incite

     social constructivism

 

Our formal education institutions in North America are historically rooted in individual learning. The individual is taught material and then tested on the ability to remember concepts or practical processes. Social learning theory demonstrates that our interaction with others as we learn is significant to how well we learn, and in 21st Century society, there is an increasing demand for us to work collaboratively in the workplace. As well, constructivist learning theory shows us that each learner constructs their knowledge through active thought processes that result in the assimilation or accomodation of new information that requires ongoing metacognition as one deals with the cognitive dissonance that occurs from experiencing new information that seems contradictory to one's existing schema. Learners should have some control over the direction of their learning to explore intellectual interests that stimuate their curiousity.

 

The changed nature of our world with the advancement of computing technologies has altered what learners need in order to be successful in 21st Century society because of the need to develop multiliteracies. Knowledge has become readily available in an instant and continues to grow exponentially, such that we could never learn everything there is to know in the world. It is an impossibility. For this reason, it has become increasingly clear that all learners need skills to acquire and effectively use knowledge as opposed to simply amassing it. Inquiry-based learning satisfies the tenats of constructivist learning theory and allows for the development of 21st Century skills like collaboration, critical thinking, communication, and creativity.