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⦿ “Constructivism is a philosophy of learning
founded on the premise that, by
reflecting on our experiences, we
construct our own understanding of the
world we live in” (Brooks & Brooks)
⦿ It is “based on a type of learning in which
the learner forms, or constructs, much of
what she learns or comprehends” (Cashman
et al 390)
⦿ Constructivism is the idea that learning
doesn’t just happen by the traditional
methods of teachers standing in front of the
class and lecturing.
⦿ Itis best described by Confucius’ quote: “I
hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do
and I understand.” (Cashman et al 390)
⦿ Jerome
Bruner
⦿ Jean Piaget
⦿ Lev Vygotsky
⦿ John Dewey
⦿ Very influential psychologist
⦿ His concern with cognitive psychology “led to
a particular interest in the cognitive
development of children… and just what the
appropriate forms of education might be”
(Smith)
⦿ Developed the cognitive learning theory
⦿ Felt children were “active learners” who
constructed new knowledge “as they moved
through different cognitive stages, building
on what they already knew” (Cushman et
al 392)
⦿
Sensorimotor
◾ “learning takes place primarily through the
child’s senses and motor actions” (Cushman et al
393)
⦿ Preoperational
◾ “children
begin to use symbols and images”
(Cushman et al 393)
⦿ Concrete Operational
◾ “children begin to think logically” (Cushman et
al
393)
⦿ Formal Operational
◾ Children begin to think in an abstract way
⦿ Developed the social cognition theory which
“asserts that culture is the prime
determinant of individual development”
because humans are the only creatures to
have created cultures and therefore it
effects our learning development. (“Vygotsky
and Social Cognition”)
Vygotsky theorized that a child’s cultural
upbringing greatly effects their learning
development.
⦿ Believed that learning should be engaging
to the students… they will learn better if
they are interested.
⦿ Was a huge influence on our
education system
⦿ Believed in “educating the whole child,
physically, mentally, and socially, and not
just on the dispensation of facts and
information” (Cushman et al 395)
THREE MAIN TYPES
OF CONSTRUCTIVISM
COGNITIVE CONSTRUCTIVISM
states knowledge is something
that is actively constructed by
learners based on their
existing cognitive structures.
Therefore, learning is relative to
their stage
of cognitive development.
SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIVISM
 a sociological theory of
knowledge according to
which human development is
socially situated and
knowledge is constructed
through interaction with
others.
RADICAL CONSTRUCTIVISM
 states that the knowledge
individuals create tells us
nothing about reality, and only
helps us to function in your
environment. Thus,
knowledge is invented not
discovered.
⦿ “In a constructivist setting… the role of the
teacher is to organize information around
conceptual clusters of problems, questions
and discrepant situations in order to engage
the student’s interest. Teachers assist the
students in developing new insights and
connecting them with their previous
learning” (Hanley)
⦿ In the classroom, students must work on
building upon the knowledge they already
have.
⦿ “Inferences, elaborations, and relationships
between old perceptions and new ideas must
be personally drawn by the student in order
for the new idea to become an integrated,
useful part of his/her memory” (Hanley)
⦿ Someexamples of things I would do in
my classroom:
◾ Inquiry:“prompt students to formulate their own
questions” (“Constructivism as a…”)
◾ Multiple intelligences: “allow multiple
interpretations and expressions of
learning” (“Constructivism as a…”)
◾ Collaborative learning: “encourage group
work and the use of peers as resources”
(“Constructivism as a…”)
 THE
5 E’s
APPROACH
 THE 5 E’s APPROACH
 The 5 E's is an instructional model based
on the constructivist approach to
learning, which says that learners build or
construct new ideas on top of their old
ideas. The 5 E's can be used with
students of all ages, including adults.

 Each of the 5 E's describes a phase

of learning, and each phase begins with
the letter "E": Engage, Explore, Explain,
Elaborate/Extend, and Evaluate..
 THE 5 E’s APPROACH

 The 5 E's allows students and

teachers to experience common
activities, to use and build on prior
knowledge and experience, to
construct meaning, and to continually
assess their understanding of a
concept.
In the stage Engage, the students first
encounter and identify the instructional
task. Here they make connections between
E
past and present learning experiences, lay
the organizational ground work for the
N
activities ahead and stimulate their
involvement in the anticipation of these
G
activities. A
Asking a question, defining a problem,
showing a surprising event and acting out a
G
problematic situation are all ways to E
engage the students and focus them on the
instructional tasks.
In the Exploration stage the students have
the opportunity to get directly involved E
with phenomena and materials.
X
Involving themselves in these activities
they develop a grounding of experience P
with the phenomenon. As they work
together in teams, students build a base of L
common experience which assists them in
the process of sharing and communicating. O
The teacher acts as a facilitator, providing
materials and guiding the students' focus. R
The students' inquiry process drives the
instruction during an exploration. E
Explain, is the point at which the learner
begins to put the abstract experience
through which she/he has gone /into a
E
communicable form. Language provides
motivation for sequencing events into a
X
logical format. P
 Communication occurs between peers, the
facilitator, or within the learner himself. Working L
in groups, learners support each other's
understanding as they articulate their
observations, ideas, questions and hypotheses.
A
Language provides a tool of communicable labels.
These labels, applied to elements of abstract
I
exploration, 3 give the learner a means of sharing
these explorations. N
 E
In stage four, Elaborate, the L
students expand on the concepts A
they have learned, make
connections to other related B
concepts, and apply their O
understandings to the world R
around them.
A
T
E
 It is an on-going diagnostic process that allows
the teacher to determine if the learner has
E
attained understanding of concepts and
knowledge. Evaluation and assessment can occur at V
all points along the continuum of the instructional
process A
 Some of the tools that assist in this diagnostic
process are: rubrics (quantified and prioritized L
outcome expectations) determined hand-in-hand
with the lesson design, teacher observation U
structured by checklists, student interviews,
portfolios designed with specific purposes,
project and problembased learning products, and
A
embedded assessments. Concrete evidence of the
learning proceed is most valuable in
T
communications between students, teachers,
parents and administrators. E
⦿ Brooks, Jaqueline, and Martin Brooks. "Constructivism." Funderstanding:
Education and Training for Active Learners. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2010.
<http://www.funderstanding.com/content/constructivism>.
⦿ Cashman, Thomas J., Glenda A. Gunter, Randolph E. Gunter, and Gary B.
Shelly. Teachers Discovering Computers: Integrating Technology and
Digital Media in the Classroom, Fourth Edition (Shelly Cashman Series). 4
ed. Cambridge: Course Technology, 2005. Print.
⦿ "Constructivism as a Paradigm for Teaching and Learning." THIRTEEN.
N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2010.
<http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/constructivism/index
_sub2.html>.
⦿ Hanley, Susan. "On Constructivism." Townson. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr.
2010. <www.towson.edu/csme/mctp/Essays/Constructivism.txt>.
⦿ Smith, Mark. " jerome bruner and the process of education ." contents @
the informal education homepage. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2010.
<http://www.infed.org/thinkers/bruner.htm>.
⦿ "Vygotsky and Social Cognition." Funderstanding: Education and Training
for Active Learners. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2010.
<http://www.funderstanding.com/content/vygotsky-and-social-
cognition>.