SOCIAL

CONSTRUCTIVISM
By: Noelle Murphy
Constructivism
◦ Perspective on learning
◦ How students create knowledge from experiences
◦ Explains how a learner may construct knowledge either individually or if they retain
more information from others
◦ Two forms of constructivism
◦ Cognitive
◦ Individual based
◦ Social
◦ Relationship based
Social Constructivism
◦ Psychologists
◦ Jerome Bruner
◦ Lev Vygotsky
◦ Focuses more on relationships between learners
◦ More knowledgeable
Jerome Bruner
◦ Instructional Scaffolding
◦ Giving a framework, in order to allow a MUCH stronger structure
◦ Providing guidance for the right reasons in order to provide more competent and
“intelligent” students.
◦ “We [constructivist educators] begin with the hypothesis that any subject can
be taught effectively in some intellectually honest form to any child at any
stage of development.” (1960, p.33)
◦ We offer our intelligence and knowledge to anyone, in hopes that they will learn from
us
Lev Vygotsky
◦ Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)
◦ The difference between solo performance and assisted performance
◦ The specific need for change or enhancement
◦ Vygotsky believes that a learners thinking is influenced by relationships with
those of who are more knowledgeable
◦ One can learn better if working with or accompanied by an expert
Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)
◦ "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)
◦ Example- playing softball, excelling at everything (catching, throwing, running
bases) but has a very hard time making contact while hitting the ball. Maybe
you are holding the bat wrong, your stance is off, etc. Either your coach or a
very experienced team mate would help you until you succeed in this specific
task.
Difference
in Learning
◦ Vygotsky ‘s
approach is
much simpler.
Implications for Teaching
◦ Blooms Taxonomy
◦ Six types of learning goals you can expect from the students
◦ Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis, Evaluation
◦ Helps to target children in the Zone of Proximal Development
◦ Gives the student more knowledge in a specific subject
Blooms
Taxonomy
◦ Ways to ensure that
your students are
really learning and
understanding the
information being
given.
◦ Helps to target
children in the Zone of
Proximal Development
(Vygotsky)
Recap
◦ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMxwI4DE_Q0
Sources
◦ Mcleod, S. (2018, February 05). The Zone of Proximal Development and Scaffolding.
Retrieved from https://www.simplypsychology.org/Zone-of-Proximal-Development.html
◦ Sutton and Seifert. (2009). Educational Psychology.