Evidence Based Learning Theory

The lesson plans contained within this website are centred around the human body and
underpinned by the Constructivist Learning Theory, which incorporates the perspective that
learning through ICT is active, constructive, authentic, cooperative and intentional.
Constructivism focuses on students ability to build knowledge by relating new concepts to
their existing knowledge of the topic. This encourages students to take an active role in their
learning, through discovery, inquiry, problem solving and authentic tasks. Our lesson plans
achieve this by continuing to build on students prior knowledge and previous experiences in
order to expand on their holistic development.
Social Constructivist Lev Vygotsky emphasised the importance of relationships and
interactions for deep and authentic learning to take place. He also created the Zone of
Proximal Development, where educators play an important role in guiding and scaffolding
children to extend their learning beyond areas in which they are independently capable. Our
lessons all cater for students at provisional risks and incorporate ways to further extend
advanced students, this ensures that all children are working perfectly within their own Zone
of Proximal Development for the deepest learning to take place.
The importance of the educators role in providing rich and authentic learning experiences is
reinforced in Educational psychologist, Benjamin Blooms Taxonomy. Blooms Taxonomy
divides educational objectives into three areas, cognitive, affective and psychomotor, which is
essentially thinking, feeling and doing. He believes that learning within these areas at higher
levels is dependent on attaining prerequisite knowledge and skills at lower levels and
endorsees a holistic approach to education. Blooms Taxonomy provides a way to organise
thinking skills into six levels, remembering, understanding, applying, analysing, evaluating
and creating, which move from the most basic to higher orders of thinking. Our lessons move
sequentially through these six levels to ensure that students are reaching the highest possible
levels of thinking and cognitive development.
Howard Gardner created Gardners Multiple Intelligences Theory, which outlines eight areas
where children may be more or less competent and find is easier or more difficult to learn.
These intelligences are Intrapersonal, Interpersonal, Linguistic, Logical Mathematical,
Naturalist, Spatial, Body Kinaesthetic and Musical. However Gardener opposes the idea of

labelling learners to any specific intelligence. He believes that each individual possesses a
unique blend of the intelligences. Gardner maintains that his theory of multiple intelligences
is designed to empower learners and not restrict them to one way of learning. We have
incorporated this notion into our lessons by providing activates that cater to each intelligence
to ensure that all students have the opportunity to learn within their preferred style and
experience success.
The group activities, student collaboration and active participation that will take place in all
of our lessons will reinforce deep and authentic learning experiences for students. Our use of
information communication technology requires higher order thinking skills and active
involvement in the learning process, which will deepen students understandings, as opposed
to a process of education where information is simply imparted by the teacher to the student.
As we have created so many different learning activities, underpinned by different theories,
the learning occurs in different ways, which aids in the holistic development of the students.
All of our lessons encompass active learning through activities that build upon existing
knowledge and understandings. The lessons involve students working together on real
projects and using technology effectively to deepen their understandings.

References
Duffy, T.M. & Cunningham, D.J. (1996). Constructivism: Implications for the design and
delivery of instruction. New York, NY: Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.
Nixon, D. & Aldwinckle, M. (2003). Exploring: Child development from three to six years
(2nd ed.). Katoomba, NSW: Social Science Press.

Visual Representations of Theories

Gardners Multiple Intelligences

Theory