Similarities and differences of Constructivist Approach and Problem Based Learning

Video Transcription

Hi. Thank you for joining me today to talk about the similarities and differences of constructivist approach and problem-based learning. At the end of today's tutorial, we'll be able to answer the following essential questions. What are the similarities between constructivist learning and PBL? And what are the differences between constructivist learning and PBL?

PBL is based upon constructivist learning theory and strategies. This is important to remember. So this obviously leads to a few similarities. The similarities are that both of these strategies include collaborative and self-directed learning, meaning students work together and with the teacher. And they also self-direct their learning, meaning that they're going to be pacing themselves and possibly even coming up with the problems that they're solving or the ways that they're solving the problems.

The teacher is acting as a facilitator in both of these learning styles, meaning there's not a lot of direct instruction going on. And if it does exist, it's very minimal, and it's just to set the groundwork. Learning is personalized, and it's focused on problem solving. There's also student flexibility, which plays a role in the problem solving. It's a lot of students coming up with possible answers and then seeking out the teacher as the facilitator to bounce the ideas off of.

Both of these strategies are inquiry-based. And there's an emphasis on rigor and relevance, meaning it's rigorous, but it also has to relate to the real world. It can't just be this learning that happens in a bubble. It has to be based on student interests, and it has to be meaningful. And it also requires purposeful discussion among the students.

So what are some differences? In PBL, students are more frequently presented with the problem, meaning the teachers present the problem. While in constructivist classrooms, students often decide on the problems that they want to investigate. Also have greater emphasis on student self-reflection, which, if you remember, can lead to self-efficacy and also meta cognition, which are higher-order thinking skills. The PBL classroom might have reflection, but it isn't as large of a focus as it is in the constructivist classroom.

Let's reflect. Keeping in mind the similarities and differences between PBL and constructivist learning, which framework is best suited for your students and why? So let's review. Today, we were able to talk about what the similarities were between constructivist learning and PBL and what the differences were between these two theories.

To dive a little deeper and learn how to apply this information, be sure to check out the Additional Resources section associated with this video. This is where you'll find links targeted toward helping you discover more ways to apply this course material. Thank you for joining me. And happy teaching.