The Importance Of Constructivist Learning Theory

Constructivist learning theory is creating meaning from experience. Learning is an active process within a context. Knowledge is constructed as opposed to being acquired. Our personal experiences subjectively shape our knowledge with each learning experience from the time we are born until we die. Constructivism is organic in nature because our learning is developed from prior knowledge within our mind while also constantly broadening with each new life experience. Learning is an autonomously controlled cognitive system, which interacts with its own conditions; this differentiates and modifies the independence of its own structure (Juvova et al., 2015). We as educators must turn away from the mindset that we are simply pouring knowledge

It is better described as a compilation of various points of view from theorists such as Bruner, Vygotski, Dewey, and Piaget, all of which share the collective postulation that learning is developed by deriving meaning from experience (Bierema & Merriam, 2014). Educators have traditionally believed learning to consist of a building block sort of process where each concept learned builds on the previous concept and knowledge is the sum of those parts. Learners, therefore, are often provided information to learn without any context or relevance, which stifles the desire to learn and often causes children to resent school.

Understanding adult learning and practice is founded in the constructivist learning model according to Bierema and Merriam (2014). Adult learners acquire knowledge in much the same was as primary, secondary, and post-secondary students, however, we often teach them without the same awareness and concern for engagement. It is for this reason that professional learning opportunities are often seen as something negative in most

My new understanding of constructivist learning theory can best be described by the title of a book I have been reading for a book study. The book is called The Obstacle is the Way, and it is written by Ryan Holiday. The premise of the book is that we have the ability to overcome any obstacle if we allow ourselves to see the possibility for a positive outcome in any potentially negative situation. Constructivist learning theory is not necessarily about overcoming adversity, but instead I would describe constructivism by saying that the learning is the way to knowledge. In other words, to me it is more about the process of constructing our knowledge that causes us to effectively learn