Theoretical Foundations of Constructivism

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Theoretical Foundations of Constructivism

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• Janice Shaw-Hill
• Education 506
• 10-31-98

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Learning Theories Associated with Constructivism

• What Is Constructivism
• What Motivates Students To Learn

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The Contributions of Early Cognitive Learning
Theories

• John Dewey
• Lev Vygotsky
• Jean Piaget
• Jerome Bruner

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The Contributions of Research Based on Cognitive
Principles

• Lev Vygotsky Building A Scaffold to Learning
• Piagets Theories Cognitive Development in
  Children
• Jerome Bruner Learning as Discovery
• Seymour Papert Turtles and Beyond
• (CTGV) Tying Technology to Constructivism

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Required Characteristics of Constructivist
Approaches

• Problem-oriented activities
• Visual formats and mental models
• Rich environments
• Cooperative or collaborative (group) learning
• Learning through exploration
• Authentic assessment methods

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Constuctivist Methods Problems and Possibilities

• How can one certify skill learning?
• How much prior knowledge is needed?
• Can students choose the most effective
  instruction?

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Constructivist Methods (cont.)

• Will skills transfer to practical situations?
• What objective evidence demonstrates the effects
  of constructivist methods?

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Thank You For Your Attention!