Learning Theorists

Savannah Lakeman
9/16/2018
ETEC 424
Jean Piaget
 Swiss scientist who studied child development
 Developed the Cognitive Theory and
Constructivist Theory of learning
 Main goal was to study the growth of
knowledge
Constructivism
 Student’s “construct” their own learning
 Learning is facilitated by teachers
 Values the perspective of the student
 Focus on relating background knowledge to
new knowledge
 Focus on student discovery
Whole-Brain Learning
 Focus on engaging both hemispheres of the
brain rather than favoring one hemisphere
 Focus on collaborative learning
 Maximizes the engagement of the students
 Integrates classroom management with effective
teaching techniques
Constructivism vs. Traditional Learning
 Focus on student’s  Students are a
individual learning receptacle for passed
discoveries down knowledge
 Focus on the  Focus on the
perspective of the perspective of the
student teacher
 Focus on  Focus on lecture, note-
experimentation, taking, and testing
observation, and
collaboration
STEM Lesson Plan: Traditional
 Students are given a lesson plan regarding the life
cycle of a tree
 The class is given a lecture explaining the life cycle
of a tree from seed to adult
 Class might be shown a diagram displaying this
cycle
 Students are tested to evaluate their learning
Traditional STEM
 Students take notes during the lesson
 Students with different learning preferences or styles
may not be engaged
 Students are tested to evaluate their learning of the
lesson plan
 No focus on trial-and-error learning
STEM Lesson Plan: Constructivist
 Students are given a lesson plan to discover the way
plants grow.
 The class is split up into groups, and each group is
given a seed to grow.
 Groups must discover the optimal growth conditions
through experimentation.
 Plant growth is monitored and recorded over time.
 Students compare their results with the other groups
to debate the plant’s needs for growth.
STEM Constructivist
 Students were able to make their own discoveries
 Students are able to collaborate and discuss their
findings with other students
 Students are able to connect their findings to a bigger
picture
Student-Tailored Learning
 Teacher seeks and values the student’s
perspective and uses this as a tool to create and
modify lessons
 Lesson plans are based around what a student
already knows- the teacher must assess this to
formulate a lesson plan
 Teacher facilitates learning as students learn on
their own terms and discover the best way to learn
References
 Saleh, A., & Iran-Nejad, A. (1995). Wholetheme Constructivism
and Whole-Brain Education: Educational Implications of the
Research on Left and Right Brain Hemispheres. Retrieved
September 16, 2018, from
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED393896.pdf.
 Ertmer, P. A., & Newby, T. J. (1993). Be haviorism, Cog nitivism,
Constructivism: Comparing Critical Features from an
Instructional Design Perspective. Performance Improvement
Quarterly, 6. Retrieved September 16, 2018.
 Brooks, M. G., & Brooks, J. G. (1999). The Courage to be
Constructivist. Educational Leadership, 57(3), 18-24. Retrieved
September 16, 2018, from
http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-
leadership/nov99/vol57/num03/The-Courage-to-Be-
Constructivist.aspx