Constructivism

• Constructivism is a learning theory Jean Piaget developed in which students play an active role in the development of their critical thinking and problem solving skills. According to this theory, students must actually construct knowledge in their minds and test out new ideas. Constructivism places great emphasis on teaching students topics they find stimulating and important, maximizing to what extent they engage with the material. Students learn the most in real-world situations, such as with hands-on, project-based learning. They also learn efficiently when their education occurs in dialogue with others, such as when students work together in groups to apply class concepts to projects. Constructivists are concerned with helping students learn how to learn, rather than simply transferring information to them directly.
  
  

Objectivism

• While constructivists think students learn best from experience, objectivists believe neither that experience plays a major role in knowledge construction nor that students construct knowledge themselves. With objectivist methods of learning, educators are the center of the classroom and are the primary sources of knowledge, transmitting it as clearly and effectively as possible. Educational philosopher Paulo Freire characterized objectivism as an ideology that sees students as empty vessels that must be filled with knowledge. Objectivist methods focus more on memorization and learning and practicing skills that are easily measured, such as mastery of mathematics, than higher order skills, such as reasoning and reflection. With knowledge passed onto students under objectivism, problems/questions usually have only one right answer. Objectivists also seek to help students understand how the knowledge they already hold connects with the new ideas taught in class.
  
  

Situated Learning

• Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger first proposed situated learning in 1991. Situated learning theorists hold that learning is an activity performed within a specific context. Most classroom learning activities are taken out of context. For example, students learn arithmetic without using their math skills in the context in which they would most likely use them outside the classroom. In contrast, situated learning classrooms have students apply their ideas to real-world problems. For example, students may learn the principles of physics and then use them to create toy race cars that move faster. Situated learning theorists hold that teachers should create a classroom culture where students accumulate more knowledge and experience and eventually become a center of culture, serving as educators for other students.
  
  

Learning Transfer

• David N. Perkins and Gavriel Salomon proposed the theory of the transfer of learning in 1992. Learning transfer is the transfer of one’s own knowledge and skills to another individual. Knowledge must also be transferred from one context to another. For example, students who learn math skills will have to transfer these skills to a chemistry class. One theory of learning transfer is the near and far theory, which holds that similar tasks will automatically transfer skills between one subject or area and another. For example, a student who learns to analyze literature will also be able to analyze history. However, students do not always notice the connection between two tasks. Teachers must remember to point out when students are using skills that they learned when studying other subjects.
  
  

Experiential Learning

• Experiential learning theory holds that experiences play a large role in the learning process. David A. Kolb was largely responsible for popularizing this theory. Experientialists believe that ideas are best transferred through experience. Students increase the knowledge and skills they possess through concrete experiences and making observations about and otherwise reflecting on those experiences. For example, a biology class might have students take a field trip into the woods to learn about nature, rather than only reading about it. However, students can also learn through symbolic representations or abstract conceptualizations.