Constructivism

Despite the early behaviourist history of the computer, an idea that comes through very clearly in much recent educational use of computing is that of constructivism and how e-learning can be used to support constructivist teaching and learning. The Study Guide 6B looks more deeply at constructivist theories applied to e-learning. What are your questions about e-learning
 * Constructivism and e-Learning**
 * 1) What are the questions that you would like to answer about learning through the use of digital technologies?
 * 2) What are the questions that you find other educators, parents and students and others in your community are asking?
 * 3) What would you ask of research and learning theories relating to e-;earning?
 * 4) What beliefs and theories drive your use of e-learning?

Our questions will depend on our roles in the education system and on our personal beliefs about learning, amongst other things. Our concerns may vary depending on the level - early-childhood, primary, secondary or tertiary - at which we work, because many of the goals of education change depending on the stage of development of the students. However. we can argue that many of the principles of learning are the same at these different stages, and I believe that the theories discussed in these Study Guides will have relevance for everybody.
 * 1) Most educators and parents are interested in the quality of learning, though they may differ over what "quality" is!
 * 2) We may be interested in classroom management issues, in ways of motivating and engaging learners/ We may be interested in performance on standardised tests or in national qualifications.
 * 3) We may be interested in the relative costs of different ways of using computers?
 * 4) We may be concerned about safety aspects of e-learning approaches.