Constructivist Theories of Learning Research Paper

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Constructivist and cognitive theories are both aimed towards creating a productive classroom environment in which knowledge is imparted in a manner to maximize retention and assure application. This paper aims to understand the underlying patterns of both teaching approaches and comparing and contrasting their basic assumptions, in order to test their resultant feasibility.

Learning theories revolve around the best possible methods known to educators worldwide, which can assist them in creating a productive classroom environment. As the standard of education has evolved, so has the set of strategies associated with imparting knowledge in the most industrious manner. Advance teaching techniques have seeped into the stream of traditional classes and many studious professionals have put their shoulder to the door in order to discover feasible educational theories to help all students. This paper is about the comparison between two such leading educational theories: constructivism and cognitivism. It aims to identify both the differences as well as the similarities between the notions and propose them in a viable and realistic way.

In order to understand which stratagem is the best in terms of creating a fruitful class environment and taking teaching up a notch, we must first unravel the basic definitions of the said theories. The constructivist approach was stimulated by Bartlett in 1932, and it is an approach which postulates that learners learn according to their personal experiences and belief systems. What someone ultimately retains is grounded within their mental perceptions. In other words in this approach learning does not precede execution but instead it succeeds it. So, the best way to teach a student is to let them experience the intended concepts firsthand, for that would guarantee maximum retention as well as application.

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The basic assumptions related to constructive learning are that knowledge is procedurally constructed with the help of experience, which naturally entails that learning is a personal process for every individual and as such every individual should have the space to interpret their share of occurrences. Learning constructively happens to be an active process which remains dynamic. The dynamism is due to the fact that with each passing experience, a learner's concepts tend to grow. (Mergel, 1998)

It is largely agreed that there are four key aspects of constructivist learning. Firstly, learners construct their own interpretations so the educational process is active as opposed to passive. Secondly, new concepts are assembled upon the foundation of prior know how, this entails that learners must be able to compare and contrast newer concepts with older ones according to their personal retention capacities. Thirdly learning is augmented via social interaction; this postulate means that access to frequent social settings gives rise to a wide variety of experiences which in turn boosts effective learning. And lastly, constructivism assumes that significant learning only occurs through proper simulation oriented activities. (Cooperstein & Kocewar-Weidinger, 2004)

The application of the afore-mentioned assumptions is based on authentic activities that reinforce the content to be educated. Different situations must be given to students to find their way through and to comprehend according to the….....

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