Blog Entry 1: February 15, 2018
Article review and comments: Helping Students Ask the Right Questions**
**Richetti, C., and Sheerin, J. (1999). Helping Students Ask the Right Questions. Educational Leadership, v57, p58-62 Nov 1999. Accessed online 2/15/18 at: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ597083
A Summary of Constructivist Learning Theory
Constructivist learning theory encourages students to ask questions and refine their thinking. Students become better at thinking and asking the right questions, and build a deeper understanding. It is based more on the student’s point of view than the teacher’s. This is a valuable life skill, because learning is a life-long process, and we all need to continue learning after school. This is especially important in our high-tech society, where new innovations in technology create an ever-changing landscape. A key aspect of constructivism is constructing the right questions, and sequencing questions to solve larger problems. The Socratic Method and Bloom’s Taxonomy both use elements of constructivism.
Different situations require different types of questions and
different paths to resolution. The authors identified 4 basic types of
problem-solving strategies that can be applied to co
nstructivist learning. Complex situations, Problem situations, Decision situations and
Implementation situations each require a separate approach. Each of these
approaches has a strategy with a cute pneumonic device, and outlines a
series of appropriate decision making steps. This strategy has been used by
industry, and some industry leaders are now partnering with schools to bring
constructivist theory to the classroom. Teachers find that students who use
constructivism are more invested in their schoolwork, and recognize the
value of problem solving. The strategy encourages understanding of
different points of view and builds trust. A question-based framework is
effective for group work, and students in general acquire a deeper
understanding of the content. These skills are relevant in later real-life
situations. An industry leader is quoted in the paper as saying “An
educated person today is someone who knows the right question to ask” (Fiske,
1995, p. 65).
Comments
I’ve been involved with experiential learning for several years, and I agree that it is a valuable tool. Students appreciate the relevance of constructivism, and are more involved with projects when they develop a concept or question and explore the alternatives. Proponents of constructivism also claim that it leads to a “deeper understanding” of a problem. This “deeper understanding” is hard to quantify, and I will be curious whether new knowledge about how our brain works will support constructivist theory. Regardless of the scientific outcome, it is a valuable technique in the classroom. I would urge teachers to treat constructivism as one tool in the toolbox, and use constructivism where it is strongest- problem solving. Other approaches like direct instruction are very valuable for content acquisition, and students need both to succeed.
Send problems/comments/suggestions to: tcHorner@csuchico.edu
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