Learning Part 4: Constructivism and Cognitive Dev Theory
Constructivism
people create (rather than absorb) knowledge from their observations and experience. We combine what we've learned into integrated bodies of knowledge and beliefs (in the form of schemas and theories) which may or may not be useful and accurate understandings of the world.
"We are the active creators of our own knowledge"
We construct or create our own knowledge
We construct or create our own knowledge
social constructivism is the idea that 2 or more people can often gain a better understanding than anyone could gain alone. Individual constructivism-alone.
We usually construct knowledge from what we already know -prior knowledge- combining it with new information.
In Assimilation, new experiences are reinterpreted to fit into or assimilate with our old ideas. Maintains equilibrium-new events fit with existing schemes.
(Dogs are brown, oh dogs are also different colors)
In Accommodation, we need to alter our existing schema or form a new one to fit the new information, this causes some disequilibrium-cognitive dissonance. (What, dogs can also be the size of a horse! or What, evolution is undeniable and doesn't fit with my religion)
cognitive dissonance- is holding 2 or more contradictory beliefs and feeling uncomfortable about that.
Constructivist Methods of Teaching
1-group based cooperative work
2. learning through real life situations
3. visual format
4. mental models
5. global goals, problem solving and critical thinking
6 divergent thinking- students must think on their own and solve novel problems as they occur
Instruction should be:
-student centered
-involve problem solving
-social interactions
-involve the environment
-tap into prior knowledge
-students should interpret and elaborate
-view errors as opportunities to learn
John Dewey
Dewey became one of the most famous proponents of hands-on learning or experiential education, which is related to, but not synonymous with experiential learning. He also said education stifles individual autonomy when learners are taught that knowledge is transmitted in one direction, from the expert to the learner. He was a proponent of social activism. An early advocate of Inquiry learning. Dewey believed that learning was best situated in the community and that students should be involved in authentic activities.
Jerome Bruner
A developmental psychologist who initiated the study of cognitive psychology. He coined the term "scaffolding" to describe the way children often build on information they have already mastered.
Jerome Bruner
A developmental psychologist who initiated the study of cognitive psychology. He coined the term "scaffolding" to describe the way children often build on information they have already mastered.
Cognitive Developmental Theory
development is characterized by predictable sequences of stages, each building on the other. (we crawl then walk then run) Developmental milestones.
Nativism-some behaviors are biologically built in. We contain some basic "seeds" or predispositions of development. (sucking reflex, crawl...)
Piaget Developmental Stages
1. Sensorimotor ~1-2 years
-development occurs through the 5 senses and use of the body
-language absent until later
-no object permanence until later (peek a boo)
-egocentrism
* caregivers should provide multiple objects for stimulation of various shape, color, and size.
2. Pre-operational stage ~2-7 years
-pretend play
-symbols (alphabet, numbers)
-egocentric and socialized speech
-realism, animism, artificialism, transductive reasoning, irreversibility
-can think about objects beyond their view but do not reason in logical adult way
* teachers can encourage use of language, drawing, and mental images
3. Concrete Operational ~7-11 years
-verbal understanding
-concrete objects with mental operations
-math: classification and numbers
-adult like logic is limited to concrete reality
-conservation-amount stays same regardless of shape or arrangement (2 diff glasses of water)
*teachers can do classification activities, math, and make connections between ideas previously thought separate.
4. Formal Operational ~11+
-abstract and moral reasoning
-hypothetical/deductive reasoning
-logical/mathematical structure development
-language freed from concrete
*Teachers should challenge but not frustrate, be aware of adolescent limitations, encourage analysis of info and drawing conclusions. (claim-evidence-reasoning)
Use the Piagetian concept of schemes to explain how children organize what they learn. In your answer, address at least two different age groups, and provide concrete examples of schemes that children may have at that age.
In Piaget's terminology, schemes are groups of similar actions or thoughts that are used repeatedly in response to the environment. Infants’ schemes are largely based on their use of their senses (e.g., what things look like or taste like) and motor abilities (e.g., kicking, sucking, etc.), hence Piaget’s claim that they are in the sensorimotor stage of development. Preschoolers integrate sensorimotor and symbolic information in their themes—for example, calling wolves and coyotes (based on perceptual characteristics) “dog” (a symbolic term). Older children can use more abstract information to organize information in schemes.
In Piaget's terminology, schemes are groups of similar actions or thoughts that are used repeatedly in response to the environment. Infants’ schemes are largely based on their use of their senses (e.g., what things look like or taste like) and motor abilities (e.g., kicking, sucking, etc.), hence Piaget’s claim that they are in the sensorimotor stage of development. Preschoolers integrate sensorimotor and symbolic information in their themes—for example, calling wolves and coyotes (based on perceptual characteristics) “dog” (a symbolic term). Older children can use more abstract information to organize information in schemes.
Explain the difference between assimilation and accommodation, and describe how these processes, separately and together, play a key role in cognitive development.
Assimilation, in Piaget’s terminology, refers to the process of dealing with a new event in a way that is consistent with an existing scheme. For example, a child who calls a Chihuahua “dog” is assimilating; he or she sees an animal that looks like a dog and classifies it according to previous knowledge of animals that look like that. Through assimilation, children organize information into broad categories. Sometimes, however, assimilation leads a child astray. For example, a child who calls a coyote “dog” is also assimilating; he or she sees an animal that looks like a dog and classifies it according to previous knowledge of animals that look like that. If the child’s mother responds, “No, that’s not a dog; it’s a coyote,” the child then experiences disequilibrium—the “dog” scheme is not adequate for this animal. The child may then accommodate—change the “dog” scheme to exclude coyotes, even though they look like dogs, and/or build a new “coyote” scheme. As noted in the text, assimilation and accommodation work hand in hand as children interpret each new event within the context of their existing knowledge (assimilation) but at the same time modify their knowledge as a result of the new event (accommodation).
Assimilation, in Piaget’s terminology, refers to the process of dealing with a new event in a way that is consistent with an existing scheme. For example, a child who calls a Chihuahua “dog” is assimilating; he or she sees an animal that looks like a dog and classifies it according to previous knowledge of animals that look like that. Through assimilation, children organize information into broad categories. Sometimes, however, assimilation leads a child astray. For example, a child who calls a coyote “dog” is also assimilating; he or she sees an animal that looks like a dog and classifies it according to previous knowledge of animals that look like that. If the child’s mother responds, “No, that’s not a dog; it’s a coyote,” the child then experiences disequilibrium—the “dog” scheme is not adequate for this animal. The child may then accommodate—change the “dog” scheme to exclude coyotes, even though they look like dogs, and/or build a new “coyote” scheme. As noted in the text, assimilation and accommodation work hand in hand as children interpret each new event within the context of their existing knowledge (assimilation) but at the same time modify their knowledge as a result of the new event (accommodation).
Use the concept of disequilibrium to explain why conflict with peers (i.e., sociocognitive conflict) promotes cognitive development.
Disequilibrium occurs when a person is unable to address new events with existing schemes and is generally accompanied by a feeling of mental discomfort. When children play with peers, they may experience disequilibrium when their desires, expectations, and behavioral patterns conflict with those of their playmates. For example, one girl may “play house” by pretending to be the mommy and assigning roles as daddy and baby to her playmates. Imagine that one playmate comes from a single-parent family and refuses to be the daddy, insisting that a daddy doesn’t have to live in the house. This conflict may upset the first girl, who will experience disequilibrium as her schema of “family” is out of synch with that of her playmate. This child may then accommodate by changing her schema of family (or, as is typical for young children experiencing conflict with peers, she may not accommodate, but rather simply refuse to play house with this playmate).
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