The theory of constructivism is based around observation and scientific study about how people learn. It says that individuals construct their own understanding of the world through experiences and reflection on those experiences.
When we encounter a new idea, we have to compare it with our previous ideas and experiences, and possible change what we believe. Sometimes it means or getting rid of the new information as irrelevant.
In any case, contructivism views humans as creators of their own knowledge. That means asking questions and exploring.
Background
Psychologist Jean Piaget is a large figure in the history of constructivism (along with many others.) However, Piaget specifically saw “play” as an important part of learning—an active form of understanding the world through assimilation and accommodation.
So what are assimilation and accommodation?
Assimilation
Assimilation happens when a learner incorporates a new idea with an existing framework of understanding. So, for example, when one sees and eagle for the first time and learns that they are in the same family of animals as chickens, and a textbook verifies this, his or her internal theory is confirmed and assimilation occurs.
Accommodation
Accommodation occurs when a learner has to reframe an existing line of thinking or create a new line of thinking altogether. For example, if a person thinks a spoon will open the lock when inserted into a door keyhole, but finds that after attempting, it doesn’t, he or she will have to accommodate for this failure and learn that only the correct key will work.
The Spiral
Teaching in a constructivist-influenced format can be viewed as a spiral. At the bottom of the spiral are a learner’s past experiences. As they learn in the present the spiral grows larger, and continues to expand into the future.
Think of this in a training context: You introduce a scenario that requires the trainee to call upon his or her existing knowledge—say within a HIPAA compliance arena. Using this knowledge, the learner then has to actively apply it to a situation in which a patient is trying to illegally access health information that belongs to someone else. This requires the learner to think back on past experiences, use it in the present, and then create a memorable experience that impacts future application.
Putting lessons into an interactive format employs constructivism by allowing the learner to take the driver’s seat and learn from both personal successes and failures as well as group observations.
The Instructor
The Instructor’s role is very important within constructivism, because that person is responsible for spurring the learning experience along. In a blended learning environment, for example, the instructor would help students by building and shaping upon their questions so that discussion between classmates becomes a more involved process and is part of the actual learning experience.
The constructivist instructor uses problem solving as a key tool for training in which learners can test their ideas, and encourages classmates to discuss questions throughout the learning experience.
Constructivism and eLearning
Employing a constructivist approach to your courses can help you to create more hands-on, interactive experiences that shape the minds of your learners rather than just dumping information on them.
Interested in psychology and training? Explore more articles.