Constructivism in Practice

This week I learned about Learning By Design and Project-Based Learning. These correlate to the principles of constructivist/constructionist learning theories because they require the creation of a learner-centered, inquiry-based environment in which the instructor becomes a facilitator rather than the figure who imparts knowledge. In both cases, tasks are authentic: they stem from real interests on the part of the learner and are designed to be presented to a real world audience of peers or otherwise, not just the teacher/facilitator. Whereas Learning By Design can be a short-term project, Project-Based learning more often is extended over a period of weeks, so there is more emphasis for the learner on time management. In the end, I really did not see a great difference between the two; perhaps since I am more familiar with the term and practice of project-based learning, Learning By Design seems very similar. Both are built on a certain amount of prior knowledge, which needs to be activated through open-ended questioning, and on collaboration among learners and with the facilitator; both these aspects correlate to constructivist/constructionist theory. According to Orey, project-based learning does not necessarily involve the building of an artifact as does learning By Design, where the learner designs an artifact to present to a specific audience, but should be integrated with the curriculum and "be based on standards, to have clearly articulated goals, and to support and demonstrate content learning both in process and product" (Orey, 2001). Also in  Learning By Design, the rich and varied feedback, as well as the reflection that is a part of the strategy allows learners to revise their own thinking and learning, which is an essential part of the process, and one of the principles of constructionist theory.

The videos I saw on the PBL website also involved careful planning on the part of the instructors, which is a major part of the teacher's role in constructionist theory. They were also based on authentic instruction, as they built on the interests and the prior knowledge of the students. In an area such as Language Arts, where much of the assessment is subjective, especially if it is literature based, rubrics which clearly define the expectations and the goals of the project are an essential part of the piece.

Constructionist learning can result in students being  "inspired to pursue a career or engage in activism that relates to the project they developed" because students are motivated by their own interests to engage in inquiry and exploration in the first place,  rather than being simply confined to narrow subject matter in the text or according to the interests of the teacher (George Lucas Educational Foundation, 2008). Thus the real-world application can continue long after students have left the classroom and moved on to adulthood. This thought is reiterated in one of the PBL videos, in which a teacher reflected on the long-range effects of a project that explored gender roles in a middle school.

George Lucas Educational Foundation. (2008) Why teach with project learning?: Providing students with a well-rounded classroom. Edutopia: What Works in Education. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/project-learning-introduction

Orey, M.(Ed.). (2001). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/

PBL Online Video Library. retrieved from http://pbl-online.org/video/video.htm