Learning Thursday #4: Is Constructivism an Effective Approach to Instructional Design?

Learning Thursday is a blog series that features a new L&D article every other week along with discussion points.  Read and then share your own ideas by commenting below!  Check out the last Learning Thursday here.

Last October, I posted a list of articles related to constructivism and the effective use of technology, games and gamification within the learning environment.  At its core, constructivism seeks to actively involve the learner in a process of meaning and knowledge construction.  Learners are exposed to an environment and framework that allows them to derive meaning as opposed to passively receiving information.  Many learning professionals incorporate constructivism into their instructional design approach.

However, constructivism may not be right for every circumstance.  One of our colleagues, Scott Weersing, suggested the below article that challenges the use of constructivism and related teaching methods.