Constructivism

• The process of learning through the construction

of knowledge.
• Weighing new information against their previous
understanding, thinking about and working
through discrepancies (on their own and with
others), and come to a new understanding”
• Social tools (reading, spelling, and writing) are best
acquired in a social context.
 constructivist teachers
• Encourage and accept student autonomy and initiative

• Use raw data and primary sources, along with

manipulative, interactive, and physical materials

• Use cognitive terminology such as classify, analyze, predict,

and create

• Allow student responses to drive lessons, shift

instructional strategies, and alter content
 constructivist teachers
• Inquire about students’ understanding of concepts before
sharing their own understandings of those concepts

• Encourage students to engage in conversations with the

teacher and with one another

• Encourage student inquiry by asking thoughtful, open-

ended questions and encouraging students to ask
questions of each other

• Seek elaboration of students’ initial responses

• Engage students in experiences that might create
contradictions to their initial hypotheses and then
encourage discussion
• Allow wait time after posing questions
• Provide time for students to construct relationships
and create metaphors
• Nurture students’ natural curiosity through frequent
use of the learning cycle model (discovery, concept
introduction, and concept application)
 Applying the Theory of
Constructivism to Multimedia
Projects
• constructivist learning includes at least five
components:
active, cumulative, integrative, reflective, and
goal-directed.

Their definitions and relationship to the

construction
of multimedia projects are presented in table 1.3.
• Multimedia projects can provide ideal learning
environments for implementing a constructivist approach to
learning.
• Creating multimedia projects encourages divergent
thinking, multiple modes of expression, goal setting, critical
thinking skills, teamwork, opportunities to revise and
rethink, and more.
• Students are active participants, constructing knowledge
that is meaningful, applicable, and memorable.
• Multimedia projects provide educators with multiple ways
to assess students’ progress.
• The success of every task
depends on good instruction

• Good instructions involve

careful planning:
 a teacher decides on content
 On the sequence
 Instructional materials
 A back up plan
• Instructions through computer:

How to best present info

Which media elements to use
How to assess program’s
effectiveness

• Recommended: a systematic plan

and development model
 DDD-E Model
• Decide : assign groups, brainstorm
and research the content
• Design : Determine the program
structure and detail the
content
• Develop: gather and create the
media elements, author the
program, review and debug
• Evaluate: evaluate the program
 MM Integrated teaching require a
great deal of planning:
1. How should the class be organized?
2. Which media components are
appropriate?
3. Should the teaching be produced as a
hypermedia program, digital movie or
on the Web?
4. How many hours should sts work on
a particular project?
 What are the goals?
 How should it be evaluated?
Answers can be found within the
DDD-E model.

- It serves as a general outline,

which can be later modified or
expanded according to the
individual needs.

- It provides a framework for the

phases of multimedia projects.
 DDD-E MODEL
Decide on the dish who is coming
foods available
Design locate the recipe
organize the instructions

Develop Gather and mix ingredients

- combine in the final dish
- overall meal must be considered
while preparing individual dishes

Evaluate throughout the process

- guests may also do that
 DDD-E MODEL
• Each of the phases involve both
teacher and students
DECIDE: determine goals and
content
DESIGN: specifies structure
DEVELOP: produce media elements
and programme the project
EVALUATE: throughout the design
and development processes
 DECIDE
• It sets the stage
• Influenced by many variables
teacher student
Set the goal and project Brainstorm
theme or area content
Assess prerequisite Conduct
skills and background research
knowledge

Provide guidelines
Supervise selection of
groups and roles
 Set goals and decide on project
(teacher)
• Decides on the efficiency or
efficacy of mm project.
• Does it achieve the desired learning
outcomes?
• Weighs traditional vs alternative
approaches

Are all language skills best acquired

by Multi Media?
• Before assigning a MM Project,
consider the following:

1.Relevant to the sts – how areas of

study impact them
2.Relevant to the curriculum –
technology should not be an end in
itself
3.Sufficient resources – available
books, clip media, internet, PCs.
4.Sufficient time – short-long term
projects vary from several hours to
several weeks
• Sts should
Assess have the basic
prerequisite computer
skills and
skillsbackground
& skills forknowledge
creating a MM
Project

• Expand and provide more depth to

sts’s content knowledge depending
on the multimedia assignment
• Inform sts about goals and
assessment methods
Provide guidelines
• Together with sts outline the
requirements and establish
rubrics
• Rubrics provide guidelines for
assessment and allow for
creativity and subjectivity
 Online Rubric generators
• Kathy Schrock’s Guide for Educators: Assessment
and Rubric Information
http://school.discovery.com/schrockguide/assess.
html

• Midlink Magazine Teacher Resource Room

http://www.ncsu.edu/midlink/ho.html
• Rubistar
http://rubistar.4teachers.org/
• Rubrics for Web Lessons
http://edweb.sdsu.edu/webquest/rubrics/web
lessons.htm
Supervise selection of groups
and roles
 groups of two or six
 Groups can be assigned on the
basis of:
1. Student learning style
2. Multiple intelligences
3. Sts interests
4. Random assignment
5. Areas of expertise
 Brainstorm content (sts)
• two aspects of the project to be
explored: Content & Approach

CONDUCT RESEARCH (STS)

• Might be necessary to help sts get
started and provide them a rubric
of required components.
• Sts should have access to as many
resources as possible
 DESIGN
• the project Takes form:
flowchart and storyboards
• Sts organize the sequence and
specify the exact texts,
graphics, audio and interactions
of each screen.
• students must dedicate sufficient
time to this phase
1. Outline content: synthesize,
organize and outline

Factors influencing content outline

include audience and time allotted
to the project

2. Create flowcharts : illustrates

sequence and structure

Sts should visualize how the various

parts of a lesson fit together
3. Specify the screen design and
layout
- Template or layout should contain
specific functional areas: title,
text, graphics, feedback, etc.

4. Write scripts or storyboards

- Storyboards should contain all
the information to be placed on
the screens and info which helps
programmer and producer develop
media components
 Develop
Create graphics
Pictures, charts, diagrams
Construct animations
Produce audio
All sound elements (narration, music
and sound effects)
Produce video
Record or edit video segments
Author program
Either through hypermedia prog,
power point or web based programs
Debug program
Testing media elements, grammar
and punctuations errors and
testing the program for
inoperative links.
- Testing and debugging should be
carried out throughout the
project.
 evaluate
 Evaluation is Formative: throughout
project development by both
teacher and students
 Summative takes place at the end

1. Evaluate peers
2. Conduct self-evaluation
3. Provide student assessment