CONSTRUCTIVISM
In my previous behavioristic case study I chose the example of a student/learner having to achieve a certain grade in a science exam about flora and fauna to receive USD 5 – using positive reinforcement to achieve a goal. This idea is based on a passive way of learning focused on extrinsic motivators. In contrast, the constructivistic school of tought focuses on the learner taking an active role and building knowledge by connecting new content to already existing knowledge. Often this is achieved by learners collaborating with one another.
A way to bring in constructivism in the example mentioned above would be for a teacher to introduce exercises where active participation and engagement from a learner is expected. For example, in this science case, the teacher could ask the student to solve a real-world problem based on some previous knowledge the student had already acquired (UNESCO, 2013).
The zone of proximal development is "the distance between the actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem-solving under adult guidance, or in collaboration with more capable peers" (Vygotsky, 1978, p. 86). In the case of our student learning about the flora and fauna, a gardener who is an expert at this topic could support the student to move through the zone of proximal development by scaffolding since the learner needs guidance from an instructor to achieve his/her full potential. The learner is guided by the professional and wherever no longer necessary, the guidance becomes less and less to give the learner more and more independence. For example, the gardener could start of by explaining and showing different types of plants and trees in a classroom via a slide deck. After the learner has acquired some starting knowledge, the student could then be asked to work on a project individually without much guidance. This could be an exercise such as as determining different tree types in a forest and designing a scrapbook that includes pressed leafes from each tree to learn which leaf belongs to what tree. Social constructivism focuses on collaborative learning and exchange. Assessing our case study, a practical examples could be that the gardener asks the students of the class to split up into groups and collaborate together to design a scrapbook of pressed leafes whilst discussing the different attributes of each plant they come across.
Behaviorism vs. Constructivism
References:
A way to bring in constructivism in the example mentioned above would be for a teacher to introduce exercises where active participation and engagement from a learner is expected. For example, in this science case, the teacher could ask the student to solve a real-world problem based on some previous knowledge the student had already acquired (UNESCO, 2013).
The zone of proximal development is "the distance between the actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem-solving under adult guidance, or in collaboration with more capable peers" (Vygotsky, 1978, p. 86). In the case of our student learning about the flora and fauna, a gardener who is an expert at this topic could support the student to move through the zone of proximal development by scaffolding since the learner needs guidance from an instructor to achieve his/her full potential. The learner is guided by the professional and wherever no longer necessary, the guidance becomes less and less to give the learner more and more independence. For example, the gardener could start of by explaining and showing different types of plants and trees in a classroom via a slide deck. After the learner has acquired some starting knowledge, the student could then be asked to work on a project individually without much guidance. This could be an exercise such as as determining different tree types in a forest and designing a scrapbook that includes pressed leafes from each tree to learn which leaf belongs to what tree. Social constructivism focuses on collaborative learning and exchange. Assessing our case study, a practical examples could be that the gardener asks the students of the class to split up into groups and collaborate together to design a scrapbook of pressed leafes whilst discussing the different attributes of each plant they come across.
Behaviorism vs. Constructivism
- In the behavioristic learning theory learners are mainly motivated by extrinsic motivators such as stimuli and reinforcements. In contrary, the constructivist learning theory highlights that learners are motivated by both, extrinsic (social constructivism) and intrinsic motivation.
- Constructivism views learning as an active process rather than a passive process (behaviorism).
References:
- University College of Dublin (2020). Education Theory.
- Vygotsky, Lev (1978). Mind in Society. London: Harvard University Press.
- McLeod, S. (2019). The Zone of Proximal Development and Scaffolding. Retrieved from: https://www.simplypsychology.org/Zone-of-Proximal-Development.html.
- UNESCO (2013). Engineering of Learning: Conceptualizing e-Didactics. Moscow, Russia: UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education
- Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
- Visme for development of infographic.