At our first meeting we were asked to identify ourselves and the type of computer user we were. True to form, I waffled a bit. I admitted that I had gained enough expertise to set up a website for the program, and maintained the webpage for college, and answered any Macintosh questions that arose, but again I confessed that I was still sitting on the fence in terms of using technology to teach MY courses. Over the last couple of semesters this has changed, and I want to tell you why. The Constructivist Philosophy of Education is often discussed and used by instructors involved in distributed education and educational technology.
All knowledge is constructed through a process of reflective abstraction.
Cognitive structures within the learner facilitate the process of learning. The cognitive structures in individuals are in a process of constant development. If the notion of constructivist learning is accepted, then the methods of learning and pedagogy must agree. Use technology to construct courses that are learner centered, self paced and designed, at least in part, by the students themselves. The constructivist classroom presents the learner with opportunities to build on prior knowledge and understanding to construct new knowledge and understanding from authentic experience.