Constructivism in Practice

The constructivist theory identifies the acquisition of knowledge as a highly personal action. Each individual constructs their own personal meaning as they assimilate or accommodate their experiences into their existing schema (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011). Constructionism, a theory on learning, elaborates upon constructivism and proclaims that people learn best by constructing, or building, artifacts (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011). The acts of generating and testing hypotheses are intrinsically constructivist and constructionist in nature. As a student develops a hypothesis, or an educated guess, they make predictions about cause and effect relationships based upon the schema they already possess. When a student tests a hypothesis, they have an opportunity to witness the actual outcome to their prediction. The result can lead to a confirmation of their beliefs, or it can lead to an altering of their beliefs as they make sense of what they witnessed. For a curious student, this can also lead to the development of a new hypothesis as they consider the consequences of changing a variable within the experiment.  The instructional strategy of generating and testing hypotheses has many applications within a constructivist/constructionist learning environment. The use of problem-based and project-based learning experiences provides one such opportunity.  

As a science teacher, the generation and testing of hypotheses represents a critical component of my curriculum and instruction. The use of experiments and inquiry-based activities are woven into each unit of instruction that I cover. I feel very confident and well-versed in the hands-on application of this instructional strategy. However, I am not as experienced in the use of technology-based programs that facilitate the generating and testing of hypotheses. Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski (2007), identify six tasks that can be used in a classroom setting to help students generate and test hypothesis, one of which is systems analysis. “In a systems analysis, students study the parts of a system … and make predictions about what would change if one or more parts… were altered or removed” (Pitler et al., 2007, p. 203). The use of systems analysis helps students to identify patterns and test their hypotheses on large-scale systems, such as the solar system or ecosystem, which would be otherwise impossible to manipulate.

One electronic resource for generating and testing hypotheses within a project-based context is called Astro-venture. This website, provided through NASA, is geared for students in grades five through eight, and is organized so that students show their understanding by designing an artifact, a habitable planet, at the end of the activity. The animated, kid-friendly module first asks students to make predictions on humans’ needs for survival and the characteristics of our solar system that make life possible. It then provides students with training and missions in astronomy, atmospheric science, geology, and biology. During the “missions”, students generate and test hypotheses on different topics, like the chemical composition of our atmosphere and the size of our star. As they manipulate the variables, they are able to watch the animated outcomes and then are prompted to record their observations in a digital journal that is built into the module. When done with each of the missions, students move on to the artifact creation portion where they select the specifications for their own planet. Finally, when fully designed, they can test their planet’s habitability. If it is uninhabitable, they can go back, retest in the missions, and alter their hypothesized planet specifications. I am so excited to have been introduced to Astro-Venture and plan on utilizing it with a group of students during a science enrichment activity period that I run. Making a hypothesis of my own, I predict that they will be completely engaged in the activity, have meaningful learning occur, and enjoy using this website.

References

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011). Program seven: Constructionist and constructivist learning theories [Video webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Retrieved from http://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5700267&CPURL=laureate.ecollege.com&Survey=1&47=2594577&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=0&bhcp=1

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.