Constructivism is an emerging educational philosophy based on the idea that learners "construct" their own knowledge by testing ideas and approaches based on their prior knowledge and experience, applying these to new situations, and integrating the new knowledge gained with pre-existing intellectual constructs.

Constructivism is characterized by the following basic tenets:

• Learners are creatures of will and purpose
• Emphasis is on student learning rather than teaching
• The learner's beliefs, attitudes, and mental model are crucial factors in learning
• Authentic experience helps the learner construct new knowledge and understanding
• The context in which learning takes place is important
• Learner autonomy and initiative should be encouraged
• Learners' natural curiosity is stimulated through learner inquiry
• Dialogue and other cooperative activities promote learning
• Assessment of learning emphasizes performance and understanding

The major proponents of constructivism include Jean Piaget, Seymour Papert, Jerome Bruner, Lev Vigotsky, John Seely Brown, and Howard Gardner.

For more information on the philosophy of constructivism, we recommend the following publications and Web pages.

Murphy E. Constructivism: From Philosophy to Practice
www.stemnet.nf.ca/~elmurphy/emurphy/cle.html

University of Colorado Constructivism Page
http://carbon.cudenver.edu/~mryder/itc_data/constructivism.html

Additional resources on the philosophy of constructivism may be found at the end of this topic.

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