Piaget’s Constructivism is a psychological theory of how children are able to generate at different stages of their development, knowledge and meaning from their experiences. They create their worldviews and hold on to them tightly and are unlikely to abandon their worldviews easily. They will assimilate learning when what is learnt is congruent to their worldview. They will accommodate learning when they decide to reframe their mindset to fit in the new learning. Seymour Papert’s Constructionism is an educational theory, focusing on the art of learning or “learning to learn” and the importance of making things in learning. When learners engage in conversations during learning, this will boost their self-directed learning in constructing new knowledge. Being connected with the study at hand promotes the forming and transforming of knowledge within specific contexts, which is shaped and expressed through different media.
Fig 1 The Constructivism-Constructionism Theory
I would like to marry Piaget’s and Papert’s theories into the theory of Constructivism-Constructionism. Figure 1 sets out to explain the dynamism of this theory. In learning, the active interaction amongst the teacher (Tr), pupils (Pp) and task (Tk) is cast against the backdrop of differences in culture, values and background. The task is the interface between teacher and learner which, when well set, will surface critical elements of beliefs, standards and values which can be both subjective and objective. The final objective of this process is to align understanding such that there is congruence within the individuals and the discussion at hand. Learning will take place when this congruence is arrived. (Piaget’s assimilation and accommodation principle) This supports one of the principles of NeuroLinguistic Programming- “the map is not the territory”. Our map of the world is not necessary the same for others and thus not the territory. Simply put, teaching and learning is not unidirectional where the focus is on imparting content but a multidirectional process of conversations to reach an understanding as the content is built. It has very much to do with the nuances of social interaction, communication and the barrage of social emotions. (Papert’s situated learning where learning takes place within a context or situation)
Interaction is key and thus determines the modes of delivery. Examples are reciprocal teaching, peer collaboration, cognitive apprenticeship, problem-based instruction, web quests, anchored instruction etc. These are the pillars supporting meaningful learning and distilling of noise.
Many discussions against the constructivist theory centered around the point that pure discovery as the method of instruction does not work all the time. There is a need for balance and boils down to selecting when to discover and when to tell. This is especially true in the learning of mathematics where students learn better through worked examples. A good compromise will be guided discovery where scaffolds will guide students who may lack the mental model or schema for learning by doing.
Table 1: Constructivism-Constructionism Theory & Personal Learning Environments
| A PLE (personal learning environment) is a system that helps learners to: take control of and manage their own learning by
communicate with others in the process of learning. |
The Constructivism-Constructionism theory suggests that learners are responsible for their own learning. Learners are active and in control of learning as they construct knowledge out of their experiences. Learning is
unique and learning is influenced by background & culture. |
Table 1 tries to match the definition of PLE to the Constructivism-Constructionism theory of learning. Creating a personal learning environment allows the learner to be in-charge of his/her learning. It can be \”limited\” to a project or it can be \”unlimited\” as in lifelong learning. It has the capability of deep learning as it encourages metacognitive processes that propels deep thinking and reflection.
With flexibility comes responsibility- the learner is in-charge of both progression and halt in learning. This sense of ownership is the main driving force where the learner can assimilate or accommodate new learning by reframing and realignment. This is true of active learning where failure is but another step to success in learning. The social interaction aspect of PLE as seen in blogs, is an added dimension to learning in communities which advocates cooperation and synergy in learning as advocated by Papert.
Examples of approaches supporting this theory are cognitive apprenticeship, anchored instruction, problem-based learning, situational learning, etc. The important point is the fine balance between mediated support with the instructor and learner which is highly dependent on the mental capacity of the learner.
I am wondering, in the equation of \”learning by doing\” as advocated by using blogs as part of one\’s Personal Learning Environment, where would we place the personality of the learner?
