The  examples in this learning unit describe how technologies can be used to support meaningful learning from a constructivist perspective.

 

The Internet

Creating Home Pages

Building web pages is among the most constructivist activities that learners can engage in, primarily because of the ownership that learners feel about their products and the publishing effect. In constructing web sites, learners are developing multimedia views of intentional learning. Hypermedia construction allows learners to reflect on their designs to make sure that they are desirable and interesting to other learners. The concept of "meaning making" is very applicable in this exercise. In addition to the artwork and writing, many decisions have to be made: What should be included? What gets linked to what? Who will do what, and by when?

Interactive Online Tools

This method engages learners in experiences that challenge hypotheses and encourage discussion. Interactive tools also allow learners to engage multiple learning styles in the completion of individual or group activities. Some examples of interactive online tools are:

• Construct an Aqueduct (Java or Shockwave version) http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/lostempires/roman/aqueduct.html
• Build a Bridge http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/bridge/build.html
• Play a Virtual Market http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/stockmarket/virtual.html

If you'd prefer, you can visit the main site from which the above activities originated and select one or more activities, at: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/

Collaborative Authorship

This is one method of supporting social co-construction of knowledge through collaborative communication. For example learners can read a novel that doesn't have a complete ending, then write a final chapter, and post their submissions to a class blog for others to read and respond. Collaborating with other learners (authors) enhances their reading experience. This simple activity will help learners to think deeply about the book and about writing. It will also encourage them to write with a purpose, to think critically about what they write, to read what others have produced, and to compare their own work with the work of others. It is worth noting that having learners post their work on the Web inspires many of them to take their work more seriously by reflecting on what they are about to let many individuals read. (Jonassen, 1999)

Related articles:

• Blackboard Blogging Tool - guidelines for setting up and managing blogs in Blackboard.
• Blogs - site maintained by Glenn Wiebe at Education Services and Staff Development Association of Central Kansas
• Teaching Tips: Using Online Journals and Blogs - site maintained by eMINTS and the University of Missouri
• Using Blogs to Integrate Technology in the Classroom - page maintained by Glenco/McGraw-Hill
• Wikis - guidelines for integrating Blackboard wikis into the curriculum.

In order to address more learning styles you may want to add podcasting to student blogs.

• Apple Podcasting in Education Video Series - http://www.apple.com/education/resources/podcastingvideos/
• Educator's Tips for podcasting - RECAP provides a series of "educator's tips" covering a range of podcasting topics that are presented in a very concise way. The items are updated regularly and, where appropriate, they have included links to other web sites with further advice and information.
• A large collection of educational podcast resources can be found on the External Resources page of this site.
• Who’s Using Podcasting in Education and How – site maintained by Fordham University Center for Professional Development. 

Open-ended Learner-directed Research Projects

Open-ended learner-directed research projects are an excellent way for the learners to access the Internet's vast information in order to produce original work using their new knowledge. Open-ended means the learner is in control of what they learn instead of simply finding answers to specific questions. learner-directed means learners are in charge of their search strategies, choosing which sites are most relevant, and so on. Based on the right project, learners will be constructive because they are required to articulate the nature of the problem and then reflect on their importance.

Resources:

• Blue Web'n
• Ozline - developed and maintained by Tom March
• WebQuest Tutorial - developed and maintained by JoAnn Gonzalez-Major

Video

Video Problem Solving

Because of learners' familiarity with video (TV/VCR), applying video technology in an online environment will easily allow learners to create their own understanding of the video learning environment. Learners are familiar with the syntax and semantics of TV, and the way that ideas are conceived, organized, and presented. Video can be used to convey an interesting problem that learners need to solve. The Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt University created and tested video-based instruction that is designed to help learners to reason, think, and solve problems (One in particular is the Jasper Woodbury video series). In solving the problems presented in the video, learners need to write persuasive essays based on factual research. All of the information needed to solve the problem is embedded in the video. The learners need to search the video in order to find the needed information after they have determined what they need to know. Learners who work on meaningful tasks in complex problem-based learning context better understand and transfer what they learn to new situations. Therefore, they apply new learning to their previous experiences.

Tools and Techniques:

• BBC Video Nation - Filming Skills
• Digital Video for Problem Solving/Decision Making - site maintained by Georgia Movie Academy

Video Press Conferences

Video press conferences offer a medium for learners to portray prominent people associated with a controversial or current event topic. This is one way to make learners responsible for understanding the discoveries, findings, or beliefs of the people they are portraying. They need to learn enough about the person to be able to discuss the situation effectively. Therefore, they need to construct a mental model of the issue at hand. Videotaping a press conference makes it seem more real and provides an opportunity for feedback on the accuracy of the presentation.

Video Recorded Talk Show

A talk show based environment is another natural medium where learners can gather to discuss meaningful ideas. Host interviewing is such a common format on television, learners naturally assume the roles of both interviewer and interviewee. Since it is based on conversation, learners are to engage in the learning process through a collaborative environment. What makes this exercise challenging is the conjecture and speculation that the learners must make about how their characters might respond to different issues.

Digital Storytelling

This technique generally requires the production of two-to-five-minute personal essays or memoirs narrated by the writer, the writing in these narratives can be incredibly powerful. They may be composed in a movie editor such as iMovie, or in presentation software such as Power Point using still photos or artwork for visuals. In Hawaii, the Department of Education has, for last three years, sponsored a digital-storytelling contest in which learners demonstrate creative writing and content knowledge (Hayes, 2005).

Resources and samples:

• Digitales – digital storytelling resource site - http://www.digitales.us/
• Digital Clubhouse Network – community based story telling project that is looking for individuals from all age groups and walks of life to share their stories. They offer all of the tools for free to those who what to participate in the community.  http://www.digiclub.org/
• Telling their stories: Oral history archives project – site contains a collection of digital interviews conducted by high school students.  http://www.tellingstories.org/

Tools:

• AjaxWrite - Web based word processing program. http://www.ajaxwrite.com/
•  Star Office - With slide templates, custom fonts, combined audio, video, animations, and special effects users can create multimedia presentations (http://pack.google.com  [pc only])
• Photostory by microsoft – easy to use free software download from Microsoft. Works on PCs only. http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/photostory/default.mspx  
• Voicethread – “A VoiceThread is an online media album that can hold essentially any type of media (images, documents and videos) and allows people to make comments in 5 different ways - using voice (with a microphone or telephone), text, audio file, or video (with a webcam) - and share them with anyone they wish. They can even be exported to an Archival Movie for offline use on a DVD or video-enabled MP3 player. A VoiceThread allows group conversations to be collected and shared in one place, from anywhere in the world.” The company provides a limited free version and fee based professional version (~$60.00 a year) – read the pricing page for details. http://voicethread.com/#home
• Comic creation tools – comic life, historic tale construction kit, Animations – www.dvolver.com)

 

Case Studies

Case studies are a very effective strategy and generally do not require a great deal of special programming. Case studies are highly experiential and job-related, and they work best when coupled with supporting instructional units.

• A case study may be included within the body of the module, encourage learners to notice connections between the module's text and the example as they learn a particular fact or concept.
• Alternatively, the course could be set up with a single case study that includes links to all the pertinent instructional units and learner exercises. Learners would then use instructional units as needed to help develop solutions to the problems presented in the case study.

The "Learning Modules and Case Tools" section provides links to samples of web based case studies.

Mind Tools

Semantic Networking Programs

The concept of mind tools describes a way to use computer programs to foster critical thinking. Concept mapping is a study strategy that requires learners to draw visual maps of concepts connected to each other through links. These maps depict the semantic structure among concepts in a domain (Yacci, 1993). Recently, several computer-based concept mapping tools have become available. Semantic Networking Programs (SNP) are computer-based visualizing tools for developing representations of the semantic networks in memory. These programs provide visual and verbal screen tools for developing these maps. SNPs enable learners to identify the important ideas or concepts in a knowledge domain and interrelate those ideas in multidimensional networks of concepts by labeling the relationships between those ideas. The following are some of the tools that I have found to be useful:

• Mind and/or concept mapping tools
  • FreeMind (free for adoption)
  • Inspiration
  • Microsoft Visio
  • Visual Mind
• Semantic Networking Programs (SNP)
  • Summary of available tools created by Computerworld

To learn more about concept mapping, semantic networking and knowledge representation visit the rather dated but comprehensive portal page houses at San Diego State University.