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The four lessons that comprise our ICT learning project embrace the
evidence-based learning theory of constructivism. Constructivism
postulates that knowledge is derived from the interaction between ones
own experience and their ideas. It is not enough, according to the theory,
that students passively read and regurgitate information; instead, they
must personally engage with information in meaningful ways to learn
effectively. It is generally accepted that constructivist lessons contain the
five elements; each of which guide the design of our lessons and choice of
ICT.
Active: According to constructivism, the more active and personally
engaged a student is with the content, the greater their comprehension
and retention. Because of this, lessons should be designed so that
students manipulate, discover, and create reflecting against their values
(Good & Brophy 1994). In a number of our lessons therefore, students are
required to perform high-order tasks that demand such engagement,
including critically evaluating the merit of an economic decision, or
formulating an argument about a controversial economic issue like raising
the legal drinking age.
Furthermore, to facilitate this active learning, the ICT Storm Board is
utilised to brainstorm collaboratively and organise information in
significant ways. Storm Board also has the functionality of allowing peers
to vote on posts and add rebuttals, further enhancing their engagement
with the lesson. Finally, the incorporation of YouTube clips enhances the
sensory experience of learning, particularly visual and auditory form of
information, rather than basic text.
Constructive: New learning builds upon prior understanding, with students
needing to make connections between their current knowledge and new
content (Good & Brophy 1994). A number of our lessons accommodate
this by requiring students to create a mind map outlining their current
knowledge on the topic, then uploading to their blog to be viewed later.
In doing so, the teacher is able to gauge students current knowledge, and
ensure that the new information builds upon it. In addition, our lessons
require students to upload their completed course work to their blog,
allowing the teacher to monitor their progress and resolve any issues
before progressing to the next topic.
Authentic: Constructivism suggests that learning is more effective when
activities mirror those that students will encounter in the real world (Good
& Brophy 1994). In addition to incorporating real-world, relevant topics in
our lessons, authenticity is also enhanced by the ICT utilised. To
References
Good, T.L. and Brophy, J.E. (1994), Looking in Classrooms, Harper Collins
College Publishers,
New York, NY.
Puentedura, R., Ph.D. (2011), SAMR and TPCK in Action. Retrieved from:
http://www.det.wa.edu.au/ipadsforeducation/detcms/navigation/
literacy-and-numeracy-focus/?page=all#internalSection6