Abstract
The article deals with the evolution of the constructionist learning approach from the beginning of the era of information technologies through the digital age. The evolution of constructionism is demonstrated in connection with two associated processes: changes in the human worldview related to the digital shift, and the corresponding transformations in human society. The study examines the evolution of basic constructionist ideas: 1) “microworlds” as “incubators of knowledge”; 2) a child as “the architect of his [or her] intelligent structures”; 3) the computer as “a machine that brings back a natural character to learning”; 4) coding as a “universal learning activity” that enables the study of fundamental scientific ideas. The constructionist ideas are analyzed in the context of today’s digital reality. The main contribution of the study is formulating the changes in classical constructionism as transformations that correspond to worldview components: activating the perception of self; democratization of the mutual interactions with others; virtualization of the conception of reality; integration the subject and object in their interaction with reality.
Highlights
About forty years ago, with the advent of new information technologies (IT), marked by the creation of the personal computer (PC), Seymour Papert (1928-2016) suggested his interpretation of IT and the correspondingly new pedagogical perspectives (Papert, 1980)
The evolution of constructionism is demonstrated in connection with two associated processes: changes in the human worldview related to the digital shift, and the corresponding transformations in human society
The study examines the evolution of basic constructionist ideas: 1) “microworlds” as “incubators of knowledge”; 2) a child as “the architect of his [or her] intelligent structures”; 3) the computer as “a machine that brings back a natural character to learning”; 4) coding as a “universal learning activity” that enables the study of fundamental scientific ideas
Summary
About forty years ago, with the advent of new information technologies (IT), marked by the creation of the personal computer (PC), Seymour Papert (1928-2016) suggested his interpretation of IT and the correspondingly new pedagogical perspectives (Papert, 1980). The author defines four generations of educational robots, an evolution that he views as resulting from the coexistence of two main forces: the technological and the epistemological He demonstrates that the design practices of today’s children are increasingly oriented to the research developments of the early 1980s. The author emphasizes that constructionism means a shift from passive and declarative knowledge to interactive and practical knowledge that comes from providing proofs He summarizes the perspective and the importance of the constructionist approach : “Constructionism is a very common and unproblematic approach in all those sciences that have a poietic attitude towards their subject, which they tend to study and to build. The assumption underlying the present work is that the approach developed by Seymour Papert underlies the basic components inherent in the worldview of our current digital society.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
