Computer supports the constructivist and social constructivist paradigms of constructivist learning.
Piaget (1981) and Bruner (1990) introduced constructivist. They gave stress to knowledge discovery of new meaning, concepts and principles in the learning process. Various strategies have been suggested to foster knowledge discovery such as making students engaged in gathering unorganized information from which they can induce ideas and principles they were also asked to apply discovered knowledge to new situations or real life situations.
While the individual learner constructs knowledge in constructivism, knowledge can also be socially constructed. In Social constructivism, its effort shows that the construction of knowledge is governed by social, historical and cultural contexts.
Vygotsky stressed that learning is affected by social influences. He suggested the interactive process in learning. The more capable adult (teacher or parent) or classmate can aid or complement what the learner sees in a given class project. In addition, Dewey sees language as a medium for social coordination and adaptation. In Dewey human learning it is really human languaging that occurs when students socially share, build and agree upon meanings and knowledge.
SUMMARY OF THE TWO LEARNING PERSPECTIVE
| Learning Framework | Constructivism | Social Constructivism |
| Assumption | Knowledge is constructed by the individual. | Knowledge is constructed within a social context. |
| Definition of Learning | Students build their own learning. | Students build knowledge influenced by the social context. |
| Learning Strategies | Gather unorganized information to create new concept/principle | Exchange and share from ideas, stimulates thinking. |
| General Orientation | Personal discovery of knowledge. | Students discuss and discover meanings |
| Example | 8*5-8+8+8+8+8 | Two alternative job offers option 1-8 hrs/day for 6days/week Option 2-9 hrs/day for 5 days/week |
The Computer’s Capabilities
The computer can provide access to information, foster creative social knowledge building, and enhance the communication of the achieved project package. Without the computer, today’s learners may still be assuming the tedious task of low-level information gathering, building and new knew knowledge packaging. Since the modern computer can help teacher-and-students to focus on more high level cognitive tasks. The teacher can employ the computer as: an information tool, communication tool, constructive tool, co-constructive tool and a situating tool.
Informative tool
The computer can provide vast amounts of information in various forms, such as text, graphics, sound and video. Even multimedia encyclopaedias are today available on the internet.
The internet itself provides and enormous database from which user can access global information resources that includes the latest news, weather forecasts, airline schedule, sports development, entertainment news and features, as well as educational information directly useful to learners.
Along the constructivist point of view, it is not enough for learners to download relevant information using the computer as an information tool. Students can use gathered information for composition or presentation projects. 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.
Constructive Tool
The computer itself can be used for manipulating information; visualizing one’s understanding and building new knowledge.
Co-constructive Tools
Students can use constructive tools to work cooperatively and construct a shared understanding of new knowledge. On ways of co-constructive is the use of the electronic whiteboard where students may post notices to a shared document/whiteboard. Students may also co-edit the same document from their homes.
The Computer-Supported International Learning Environments (CSILE) is an example of an integrated environment developed by the Ontario Institute for studied in Education. Within CSILE, students can enter their ideas in notes and respond to each other’s ideas. Manifest in the student-generated database are higher level thinking processes explaining, problem solving/finding, expertise and development, literacy improvement.
Situating Tool
By means of virtual reality (RS) 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 of situating tool which places the user in a simulated flying environment.
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