It constantly seeks connections between the new and the known. Learning is a process of active Construction by the learner and enrichment gives students the opportunity to relate what they are learning to what they already know. The brain is innately social and collaborative. Although the processing takes place in our students independent brains, their learning is enhanced when the environment provides them with the opportunity to discuss their thinking out loud to bounce their ideas off their peers and to produce collaborative work. Marian Diamonds and her team of researchers at the University of California at Berkeley have been studying the impact of enriched environments on the brains of rats.
Diamonds believes that enriched environments unmistakably influence the brain's growth and learning.
Dutton, New York Constructivist teaching is based on recent research about the human brain and what is known about how learning occurs. Some group work would therefore be appropriate. Students are not all at the same level of ability and they don't learn in the same way. Students need to be actively involved in making decisions and modifications to their learning efforts. Students need appropriate challenges, a secure environment, an opportunity to explore ideas and have fun learning.