Week 5 - Module 6 - Cognitive and Constructivist Perspectives
According to Wilson (2018), “It is no mistake, though, that learners, whether in K-12, higher education, or training settings, are too often underengaged, underchallenged, passive, or disengaged mentally and physically” (p.62). When Wilson mentioned the lack of motivation that is shown in some educational environments, it makes me think how constructivism could be even applied in those contexts. Constructivism comes with the idea that learners construct their own knowledge by being actively involved in the learning process while teachers take a facilitator approach. I agree with the idea of more educational environments where students are engaged and participate in class, but I think that it is important to have some type of guidance from the instructor.
When talking about meaningful learning, there are several cognitive perspectives that bring up the amount of information that learners need to process to internalize new knowledge. From the instructional design point of view, the number of resources used by the learners in this process could be fundamental. Mayer and Moreno (2003) claim that “multimedia instruction should be designed in ways that minimize any unnecessary cognitive load” (p.50). Overloading students with too much information does not motivate them to take an active role during the class. Duffy and Raym mentioned that “all of the inquiry based learning approaches engage learners in problems or projects where the learner must take the initiative” (p.4).
As an educator, I understand how relevant it is to bring to the table discussions about cognitive and constructivist perspectives that combined with other instructional theories could create a more positive learning environment. In addition, I think that even when constructivism seems to be difficult to apply and to be effective by itself, it talks about the role of the instructors as facilitators rather than being the center of the class.
Mayer, R., E., & Moreno, R. (2003). Nine ways to reduce cognitive load in multimedia learning. Educational Psychologist, 38(1), 43-52. (see also video interview: “Talking multimedia learning with Dr. Richard Mayer” (19:20): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5eY9k3v4mE) and Research-based principles for multimedia learning (presentation at Harvard May 5, 2014) (124:27): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJ3wSf-ccXo
Duffy, T. M., & Raymer, P. L. (2010). A practical guide and a constructivist rationale for inquiry based learning. Educational Technology, 50(4), 3-15.
Wilson, B. G. (2018). Constructivism, for active authentic learning. In R. A. Reiser & J. V. Dempsey (Eds.), Trends and issues in instructional design and technology (4th Ed.), (pp. 60-67). New York, NY: Pearson Education.
Hey,
ReplyDeleteI agree on the perspective that “multimedia instruction should be designed in ways that minimize any unnecessary cognitive load”. To achieve that, we need to make content simple, clear and relevant with appropriately balanced and supporting information
Claudio,
ReplyDeleteI agree that lack of engagement and motivation is big problem that faculty face in most educational settings. Constructivism does allow for learners to find their interest in the subject matter and engage with that. But even that can sometimes be hard when the learners have not foundation in the subject matter. I wonder about how it important it is to learn the basics before worrying about some of the aspects of constructivism. According to an adult learning theory, adults are intrinsically motivated. So they need find the motivation for the subject matter within themselves. Chanika
Hi Claudio,
ReplyDeleteI like that you placed emphasis on questioning whether it is constructivism is realistic in different learning environments. One environment that I am familiar with is the training setting. In my previous position, when I trained, I often found learners disengaged, especially some of the younger generations who were pretty technology savvy. When looking at higher education and employers for both education and training, there needs to be serious consideration on whether or not there is an information overload. Instructors oftentimes assume that more information is better but based on my experience, more information is okay, as long as it is in chunks for the working memory. In training settings, I find it difficult for too much opportunity for a learner to take initiative since leadership typically wants training sessions to be efficient. That said, maybe there is opportunity for there to be a balance between instructor guidance and learners taking initiative.
I like the constructivism approach when it comes to teaching, because I feel too often that certain educators and students are not learning properly. They need a boost of energy or excitement to get the flow going, and develop that engagement from the educator and the students. constructivism is like teamwork, because everyone needs to be on the same page in order for the outcome to work.
ReplyDelete