The_Constructivist_Learning_Model

The Constructivist Learning Model Constructivist Learning Theory The latest catchword in educational circles is "constructivism, " applied both to learning theory and to epistemology---both to how people learn, and to the nature of knowledge.1,2 We don't need to succumb to each new fad, but we do need to think about our work in relation to theories of learning and knowledge. So we need to ask: what is constructivism, what does it have to tell us that is new and relevant, and how do we apply it to our work' As far as I can see, there is nothing dramatically new in constructivism: the core ideas expressed by it have been clearly enunciated by John Dewey among others, but there is a new, widespread acceptance of this old set of ideas. and new research in cognitive psychology to support it. I would like to give a brief exposition of ideas central to constructivism and widely accepted today by educators. curriculum developers and cognitive psychologists, and then suggest what they mean for museum educators. Constructivism What is meant by constructivism' The term refers to the idea that learners construct knowledge for themselves---each learner individually (and socially) constructs meaning---as he or she learns. 3 Constructing meaning is learning; learning, learner, knowledge, learn, visitors, museum, meaning, need, world, point, time, out, exhibits, about, people, exhibit, idea, learners, ideas, constructivism, children, understand, own, must, construct, principles, each, different, something, social, provide, one, new, museums, mind, mean