Cognitive Constructivism
Continuing from the last post (Behaviorism), we will explore another popular learning theory: Cognitive Constructivism. As a reminder, there are many different learning theories, and not all of them are 100% bound to boost your child's learning. Different approaches might work better in different situations. It's not one-size-fits-all. As a parent, you need to explore a couple or multiple theories and apply what seems to work the best.
Cognitive Constructivism bases learning on experience. A lot of toy companies, like Lego, apply this theory in making their learning aids. Let's find out why this might be the best form of teaching STEM.
What is the Cognitive Constructivism?
Cognitive Constructivism suggests that we acquire knowledge by discovering information through doing things. The knowledge is learned when the experience is linked to the pre-existing knowledge. If we make this connection stronger by repeating the experience, we hold on the the knowledge better and longer.
It's like a learning dots connected by lines to map out the net of knowledge.
Basics of Cognitive Constructivism
- Schema: The learning dots are called schema in educational psychology. Just a word that sounds cool.
- Assimilation: Making connections to the prior knowledge. This is how most learning occurs in this approach.
What does Cognitive Constructivism look like?
When you teach someone how to throw a football, you show how to hold the ball and say "Throw it just like how you throw a baseball." He or she will try a couple times, get the feel for it, and a few more practices will enable throwing a football.
This is what the cognitive constructivism approach looks like. With a bit of demonstration (guide) and connection to their prior knowledge (throwing a baseball), they understand the basic mechanics of the new concept.
Pedagogy
5E Lesson Plans
One of the main lesson plan types I was taught in college was the 5E lesson plan for becoming a 6 - 12 math teacher.
- Engage
- Explore
- Explain
- Evaluate
- Extend
I was taught that this is the most effective way of teaching math and science to middle and high schoolers. This is widely adopted for schools using the Common Core Standards.
Activate prior knowledge. Throw them a question. Let them explore through hands-on activities. Provide minimum to no guidance as they "discover" the answer. Fill in the gaps. Check for understanding. Extend to further concepts.
Lego Education
The Danish company, probably the most renowned toy company all over the globe, has built a great curriculum under their catchphrase "Learn by Play." Their philosophy lies within this learning theory. You can check out their lesson plans in 5E lesson format on their website: Lego Education
They believe children can play and gain crucial experience with their products. It lays the basis for coding and STEAM education. If a child succeeds in building one model, they can extend to building other models too.
Conclusion
Even at an early age, babies and toddlers assimilate their learning to what they already know. They might not have as many schemas as adults or the brides might not be as strong yet. As parents, if you guide your child to experiment with things and repeat them many times, you can help your little one to learn a lot.
The goal of this approach is to teach them how to assimilate. If they can quickly find a connection to what they already know, they can learn anything at any time more effectively. Let THEM learn by discovering!
If you want to learn more about other learning theories, click on this link: Learning Theories
If you want to learn more about Behaviorism, click on this link: Behaviorism