Role+of+the+Instructor+in+Constructivism

=The Role of the Instructor in Constructivism=

Instructors as facilitators
According to the social constructivist approach, instructors have to adapt to the role of facilitators and not teachers (Bauersfeld, 1995). Where a teacher gives a didactic lecture which covers the subject matter, a facilitator helps the learner to get to his or her own understanding of the content. In the former scenario the learner plays a passive role and in the latter scenario the learner plays an active role in the learning process. The emphasis thus turns away from the instructor and the content, and towards the learner (Gamoran, Secada, & Marrett, 1998). This dramatic change of role implies that a facilitator needs to display a totally different set of skills than a teacher (Brownstein 2001). A teacher tells, a facilitator asks; a teacher lectures from the front, a facilitator supports from the back; a teacher gives answers according to a set curriculum, a facilitator provides guidelines and creates the environment for the learner to arrive at his or her own conclusions; a teacher mostly gives a monologue, a facilitator is in continuous dialogue with the learners (Rhodes and Bellamy, 1999). A facilitator should also be able to adapt the learning experience ‘in mid-air’ by using his or her own initiative in order to steer the learning experience to where the learners want to create value. The learning environment should also be designed to support and challenge the learner's thinking (Di Vesta, 1987). While it is advocated to give the learner ownership of the problem and solution process, it is not the case that any activity or any solution is adequate. The critical goal is to support the learner in becoming an effective thinker. This can be achieved by assuming multiple roles, such as consultant and coach.

Constructivism (learning theory). (2009, December 5). In //Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia//. Retrieved 14:44, December 30, 2009, from []

[|Contested Knowledges] 4 Key Questions
What is at stake? What is the status quo? What are the alternatives? What happens when different knowledges speak to each other?

~Charles Darwin University, Resource Management Program, Austrailia ||
 * **What is Contested Knowledges?** || Contested Knowledges is about challenging you to consider other ways of thinking and in doing so, become increasingly aware of how your ways of doing things are utterly dependent upon the historical and social context in which you have grown up and now operate within. It's about challenging your worldview and giving you the language to articulate your understanding of the ramifications of these challenges. By taking Contested Knowledges, you are opening yourself up to considering the value and the legitimacy of other knowledge systems.