Lesson 11: The computer as a teacher’s Tool

Constructivism was introduced by Jean Piaget (1981) and Bruner (1990). They gave stress to knowledge discovery of new meaning/concepts/principles in the learning process. Various strategies have been suggested to foster knowledge discovery, among these, is making students engaged in gathering unorganized information from which they can induce ideas and principles. Students are also asked to apply discovered knowledge to new situations, a process for making their knowledge applicable to real life situations.

While knowledge is constructed by the individual learner in constructivism, knowledge can also be socially constructed.

Social Constructivism is the effort to show that the construction of knowledge is governed by social, historical and cultural contexts. In effect, this is to say that the learner who interprets knowledge has a predetermined point of view according to the social perspectives of the community or society he lives in.

The Computer’s Capabilities:

ü Informative Tool.

The computer can provide vast amounts of information in various forms such as text, graphics, sound and video. The Internet itself provides an enormous database from which user an access global information resources as well as educational information directly useful to learners.

ü Communication Tool.

Given the fact that the Internet can serve as a channel for global communication, the computer can very well be the key tool for video teleconferencing sessions.

ü Constructive Tool.

The computer can be used for manipulating information, visualizing one's understanding and building new knowledge. The Microsoft Word is an example wherein it allow users to organize and present their ideas in attractive formats.

ü Co-constructive Tool.

Students can use co-constructive tools to work cooperatively and construct a shared understanding of new knowledge.

ü Situating Tool.

By means of virtual reality extension systems, the computer can create 3-D images on display to give the user the feeling that are situated in a virtual environment. A flight simulation program is an example which places the user in a simulated flying environment.