Constructionism is defined as “a theory of learning that states people learn best when they build an external artifact or something they can share with others” (Orey, 2009). Dr. Michael Orey also describes four mechanisms for learning that correspond to constructionist views which are Assimilation, Accommodation, Equilibration, and Schemas. All of which help us to change or perceive a previous assumption. It is no wonder why constructionism should be an important theory of how students learn in the first place. It has been said that a person’s experiences are influential to how quick or how well someone learns something. Earlier in this course we discussed how difficult it is to learn of something without the experience. I think back to a classmate’s discussion where they said how difficult it was for their students to know what snow was having never experienced it in Hawaii. It is that physical process of building something that I feel provides students with the experience they need to learn.
Generating and testing a hypothesis is indicative of that building process that I spoke above of. In order to generate a hypothesis a student needs to decide on what are they trying to answer. As a science teacher I like to think of it as the scientific method. You have to come up with a question that you want to answer before you start to research how you might answer it. First you are building or constructing a set of data, any research that relates to your initial question. By generating or forming a hypothesis you are coming up with or building a possible answer to your questions. Then by testing the hypothesis this is where I truly feel a constructionist view of building comes alive. In testing the hypothesis student in all sense of the term are building an experiments or what I like to think of as an experience. Experiments or testing a hypothesis always provide information, even if it is not the information you want to see if allows you to build more of a basis of information.
There are so many ways that technology can be incorporated with the generating and testing of a hypothesis. Spreadsheets can be used in so many different ways and for many different classes, from science and math to social studies and geography. Interactive spreadsheets can be very helpful when collecting data and then representing it in a graph. Again when dealing with graphing you have that physical graph that has been built from the data that has been input.
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Response to Erin
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that prior knowledge/experience helps students to learn new concepts. Building artifacts helps to create memorable experiences that students will remember. What projects have you done with students that students remember and where concepts were retained?
One example of a project that I did in my physics class that is only a one day in class project that the students enjoy and always want to redo is the electric cell battery project. I give each group of 2 or 3 students a brown bag with a baby food jar, 2 wires, lemon juice or another similar acid, and a piece of zinc and copper. I ask them to construct an individual cell (battery) and then to work with other groups to construct a battery (group of cells) that is strong enough to light an LED light. I have given them information about electricity and other information however I do not tell them how to connect anything, and that they need to build it by the end of the hour. I like seeing them really work on in with the time limit. I tell them that this is like the real world when asked to complete a task that is not their specialty. They are so excited when they get the LED to light and then they have to figure how why and how.
ReplyDeleteI think it really embodies constructionist learning and why not incorporate activities like that rather than having me draw a diagram of a parallel and series circuit on the board.