Constructivism Theory
In the classroom, the
constructivism view of learning encourages students to actively learn through
real-life situations or experiments to increase their knowledge and to assess if understanding was gained from the
experience. Authentic activities can facilitate the learning process
through hands-on experiences (What is Constructivism, 2004).
Jean
Piaget
Piaget, a Swiss
developmental psychologist and pioneer of constructivist theory, believed children were constantly observing,
exploring, and trying to understand the world around them (Ormrod, 2012).
Learning through authentic activities help students assimilate new knowledge
and experiences and adapt it to their existing knowledge (Cherry, 2014).
Lev Vygotsky
Vygotsky, a Russian
psychologist, believed that expanding mental abilities enabled students to
problem-solve and construct solutions to real world situations. His
theory, zone of proximal development, proposed that assessing the student's present level of independent
performance determined the potential level of performance the student is capable of performing with assistance.
Authentic activities provide opportunities for the teacher to assist students acquire new knowledge and skills (Tools of the
Mind, 2014).
Adult Learning Theory
This theory, also
known as Andragogy, was developed by Malcolm Knowles and developed specifically
for the learning needs of adults. Andragogy makes the assumptions that
adults need to know why they should learn a particular skill, learning occurs through experiences, learning occurs through problem-solving, and they learn most effectively when they the value
of the learning experience is immediate. Authentic activities provide
real-life applications and emphasizes its relevance, providing for an effective
learning experience for adult learners (Adams, 2009).
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