EMPRESAS MÁS IMPORTANTES DE BASE TECONOLOGICA

LEARNING THEORIES

There were two constructivist learning theories that were singled out for the purposes of relating them to the theoretical frameworks. The objective was to solidify the assertions about the constructivist nature of the theories that guide this study. The first one is Vygotsky's social constructivist theory of development. The social nature of the theory implies that there is a strong emphasis on social interaction (collaboration and community in classroom activities) as hinted to by Devries (2008). Similarly, the constructivist nature of the theory suggests that it is premised by constructivist theory of learning which recognises that active, self-regulated learners can construct knowledge for themselves (Kwan and Wong, 2014). In Table 3.1 the prominent attributes of Vygotsky’s theory (Devries, 2008: 1-189) are compared with the major characteristics of constructivist theory of learning as suggested by Kwan and Wong (2014: 193). In the centre column I listed suggested overlapping features of the two sets of characteristics in order to show that Vygotsky’s theory is constructivist in nature.

A very important element in Vygotsky’s theory is the Zone of Proximal Development (Vygotsky, 1978: 86). He defines it as,

The distance between the actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance, or in collaboration with more capable peers.

The Zone of Proximal Development considers effective learning to be a product of individual efforts combined with collaborative efforts between students and their peers as well as lecturers. This shows the essential characteristic of constructivist learning in which students are active participants of the learning process through inquiry and exchange of ideas.

The second constructivist theory of learning is Bandura's social cognitive theory. The social aspect of the theory acknowledges the social origins of much human thought and action while the cognitive aspect recognizes the influential contribution of cognitive processes to human motivation, affect, and action (Bandura, 2012: 350). In the previous chapter in section 2: 11, I noted that social cognitive theory distinguishes between enactive and vicarious learning. Enactive learning is learning by doing and experiencing the consequences of your actions while vicarious learning is learning by observing others (Woolfolk et al., 2008). Enactive learning is a constructivist assumption that people are active learners who construct knowledge for themselves (Kwan and Wong, 2014; Schunk, 2008).

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Table 3.1. Showing the Constructivist Nature of Vygotsky’s Theory

Devries (2014) Vygotsky’s Theory

Overlapping Features Kwan and Wong (2014) Constructivist Theory 1. Children are active 1. Active students 1. Learners are active

participants in their learning 2. Learners are self- regulated

3. Social interaction is necessary

for effective learning

4. Individuals make sense of information for themselves 2. Rote learning should

be avoided

2. Students are self-regulated and do not depend on rote learning

3. The whole language approach to literacy is advocated

3. Language enables students to derive meaning from social interaction

4. Collaboration of

children in

classroom activities is advocated

4. Collaborative group work enables students to make sense of learning material 5. Establishing

community in the classroom is important

5. Establishing community allows for social interaction and effective learning to take place in the classroom

6. Curriculum should be based on children's interests

6. Designing curriculum based on the students’ interests motivates them to become active learners.

7. External rewards should not be used with children

7.Self-regulated learners are active participants in their learning and are not motivated by external rewards

8. Pretend play is an important part of the curriculum

8. Role play is part of social interaction and allows learners to make sense of information by themselves. Adapted from Devries (2014) and Kwan and Wong (2014)

On the other hand, vicarious learning is also constructivist in nature because it emphasises the socio-cultural context in knowledge construction, (Kwan and Wong, 2014). Hence Bandura’s

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Social Cognitive Theory is a constructivist theory of learning. An empirical study was conducted by Khosa and Volet (2014) to find out the effects of collaborative learning on productive engagement in cognitive activity and metacognitive regulation. The aim was to examine the extent to which group differences in cognitive activity and metacognitive regulation during a collaborative learning activity could contribute to explaining differences in the group learning outcomes.

Two groups (Group A and Group B) of undergraduate students in Veterinary Medicine were given two science-learning tasks (Task 1 and Task 2) on an equal footing. They worked separately but somehow exhibited differing approaches to learning. In order to detect the outcomes, the authors instituted a coding scheme for analysing cognitive activity and metacognitive regulation. According to Khosa and Volet (2014: 301), the findings for Task 2 revealed some striking group differences, with Group B displaying high-levels for both cognitive activity and metacognitive regulation. Group A on the other hand engaged predominantly at low-level for cognitive activity and showed modest engagement for metacognitive regulation. Group B members were metacognitively self-regulated. This shows that collaborative learning which occurs in social environments falls in line with Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory.

Hence it became vital for this study to allow constructivism to illuminate the conceptual frameworks. This was to lay ground for the formative assessment system at Solusi University to be viewed through a constructivist lens. Therefore, Vygotsky's social constructivist theory of development and Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory were being used in this research to house the theories that underpin the study.