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Helpful Professor Explains!. (2024, May 10). Social Constructivism (Explained for Beginners in 3 Minutes) [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZWvrOlybC4

I liked how this was short and sweet and that the images were nice. It was an easy intro in simple terms.

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Social Constructivism (Explained for Beginners in 3 Minutes)

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Le, H. V., & Nguyen, L. Q. (2024). Promoting L2 learners’ critical thinking skills: The role of social constructivism in reading class. Frontiers in Education (Lausanne), 9 https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1241973

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McLeod, S, PhD. (2024, August 9). Vygotsky's Zone Of Proximal Development. SimplyPsychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/zone-of-proximal-development.html

I like how there are examples of ZPD at the end of the article.

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Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) refers to the gap between what a learner can do independently and what they can achieve with guidance. Learning occurs most effectively in this zone, as the learner receives support from more knowledgeable individuals, such as teachers or peers, to help them reach the next level of understanding.

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Posted by Tara Bayer: Flowcharts on Social Constructivism

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Posted by Tara Bayer: Flowcharts on Social Constructivism

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Here is a link to some PowerPoints and different graphics on Social Constructivism Theory that I found on SketchBubble!

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Posted by Tara Bayer: YouTube video on Social Constructivism

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Posted by Tara Bayer: YouTube video on Social Constructivism

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I really liked that this video went over the importance of language in social constructivism.

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A quick guide for GSIs on social constructivism in the classroom!

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The level of potential development is the level at which learning takes place. It comprises cognitive structures that are still in the process of maturing, but which can only mature under the guidance of or in collaboration with others.

Background

Social constructivism is a variety of cognitive constructivism that emphasizes the collaborative nature of much learning. Social constructivism was developed by post-revolutionary Soviet psychologist Lev Vygotsky. Vygotsky was a cognitivist, but rejected the assumption made by cognitivists such as Piaget and Perry that it was possible to separate learning from its social context. He argued that all cognitive functions originate in (and must therefore be explained as products of) social interactions and that learning did not simply comprise the assimilation and accommodation of new knowledge by learners; it was the process by which learners were integrated into a knowledge community. According to Vygotsky (1978, 57),

Every function in the child's cultural development appears twice: first, on the social level and, later on, on the individual level; first, between people (interpsychological) and then inside the child (intrapsychological). This applies equally to voluntary attention, to logical memory, and to the formation of concepts. All the higher functions originate as actual relationships between individuals.

Vygotsky's theory of social learning has been expanded upon by numerous later theorists and researchers.

View of Knowledge

Cognitivists such as Piaget and Perry see knowledge as actively constructed by learners in response to interactions with environmental stimuli. Vygotsky emphasized the role of language and culture in cognitive development. According to Vygotsky, language and culture play essential roles both in human intellectual development and in how humans perceive the world. Humans' linguistic abilities enable them to overcome the natural limitations of their perceptual field by imposing culturally defined sense and meaning on the world. Language and culture are the frameworks through which humans experience, communicate, and understand reality. Vygotsky states (1968, 39),

A special feature of human perception ... is the perception of real objects ... I do not see the world simply in color and shape but also as a world with sense and meaning. I do not merely see something round and black with two hands; I see a clock ...

Language and the conceptual schemes that are transmitted by means of language are essentially social phenomena. As a result, human cognitive structures are, Vygotsky believed, essentially socially constructed. Knowledge is not simply constructed, it is co-constructed.

View of Learning

Vygotsky accepted Piaget's claim that learners respond not to external stimuli but to their interpretation of those stimuli. However, he argued that cognitivists such as Piaget had overlooked the essentially social nature of language. As a result, he claimed they had failed to understand that learning is a collaborative process. Vygotsky distinguished between two developmental levels (85):

The level of actual development is the level of development that the learner has already reached, and is the level at which the learner is capable of solving problems independently. The level of potential development (the "zone of proximal development") is the level of development that the learner is capable of reaching under the guidance of teachers or in collaboration with peers. The learner is capable of solving problems and understanding material at this level that they are not capable of solving or understanding at their level of actual development; the level of potential development is the level at which learning takes place. It comprises cognitive structures that are still in the process of maturing, but which can only mature under the guidance of or in collaboration with others.

View of Motivation

Whereas behavioral motivation is essentially extrinsic, a reaction to positive and negative reinforcements, cognitive motivation is essentially intrinsic - based on the learner's internal drive. Social constructivists see motivation as both extrinsic and intrinsic. Because learning is essentially a social phenomenon, learners are partially motivated by rewards provided by the knowledge community. However, because knowledge is actively constructed by the learner, learning also depends to a significant extent on the learner's internal drive to understand and promote the learning process.

Implications for Teaching

Collaborative learning methods require learners to develop teamwork skills and to see individual learning as essentially related to the success of group learning. The optimal size for group learning is four or five people. Since the average section size is ten to fifteen people, collaborative learning methods often require GSIs to break students into smaller groups, although discussion sections are essentially collaborative learning environments. For instance, in group investigations students may be split into groups that are then required to choose and research a topic from a limited area. They are then held responsible for researching the topic and presenting their findings to the class. More generally, collaborative learning should be seen as a process of peer interaction that is mediated and structured by the teacher. Discussion can be promoted by the presentation of specific concepts, problems, or scenarios; it is guided by means of effectively directed questions, the introduction and clarification of concepts and information, and references to previously learned material. Some more specific techniques are suggested in the Teaching Guide pages on Discussion Sections.

Reference

Vygotsky, Lev (1978). Mind in Society. London: Harvard University Press.

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The level of potential development is the level at which learning takes place. It comprises cognitive structures that are still in the process of maturing, but which can only mature under the guidance of or in collaboration with others. Social constructivism is a variety of cognitive constructivism that emphasizes the collaborative nature of much learning.

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Lumen Learning. (2024). Constructivism and social constructivism in the classroom. In LibreTexts Social Sciences, Child development.

This chapter from an OER textbook gives examples of what a teacher's role and students' participation may look like in a social constructivist classroom. I found that the suggestions at the end of the chapter were especially relevant to "real world" application.

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In the constructivist classroom, both teacher and students think of knowledge as a dynamic, ever-changing view of the world we live in and the ability to successfully stretch and explore that view - not as inert factoids to be memorized.

Key assumptions of this perspective include:

1. What the student currently believes, whether correct or incorrect, is important.

2. Despite having the same learning experience, each individual will base their learning on the understanding and meaning personal to them.

3. Understanding or constructing a meaning is an active and continuous process..

4. Learning may involve some conceptual changes.

5. When students construct a new meaning, they may not believe it but may give it provisional acceptance or even rejection.

6. Learning is an active, not a passive, process and depends on the students taking responsibility to learn.

The main activity in a constructivist classroom is solving problems. Students use inquiry methods to ask questions, investigate a topic, and use a variety of resources to find solutions and answers. As students explore the topic, they draw conclusions, and, as exploration continues, they revisit those conclusions. Exploration of questions leads to more questions.

There is a great deal of overlap between a constructivist and social constructivist classroom, with the exception of the greater emphasis placed on learning through social interaction, and the value placed on cultural background. For Vygotsky, culture gives the child the cognitive tools needed for development. Adults in the learner's environment are conduits for the tools of the culture, which include language, cultural history, social context, and more recently, electronic forms of information access.

In social constructivist classrooms collaborative learning is a process of peer interaction that is mediated and structured by the teacher. Discussion can be promoted by the presentation of specific concepts, problems or scenarios, and is guided by means of effectively directed questions, the introduction and clarification of concepts and information, and references to previously learned material.

Role of the teacher

Constructivist teachers do not take the role of the "sage on the stage." Instead, teachers act as a "guide on the side" providing students with opportunities to test the adequacy of their current understandings

Theory

Implication for classroom

The educator should consider the knowledge and experiences students bring to class

Learners construct their knowledge through a process of active enquiry

'Discovery' is facilitated by providing the necessary resources

Knowledge is actively constructed & learning is presented as a process of active discovery

Provide assistance with assimilation of new and old knowledge

Learning programme should be sufficiently flexible to permit development along lines of student enquiry

Due to its interpretivist nature, each student will interpret information in different ways

Create situations where the students feel safe questioning and reflecting on their own processes

Present authentic tasks to contextualize learning through real-world, case-based learning environments

Support collaboration in constructing knowledge, not competition

Encourage development through Intersubjectivity

Providing Scaffolding at the right time and the right level

Provide opportunities for more expert and less expert participants to learn from each other

Role of the student

The expectation within a constructivist learning environment is that the students plays a more active role in, and accepts more responsibility for their own learning.

Theory

Implication for classroom

The role of the student to actively participate in their own education

Students have to accommodate & assimilate new information with their current understanding

One important aspect of controlling their own learning process is reflecting on their experiences

Students begin their study with pre-conceived notions

Students are very reluctant to give up their established schema/idea & may reject new information that challenges prior knowledge

Students may not be aware of the reasons they hold such strong ideas/schemata

Learners need to use and test ideas, skills, and information through relevant activities

Students need to know how to learn or change their thinking/learning style

Because knowledge is so communally-based, learners deserve access to knowledge of different communities

For students to learn they need to receive different 'lenses' to see things in new ways.

Learners need guidance through the ZDP

In social constructivism tutors and peers play a vital role in learning

Social Constructivism in the classroom

Assessment

Constructivists believe that assessment should be used as a tool to enhance both the student's learning and the teacher's understanding of student's progress. It should not be used as an accountability tool that serves to stress or demoralise students. Types of assessment aligned to this epistemological position include reflective journals/portfolios, case studies, group-based projects, presentations (verbal or poster), debates, role playing etc.

Within social constructivism particularly there is greater scope for involving students in the entire process:

Brooks and Brooks (1993) state that rather than saying "No" when a student does not give the exact answer being sought, the constructivist teacher attempts to understand the student's current thinking about the topic. Through nonjudgmental questioning, the teacher leads the student to construct new understanding and acquire new skills.

Selected Bibliography

Driscoll, M. (2005). Psychology of learning for instruction. Allyn & Bacon, Boston: MA

Hill, W.F. (2002) Learning: A survey of psychological interpretation (7th ed), Allyn and Bacon, Boston, MA.

Jordan, A., Carlile, O., & Stack, A. (2008). Approaches to learning: A guide for teachers. McGraw-Hill, Open University Press: Berkshire.

Ormrod, J.E. (1995). Human Learning (2nd ed.). New Jersey, Prentice Hall.

Ryder, M (2009) Instructional Design Models. Downloaded from http://carbon.cudenver.edu/~mryder/itc_data/idmodels.html on 30 March 2009)

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7.4: Constructivism and Social Constructivism in the Classroom

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In the constructivist classroom, both teacher and students think of knowledge as a dynamic, ever-changing view of the world we live in and the ability to successfully stretch and explore that view - not as inert factoids to be memorized. Key assumptions of this perspective include: What the student currently believes, whether correct or incorrect, is important.

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"Libraries are not in the construction business"

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Wilkinson, L. (2011, May 18). Libraries are not in the construction business. Sense and Reference. https://senseandreference.wordpress.com/2011/05/18/libraries-are-not-in-the-construction-business/

While this blog post emphasizes its critiques of constructionism, I feel that mainly of these arguments can be made against constructivism as well. While I would not want to erase the importance of the individual in learning, it is valid to consider to what degree we as educators believe in objective truths existing outside of individual (or group) perspectives.

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Thanks for finding this Sloan (I think I recall that's your preferred name but apologies if I've misremembered!). I found the refutations in this piece to be weirdly uncharitable and seeming like the writer wishes to believe in Truth enough that it almost feels like an ideological opposition.

For instance, regarding the "well I should only provide fundamentalist things to this Christian child" is like, a very strange argument. You provide all the resources, invite them to look at all the opinions, decide for themselves what seems to be the most correct opinion, answering their questions where they are and mediating. If they don't agree in the end I think the author is uncomfortable with that conclusion, wanting to say we should've asserted what the author believes to be true. I obviously agree with this, too, as a trans woman, but part of what I like about it is I do generally view arbitration of true to be an imperialistic kind of project and that the good ideas, when fairly considered and digested when the receiving party is ready to digest them, is going to work out once their social context changes from experiences like at the library's.

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Lyssa - COVID 19 and Teaching Research Article

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Lyssa - COVID 19 and Teaching Research Article

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Agopian, T. (2022). Online Instruction during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Creating a 21st Century Community of Learners through Social Constructivism. Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 95(2), 85–89. https://doi.org/10.1080/00098655.2021.2014774

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Ally re: Lyssa's COVID 19 and Teaching Article

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Ally re: Lyssa's COVID 19 and Teaching Article

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This was really nice insight into the experience of teachers early in the pandemic. I was roughly halfway through my final semester of undergrad when my university pivoted to online classes and I remember being really impressed by how quickly my professors managed to get it together, but I know my friends didn't all have the same experience.

Leaning on principles of social constructivism seemed to benefit this writer well when it came to adjusting to online teaching. They were cognizant of the barriers different students might face regarding access to a digital classroom (poor internet access at home, loud or cluttered home environments, huge time differences for international students, and so on). During such a hectic time, it makes sense, I think, to fall back on a teaching style that is focused more on nurturing an interest in learning for students rather than meeting specific testing benchmarks.

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Lyssa - A Very Personal Account of Social Constructivist 1-on-1 mentorship

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Lyssa - A Very Personal Account of Social Constructivist 1-on-1 mentorship

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Gerberry, C. V. (2023). Developing Self-Efficacy through the Social Constructivist Mentorship. Theory Into Practice, 62(1), 62–69. https://doi.org/10.1080/00405841.2022.2136480

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Lyssa - Using Social Constructivism in the Workplace as More Effective Learning Method

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Lyssa - Using Social Constructivism in the Workplace as More Effective Learning Method

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Wold, T. (2024). How Constructionist Perspectives on Learning Can Improve Learning and Prevent Accidents in High-Risk Industries. Challenges (20781547), 15(2), 19. https://doi.org/10.3390/challe15020019

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Lyssa - Considerations from Different Contributed Article Contexts for SC

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Lyssa - Considerations from Different Contributed Article Contexts for SC

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What I find interesting first is that research being done escapes the confines of a normal classroom and working people who may never have even entered college are being introduced successfully to concepts from the field.

Something I think is important to take from this success in mentorship and in the workplace is that it should ostensibly apply to the kinds of people one would get at any type of librarianship positions - it demonstrates a capacity to improve learning in ways that other ways may have struggled a lot more with. It also means that intentionally viewing more studies in the context of, say, a public library, could reveal ways for us to modify the way we show the library to users of various types, and what teaching techniques will or won't work with certain communities of people (or perhaps work with all of them, for even remotely receptive audiences!).

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Ally Wolker - Librarians as Social Constructivist Teachers

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Ally Wolker - Librarians as Social Constructivist Teachers

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I liked that this was a researched personal experience essay about a former social constructivist teacher turned social constructivist teaching librarian.

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Librarians as Teachers  A Reflection on Practice  Identity  and the TPACK Framework to Enhance Professional Practice

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The beginning of this paper is very similar to the section in our textbook on Social Constructivism, but if you scroll to the end the author has included a sample lesson plan that incorporates social constructivist ideas.

It's really helpful to see an example of this type of teaching in action, especially if someone is (like me) new to educational theory. I thought social constructivism had to be this really complicated, hard-to-implement practice to use in the classroom, only to discover that things like small-group work and call-and-response activities, things I remember doing in school, counted as social constructivist activities.

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I really wanted to add something critical of the theory that wasn't too mired in theory. One thing I found really interesting is how much of the non-scholarly criticism I came across on google seemed fixated on it being a Marxist learning style (I'm not even sure if this is true, just that a few of Piaget's intellectual descendants were Marxists), with criticisms referring to things like "group-think." Interesting, nonetheless.

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The constructivist learning theory explains that we learn by 'constructing' knowledge in our minds. Constructivism argues that learners have an active role in thinking things through, mulling them over, and coming to conclusions based on logic and critical thinking. We also build on our prior knowledge, like a builder constructing (and sometimes deconstructing) his skyscraper.

Key Concepts in Constructivist Theory

1. Learning is a Cognitive Process
Students learn through thinking things through and trial-and-error, not by simply repeating facts.
Prior to the rise of Constructivism, teachers would teach using a behaviorist approach: we would hammer ideas into students' heads by getting them to repeat answers over and over again. Students would sit in classrooms and repeat what the teacher says. We often call this old approach the banking model of education.

Then constructivism came along and argued that children use cognition - or mental processes - to come to logical conclusions. Students need to think things through in order to truly understand them.

Thinking things through means mulling them over, seeing if they really make sense, comparing and contrasting them to what they already know, and coming to your own independent conclusions ... not just repeating what your teacher says.
Interesting Fact: Even though constructivist theory was developed in the late 1800s and early 1900s, it wasn't until the late 1960s that constructivism was taken seriously in schools.
2. We Learn Through Experiences (Piaget)
Piaget came up with some fundamental constructivist concepts. He theorised that learners get more knowledgeable by thinking about new experiences and comparing them to old experiences.
Piaget is the most famous constructivist theorist. He came up with many of the fundamental ideas in constructivism.

According to Piaget, there are six key components to how we learn:

Learning through experience: Whenever we come across a new experience, we process it in our minds. We will use that experience to understand our worlds. Piaget called learners 'lone scientists' who go out into the world and investigate to learn.

Prior knowledge: Each new experience is compared to previous experiences we have had. We will look at our new experiences and use them to understand what we're looking at.

Cognitive Schema: Piaget stated that a cognitive schema is a packet of knowledge that we have in our mind. We can add to a cognitive schema (assimilation) or change it (accommodation).

Assimilation: Piaget used this term to explain 'adding new knowledge' to our knowledge bank (cognitive schemata). If I come across new knowledge that I can add to my knowledge bank, I'll place it into a cognitive schema. For example, if I see a new breed of dog, I'll recognize it as a dog, so I'll add this new breed of dog to my 'dog' cognitive schema in my mind.

Cognitive disequilibrium: When we come across a new experience, it may contradict our prior knowledge. A learner will be confused and not understand what they can see. At this point, a learner is in a state of cognitive disequilibrium. We always want to be in a state of cognitive equilibrium where everything makes sense.

Accommodation: To overcome cognitive disequilibrium (confusion), we need to 'fix' old or broken prior knowledge. We will need to recall a cognitive schema and repair it. For example, if I see a horse for the first time, I may think it's a dog because it has four legs. Then, someone will tell me it is a different animal called a 'horse'. Now I need to fix my 'dog' schema by breaking it up so I don't bank all horses into the dog schema. I might create two new schemata: one for dogs and one for horses. I'll try to remember key features of horses (their height, their body shape) so that in the future I can tell the differences between horses and dogs. I learned through experiences!

3. There are Four Stages of Learning (Piaget)
Many constructivists also believe that biological development is central to learning. We tend to learn certain things at key stages in our childhood. This is because our brains need to be developmentally ready to learn.
Several constructivist theorists believe in stages of learning. Piaget's stages are the most famous, but there are others. Here are just a few:

Montessori: Maria Montessori was a constructivist. She believed in four planes of development.

Froebel: Friedrich Froebel believed that we go through several stages, and at each stage we should give children special toys that help them overcome the challenges at each stage.

Kolberg: Kolberg's stages were based on moral development. As our brains become more cognitively advanced, we can explore more and more complex moral problems.

Piaget: Piaget's 4 stages mainly explore scientific and mathematical skills that emerge at different stages in our lives.

Piaget's four famous stages are:

Sensorimotor stage (0 - 2 years): Babies develop cognitive skills such as object permanence, goal directed action, and deferred imitation (see image below).

Preoperational stage (2 - 7 years): Young children develop cognitive skills such as symbolic thought (such as language use and symbolic play) yet remain egocentric (meaning they cannot see things from others' perspectives).

Concrete stage (7 - 12 years): Students develop more complex logical thinking skills and master the skill of conservation (see image below).

Formal operations stage (12 - 18 years): Teenagers start developing deductive reasoning, metacognitive skills, abstract thought, and complex moral reasoning.

Not all stage-based theories are based on cognitive theories. A cognitive stage-based theory must believe stages are based on our brain's growing ability to think in new ways. For example, Freud's and Erikson's stages are not cognitive - they're psychodynamic stages.
4. We Learn Through Social Interaction (Vygotsky)
Vygotsky came up with 'Social Constructivism'. This theory highlights the important role of social interaction in constructing new ideas in our minds.
Vygotsky and Piaget both believed that experience is important for our learning. But while Piaget thought of learners as 'lone scientists', Vygotsky thought of learners as social beings.

By talking with others, we can think through ideas. We will hear other perspectives and how different people describe things. These social experiences are important for helping us to come to strong logical conclusions.

When we discuss ideas, we also 'socially construct' knowledge. This means we pool all our thinking together and come to shared agreements about what the facts really are.

Vygotsky and Piaget agreed on a lot (they were both constructivists), but they disagreed on many things, too.

Vygotsky didn't believe that we learn in stages. He thought we all learn differently depending on our social interactions. In some non-Western societies, for example, a child may learn really difficult skills required for hunting that a Western child wouldn't learn until they are much older. This observation undermines Piaget's idea that we all learn in generally the same biological stage-based way.

Role of the Teacher and Learner
The teacher shouldn't lecture students but rather guide them as they learn through hands-on experiences.
Constructivism believes learning involves trial-and-error and discovery.

Therefore, the teacher shouldn't just lecture students while the students listen (we call this passive learning).

Instead, the teacher needs to expose children to many active, hands-on experiences. The teacher will observe their students' learning and give them gentle guidance and nudges. But, if a class is well designed and structured for the right developmental level, the students will be able to learn simply through their experiences alone.

Here is a quick comparison of a traditional teacher role vs. a facilitator role:

Monologue (teacher talks)

Dialogue (teacher and students discuss)

Tells the answers

Asks questions and guides

Expects one 'correct' answer

Lets students come up with their own answers

Believes they know everything

Sees themselves as a co-learner

Teacher-centered classroom

Student-centered classroom

Teaches theories

Links theories to practical experiences

One size fits all lessons

Differentiated lessons to meet students' cognitive needs

Constructivist Teaching Methods

1. The Zone of Proximal Development
The zone of proximal development helps teachers to identify the target difficulty levels for their lessons.
Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal development explains how to create a lesson that is at the perfect difficulty level.

We also sometimes call this the Goldilocks principle:

A lesson that is too easy will not help a student progress;

A lesson that is too hard will not stimulate learning;

A lesson that is challenging but achievable with help will help students progress.

That skill level that's challenging but achievable is called the 'zone of proximal development'.

This approach involves getting a teacher to assess prior knowledge. Then, the teacher create lessons that are just a step harder than the student's current abilities.

The teacher will need to provide support as the student moves into the 'zone of proximal development'. That's where scaffolding comes in...

2. Scaffolding

Scaffolding is an approach developed by Jerome Bruner.
Scaffolding involves providing guided support to a student. Guidance is removed when a student's abilities improve.
It gets its name from the supports that are placed around buildings while they are being constructed. Once the building is finished, the scaffolding is removed and the building can stand on its own.

The same goes for learners: a teacher should provide support to students while they are learning a concept. Then, when the student is capable with the concept, the support is removed so the student can learn on their own.

3. Problem and Inquiry Based Learning

Problem based learning is an approach where the teacher presents students with a problem. Students then need to address the problem by talking things through, conducting experiments, and going through a process of discovery.

Inquiry based learning focuses on using systematic and scientific methods to collect data and come up with answers to problems.
The teacher and students come up with a problem that needs to be addressed through an inquiry process.
Both approaches (which are used in conjunction) help students to learn through student-led and student-initiated discovery. Students use their cognitive skills and trial-and-error to reach their own conclusions and construct new knowledge in their minds.

You can read more about inquiry based learning here.

4. Guided Practice

The guided practice model is also known as the ' gradual release of responsibility ' or 'I Do, We Do, You Do' method.

In this approach, the teacher starts with explicit teaching. The teacher might model something in front of the students while they observe ('I Do'). Next, the teacher and students do the task together ('We Do'). An additional 'We Do' step may be to get students to do tasks together in groups. Lastly, the student gets to do a task independently ('You Do').
Guided practice involves an educator gradually releasing responsibility to a student in a four-step process. It starts with explicit instruction and ends with independent work.
You can read more about the I Do, We Do, You Do approach here.

5. Cooperative Learning

Cooperative learning involves students working together to come up with solutions to problems.

A cooperative learning approach will involve a teacher getting students to work in groups to complete a task.

One way to do this is to get students to work in groups (tip: let them name their group) based on ability level or learning style.

Another approach may be to get each student to develop expertise in one specific area of a topic. Then, the students get together to share what they learned. In this model, every student in the group is an expert on one aspect of the task. We call this the 'expert jigsaw' approach to cooperative learning.

For more on the role of social interaction in learning, see my post on the sociocultural theory of learning.

6. Play-Based Learning

Constructivism is all about learning through exploration, interaction, discovery and thinking things through.

That's exactly what we do when we play. We make mistakes, learn new ways to do things, think creatively, and gain new experiences.
A play-based approach to learning involves getting students to discover new things through play. While often reserved for early childhood, play-based learning really could be good for just about any age!
Maria Montessori, a famous constructivist, argued that educators should set up well-equipped play-based environments. Froebel, another constructivist, argued that play was the "highest form of learning". Forest schools and other contemporary learning perspectives also embrace a play-based approach.

Some versions of play include:

For more, see my article on the 17 different versions of play.

Pros and Cons of Constructivism

1. Students are seen as capable 'agentic' learners

1. It's Time Consuming

2. It's Student-Centered

2. It doesn't Fit with Standardized Tests

3. It provides a Guide to Children's Expected Developmental Levels

3. It requires differentiation, which is resource intensive

4. It's an enjoyable approach to learning

1. Pros (Advantages)

Benefits of constructivist theory include:

Students are treated as capable learners and are encouraged to exercise creative, critical and independent thinking.

Educators recognize that students require targeted, differentiated lessons that match their cognitive needs.

Using Piaget's stages, new and fill-in educators can quickly get an estimate of children's ability levels based on their age.

Students often find constructivist approaches to be more enjoyable because they learn through doing rather than sitting and memorizing.

A constructivist approach to education sees students as active, powerful, capable and competent. It tends to encourage students to learn through 'doing', which helps with engagement, critical thinking, and memory retention.
2. Cons (Disadvantages)

Disadvantages of constructivist theory include:

Learning through trial-and-error is a time consuming process. In the age of a crowded curriculum, teachers often don't have the time to organize sustained problem-based learning lessons.

International testing regimes that push standardized curriculum encourage conformity and memorization over inquiry-based critical thinking.

Constructivism requires differentiation so that students learn at the optimal cognitive level. Differentiation for each child is exceptionally difficult and often impractical for educators.

Constructivism can be time-consuming and does not prepare students well for standardized tests.
Alternative Approaches

Alternative theories of learning include:

Behaviorism: Constructivism is often juxtaposed to behaviorism. The behaviorist approach does not care for what goes on in our minds. It only cares for our ability to memorize and repeat information. Read more about behaviorism here.

Humanism: Humanists believe constructivism does not pay enough attention to the role of students' emotions and holistic well-being in learning. Read more about humanism here.

There are many different theories of learning. While constructivism is the dominant theory today, other theories of learning offer important insights and should not be dismissed.
Final Thoughts

Constructivism in education is the dominant educational theory in the 21st Century. It helps students to develop 21st Century skills such as collaboration, cooperation and creativity.
Read More: 31 Prominent Learning Theories
Central to this theory is the idea that we learn by 'mulling over' new ideas in our heads and come to our own conclusions through logic and reasoning. To achieve this sort of learning, students need to engage in active learning, learning by doing, and personal experiences.

It is juxtaposed to other theories like behaviorism which uses teaching methods that are more teacher-centered and fail to cater lessons to students' cognitive needs.

For more, explore the ideas of key constructivist theorists:

References and Further Reading

Kang, E. K. (2018). A Search for the Meaning of Constructivism: Constructivism Revisited and Reviewed. Education of Primary School Mathematics, 21(3), 261-272.

Krahenbuhl, K. S. (2016). Student-centered education and constructivism: Challenges, concerns, and clarity for teachers. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 89(3), 97-105.

Mattar, J. (2018). Constructivism and connectivism in education technology: Active, situated, authentic, experiential, and anchored learning. RIED. Revista Iberoamericana de Educación a Distancia, 21(2).

Srivastava, S., & Dangwal, K. L. (2017). Constructivism: A paradigm to revitalize teacher education. International Journal of Applied Research, 3(5), 753-756.

Taber, K. S. (2018). Constructivism in Education. Early Childhood Development: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications. London: Routledge.

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What is Constructivism in Education? Piaget's Pros & Cons

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The constructivist learning theory explains that we learn by 'constructing' knowledge in our minds. Constructivism argues that learners have an active role in thinking things through, mulling them over, and coming to conclusions based on logic and critical thinking. We also build on our prior knowledge, like a builder constructing (and sometimes deconstructing) his skyscraper.

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Shared by Simone Regarding Wilkinson blog post

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Shared by Simone Regarding Wilkinson blog post

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I felt a little flustered reading the Wilkinson blog post. I feel like I might need a better background in philosophy to understand it more thoroughly. What I found difficult is that I don't think I can identify as believing in one philosophy definitively over others; I can see different benefits in multiple ones. Why should there be only one foundation of thought assigned to a field? I have beliefs, and typically, they are derived from what feels right to me, and I guess everyone will have their interpretation of rightness. I have trouble assigning labels to things.

I agree with Lyssa that one should provide all available resources and opinions, but unfortunately, we cannot always control the views of others as much as we may want to.

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Since there was already a bit of chatter about the Wilkinson blog, I decided to take a closer look into it. What really struck me from reading most of that blog is that the author seems to really be unable to reconcile that two opposing facts can both be true. This author also apparently really hates that communities are essential places of learning for many people, placing an outsized sense of importance on "real" knowledge, whatever the author considers that to be. Overall, it felt like this was a rant that a disenfranchised philosophy major wrote when he was billed for a late book at his public library and decided to rage on the internet about it, but with a veneer of intellectualism. The comments on the blog post also convey that not everyone who read it really agreed with it in whole, or even in part. Libraries have a unique and changing role in their communities. They are both a place of knowledge, and a place to gather around the sharing of knowledge, either from books or learning material or from other people. Librarians are in a position to provide opposing facts, to present contradictions to people and let them decide on their own courses of thought. In a way, that is social constructivism at its core, allowing people to inhabit a space within their community with all sorts of different facts, and allow them to create their worldview as they see fit from those experiences.

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Thank you all for sharing some amazing thoughts regarding the post - I'm glad that it jumpstarted discussion.

I will say, similar to y'all, I do not actually condone the opinions of the blog writer. Primarily because I believe it is a harmful aspect of capitalism and white supremacy to state that there is a singular objective truth in all circumstances. This desire for objective truth is often used to harm oppressed groups because, as we all know, those in positions of power get to decide what truth is.

However, given that discussions of how to "teach the truth" are ones that I often see in educational (and some library) spheres, I still felt it was valuable to share one author's criticism of constructivist thought. To examine the critiques of the practices we wish to adopt allows us to consider how we may need to defend those practices in the future.

Thanks to all who shared in response - your perspectives helped deepen my own. - Sloan

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I appreciate you sharing this resource. When I went looking for critiques of constructionvism, so many of the resources were very dense. This is actually why I shared the Wilkinson blog - it was something I could mentally digest.

In the article you shared, I think it was interesting that the "cons" identified were all things that would negatively impact educators (lack of standardized data, increased time and effort). As someone who currently works in the classroom, I know firsthand that these are major barriers that teachers express frustration about even when not attempting pedagogy rooted in constructivist theory.

That, in turn, makes me think about so much of instructional practice compared to instructional theory and reveals major discrepancies between the two. If I were to attempt to apply what we read about critical pedagogy, I would also say that it reveals what our current educational system values. The question then becomes - do we as library professionals serve the system or more abstract values in our practice?

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Hello! I also had a rough time finding criticisms that weren't just theory. Theory is great, but I wanted to hear material examples of why someone might not employ social constructivist practices in the classroom. This is partially because I don't feel like I understand the theory well enough to explain why it's good, so how can I confidently judge if any criticism has merit? This became especially true when it felt like the criticism had some kind of political/ideological objections. For instance, does the theory actually have Marxist underpinnings, or is the guy whose blog I read one of those "We don't want DEI in our schools" types? I don't know!

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Hi again Sloan! Something I want to pull out of your thoughts on instructional practice is, while I completely agree, I think we can also actually use things like this as ammunition in justifying the need for more hiring. It seems we're generally on the same page about the pressure for minimal expenses in capitalism, but demonstrating things such as the value add shown in my added articles, and that this requires more educator time to get those, but better education saves people money (e.g. workplace safety violations happen less from my one), it could contribute to helping educators get more help.

Granted, I come from an engineering environment in which showing data to management generally caused movement, but I haven't been employed in education professionally yet, so the culture may be less receptive to that form of persuasion. I would be curious, at least.

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Main, P. (2021, August 16). The essentials of constructivism [Infograpic]. Structural Learning. https://www.structural-learning.com/post/embracing-the-learning-theory-constructivism

While we already have many resources featuring the key features of constructivist theory, I found the bottom half of this infographic interesting. Because of the time period when Vygotsky worked and the educational styles typically associated with constructivism (Montessori, Reggio Emelia, etc) I rarely see references to digital learning tools in discussions on how to engage students.

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Thanks for your response! I appreciate hearing your perspective coming from a private sector industry and agree that the goal of higher quality education results from having more educators who are highly trained. I also think most educators and administrators (including the highest-level district staff) favor practices such as increasing educator prep time, increasing staff sizes, and lowering educator-to-student ratios. We know these things improve student outcomes and, as you pointed out, those improvements ultimately save money AND create better educational opportunities.

However, the fly in the ointment is that public schools and libraries are publicly funded. This year, I know MANY districts in Wisconsin applied for referendums to support public school districts. Anecdotally, I also know library services are typically reduced or cut in the first waves because our current educational system tends to view it as "non-essential" compared to classroom education. Which leads to the problem of how to convince those paying taxes (including folks who don't utilize schools or libraries) that they should "pay" for these services - especially if they don't personally subscribe to the idea that the betterment of a community has value over the personal wealth of an individual.

That, of course, strays quite a bit from exploring constructivism in education. However, I would argue if you are raised and taught with constructivist theory, you may be more likely to invest in the benefits of the group.

Also: if someone knows a more streamlined way to respond to a post, please let me know. I attempted to find a comment button and was unsuccessful - though it may be a bit of first-trimester brain fog. Thanks for your patience and for jumpstarting some great discussion!

-Sloan

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Simone Re Constructivism and Social Constructivism in the Classroom

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Simone Re Constructivism and Social Constructivism in the Classroom

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I enjoyed the link to the Constructivism and Social Constructivism in the Classroom chapter/section in the Libre Text. It was easy to read and understand. Sometimes, materials are filled with so many terms that the scholars who write them are used to using, but I, as the reader, sometimes get hindered by the terminology. I appreciate clear, concise, and understandable examples of things to do in a classroom since I am new to instructing and have little experience in a teaching capacity where I generate the lesson plan. I have substitute taught in the past, but honestly, I just always tried to follow the instructions the teacher left, and I didn't think more about it. Then, when I homeschooled my daughter, I had a curriculum to follow that aligned with her neighborhood school since this was during COVID-19, and I wanted her to be on track with her classmates when she returned to school.

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Simone Re: Online Instruction during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Creating a 21st Century Community of Learners through Social Constructivism

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Simone Re: Online Instruction during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Creating a 21st Century Community of Learners through Social Constructivism

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I found this interesting because I homeschooled my daughter during the pandemic and we choose to follow the curriculum that the neighborhood school recommended so that when my daughter would attend in person she would be considered "ready" to be with the other students and at the same point as the other students. Like most families we didn't know how long the pandemic would last and I never had planned to homeschool for two years.

I think the tools and examples the author gives in this article are great for older students, but my daughter was in kindergarten and first grade, and I was sad that her first "School" experience was in our home away from others. I did my best to be her guide but she didn't get that experience of working with others like she would have gotten in a classroom.

I know of others who homeschool currently and before COVID-19, and they have communities that they meet up with, so there is still a social part, but during the pandemic, we didn't have that available to us, so it was a lonely couple of years for my whole family. And when my daughter finally attended school, she was very nervous and anxious to be in a classroom and compare herself to others and was afraid to speak up out of fear she may be wrong because it was just me and her and her baby sisters for two years. Now she is in 4th grade and less anxious, but it took her about two years to get where she is today.