In order to teach well, we must understand the mental models that students use to perceive the world and the assumptions they make to support those models. Since education is inherently interdisciplinary, the only valuable way to measure learning is to make the assessment part of the learning process, ensuring it provides students with information on the quality of their learning. Instead, it promotes using curricula customized to the students' prior knowledge. Also, it emphasizes hands-on problem solving. Instructors tailor their teaching strategies to student responses and encourage students to analyze, interpret, and predict information.
Teachers also rely heavily on open-ended questions and promote extensive dialogue among students.
Instead, assessment becomes part of the learning process so that students play a larger role in judging their own progress. Reading Jacqueline and Martin Brooks, The Case for Constructivist Classrooms . The content on this page was written by On Purpose Associates. All rights reserved.