Constructivism and Problem-Based Learning - Essay Example

Constructivism is based on how learning takes place. It offers an account of how learners acquire knowledge and not how to acquire it. It can be traced to the periods of the 18th century to philosophers like Giambattista Vico and John Dewey. They argue that ideas came from the social context that manipulates their thinking and comes up with new ideas (Rideout, 176). It has its roots in philosophy, sociology, education, and psychology. It only helps give solid basics of why and how knowledge was passed to individuals.  It is characterized by sharing of knowledge between individuals, the environment influences the learner's understanding, and social collaborations enable learners to build new concepts.

It disagrees with the concept of a standardized curriculum, system.  It bases its argument on the difference in individual capacities different people are influenced differently by their environments and therefore their knowledge becomes incomparable. Basing a curriculum in the learning system results in limiting the reasoning of learners rather than promoting their open minds and encouraging them to interpret, predict and analyze situations. Students should be encouraged to [practice extensive dialogue among themselves and thereby this enhances their abilities (Poikela and Anna, 56). This develops their courage and motivates them to feel capable of solving challenging problems, and therefore given time, in the future, they can be able to handle more competent and complex problems.

An instructor in learning is only supposed to give guidelines and not to give complete details of the subject studied. It is therefore more efficient having instructors rather than teachers in the learning centers. According to Dewey learning is a daily thing and one their senses cultivate meaning from an idea. With time in learning, it gives one the experience of cultivating more knowledge and ideas from existing environments. He also adds that language is of considerable influence on the learning process. Language enhances communication even within oneself and even the passing of ideas from one person to another. After learning when one reflects on it, the idea becomes part of us, inseparable from our lives (Rideout, 176). Previous knowledge acquired is also of immense use in that it builds the foundation for further learning activities.

The constructivists encourage an interactive and collaborative environment for learners since it enables learners to acquire new experience and be able to manipulate objects, ask questions, experiment on a new thing, and even be able to aim at achieving a set goal Collaboration in constructivist learning classrooms encourage learners to get new ideas from their peers. It enhances problem-solving and investigations on issues to come up with a solution. Technology can be used in assisting learners since it offers a variety of information based from different angles.

This can be the best module to be used for learning because it encourages the application of knowledge, critical thinking, and active involvement in the learning process. They criticize the learning process where the teacher acts as a trainer (Poikela and Anna, 56). Teachers do not indulge constructivist method of learning during their teaching. They too have difficulties in practicing what they learn in actual life. Their main aim is usually based on tests rather than being based on one's adaptability in real-life situations.

There has emerged a criticism against the constructivist idea of learning. The main critics are the objectivism theory supports. They argue that knowledge does not come by nature but rather as one develops, their reasoning also grows. They base their argument on that; the theme is developed through logic and reason. Though objective reasoning is more reasonable than constructivism, it does not consider knowledge attained by an individual before the learning process as a lens through which the later learning process is enabled (Poikela and Anna, 56).

Problem-based learning involves individual efforts in conducting learning. One can utilize factors such as libraries, laboratories, databases, information systems, and other utilities to develop knowledge in certain fields. It helps students acquire self-direct learning abilities, problem-solving skills, and effective collaborative skills.