Five Elements Of Constructivism In Education

Constructivism is the idea that learning is the result of assimilation and accommodation. In this theory, learning refers to both the development of knowledge and the determination of meaning behind that knowledge. So constructivist theory states that we assimilate information. In other words, we connect new knowledge to the knowledge we already have.
So constructivist theory says that learning happens in two ways-- through assimilation, which is when we connect new knowledge to our prior knowledge, and through accommodation, which is when we actually adjust our view of the world in order to accommodate new knowledge that has been presented to us. So in constructivism, learning is really personalized to each individual learner, because each

They are thinking about their learning, and they're aware of how their minds are working to construct this new knowledge. They're using language to effectively communicate with one another, and they're learning in context as they engage in activities that teachers have carefully designed to be relevant to students in order to increase their motivation.
We can apply these elements of constructivist theory right into our classroom teaching. Here are five principles of constructivist teaching identified by Brooks and Brooks. As we go through these principles, we'll also relate them to competency based education, both in terms of the iNACOL design principles and elements identified by CompetencyWorks.
In constructivism, teachers should pose problems of emerging relevance. This refers back to the CBE principle that states that the competencies that we have identified need to include high-level cognitive skills. Students need to be asked to create and apply their knowledge and to develop skills that are important for their future learning, including in college and in their future

Ideally this should be done using formative assessments, and this definitely relates to a principle of CBE, stating that assessment provides meaningful information to both students and teachers. Assessment is supposed to be a positive experience for students. It helps them to know exactly where they are and exactly where they need to go next on their learning paths.
In this tutorial, we identified the elements of constructivism in the classroom, and we discussed some habits and techniques of constructivist teachers. So here's a chance for you to stop and reflect. Do you have a solid understanding of constructivist theory? Do you see how the principles of constructivism can be applied in your classroom?
For more information on how to apply what you learned in this video, please view the additional resources section that accompanies this video presentation. The additional resources section includes hyperlinks useful for applications of the course material, including a brief description of each resource. Thanks for watching. Have a great