and then integrating later (usually must be done by student alone, not in classroom). |
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Seeking and valuing students' point of view. |
Valuing authorities' points of view (text book authors, teachers, etc.). |
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Adapting curriculum to address students suppositions. |
Developing curriculum around the culture's or the teachers' beliefs. |
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Assessing student learning in the context of teaching. |
Assessing student retention in the form of separate testing. |
Note that these principles are similar to those of
comprehensivism.