Constructivism



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 * || **What is inquiry-based learning?** ||
 * [[image:http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/images/icon_red_arrow.gif width="11" height="11" link="http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/inquiry/index_sub1.html"]] || [|How does it differ from the traditional approach?] ||
 * [[image:http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/images/icon_red_arrow.gif width="11" height="11" link="http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/inquiry/index_sub2.html"]] || [|What does it have to do with my classroom?] ||
 * [[image:http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/images/icon_red_arrow.gif width="11" height="11" link="http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/inquiry/index_sub3.html"]] || [|What are the benefits of inquiry-based learning?] ||
 * [[image:http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/images/icon_red_arrow.gif width="11" height="11" link="http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/inquiry/index_sub4.html"]] || [|How has inquiry-based learning developed since it first became popular?] ||
 * [[image:http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/images/icon_red_arrow.gif width="11" height="11" link="http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/inquiry/index_sub5.html"]] || [|Another perspective] ||
 * [[image:http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/images/icon_red_arrow.gif width="11" height="11" link="http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/inquiry/index_sub6.html"]] || [|What are some critical perspectives?] ||
 * [[image:http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/images/icon_red_arrow.gif width="11" height="11" link="http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/inquiry/index_sub7.html"]] || [|How can I use inquiry-based learning in conjunction with other educational techniques?] ||

[] The chart below compares the traditional classroom to the constructivist one. You can see significant differences in basic assumptions about knowledge, students, and learning. (It's important, however, to bear in mind that constructivists acknowledge that students are constructing knowledge in traditional classrooms, too. It's really a matter of the emphasis being on the student, not on the instructor.)
 * [[image:http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/constructivism/images/traditional-tab.gif width="240" height="35"]] || [[image:http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/constructivism/images/constructivist-tab.gif width="240" height="35"]] ||
 * Curriculum begins with the parts of the whole. Emphasizes basic skills. || Curriculum emphasizes big concepts, beginning with the whole and expanding to include the parts. ||
 * Strict adherence to fixed curriculum is highly valued. || Pursuit of student questions and interests is valued. ||
 * Materials are primarily textbooks and workbooks. || Materials include primary sources of material and manipulative materials. ||
 * Learning is based on repetition. || Learning is interactive, building on what the student already knows. ||
 * Teachers disseminate information to students; students are recipients of knowledge. || Teachers have a dialogue with students, helping students construct their own knowledge. ||
 * Teacher's role is directive, rooted in authority. || Teacher's role is interactive, rooted in negotiation. ||
 * Assessment is through testing, correct answers. || Assessment includes student works, observations, and points of view, as well as tests. Process is as important as product. ||
 * Knowledge is seen as inert. || Knowledge is seen as dynamic, ever changing with our experiences. ||
 * Students work primarily alone. || Students work primarily in groups. ||