Constructivism is a theory about how people learn. Constructivists believe that people construct their own understanding and knowledge of the world by experiencing things and reflecting on those experiences. To do this, we have to ask questions, explore, and assess what we know.
Characteristics of Constructivist Learning:
- Learning and collaboration should emulate real-world environments.
- Problem solving, creative thinking, and inquiry should be stressed.
- Products and presentations should be used as evidence of learning (not standardized tests.)
- Learning should encourage collaboration in (and out of) the classroom
- Assessment should be authentic in nature.
Constructivist Learning favors authentic assessment; assessment that is part of the learning process. Authentic Assessments measure learning which has meaning for the learner beyond a particular class addressing the skills and abilities needed to perform real-world tasks.
Classroom Ideas for Authentic Assessment
- Checklists
- Objectives
- Project Progress
- Team Work
- Self-Assessments
- Writing
- Journals
- Demonstrations/ Performances
- Oral presentations
- Multimedia Projects
- Portfolios