Learning Theories Mash-Up

To understand how games can contribute to learning, you have to understand how people learn in general. As part of that quest, I explored how two theories that are currently very important in science education, active instructional theory and constructivist learning theory, fit together to inform what a classroom should look like.

Active constructivism describes the kind of classroom I see many teachers striving for, but there are some very real challenges this mash-up does not currently address:

• How do we ensure students who are used to a teacher-centered classroom develop the skills to thrive in an active constructivist setting?
• What skills do instructors need to effectively teach in an active constructivist way?

Lastly, is it possible to have active learning without constructivism or vice versa?