Constructivist Learning Theory

Learning is an individual experience, wherein each individual builds or constructs his or her own idea or meaning of concepts or events, based on current and past experience. The theory explains how a group of individuals could have the same experience or exposure to an event or concept, at the same time, in the same environment, and yet the individuals form varying conclusions, report differing facets and results, and remember the event quite differently when recalling it later.

Some educators use constructivism as their didactic methodology. In discovery learning, Bruner (1961) advocated hands-on, experiential involvement rather than traditional reading and lecturing to study content. The more a student explores, questions, and experiences an idea or experience, the more the information makes sense, is remembered, and is valued.

Constructivism includes social or communal dialogue in which individuals share findings, question or debate one another, and collaborate to accomplish a task. The teacher provides a structure or framework, which includes boundaries but encourages individual and group creative exploration.

Constructivism is studied extensively in language and communication applications. Since constructivism posits that meaning making is as unique as the individual making the meaning, those who explore verbal exchange are also concerned with ways to make ideas, concepts, and experiences result in a common understanding of a construct. For example, David Ausubel proposed, in his work on the receptive process, that a common understanding or agreement about meaning is primary. Then discovery learning could follow, in which unique or differing opinions or perceptions could be explored. In other words, only after we agree on a single meaning can we explore possible different meanings.

Piaget (1928) viewed cognitive constructivism as involving the processes of assimilation and accommodation. In the former, experiences are fit into existing schemes. In the latter, schemes are modified, or new schemes are created. Over time, each individual develops an upward spiral in his or her ability to understand more and more complex levels of information. For more information, see Bruner (1961) and Piaget (1928).