STUDENT: MOYAHABO ELIZABETH MOKOENA

MODULE : CTM 710

STUDENT NUMBER : 28584903

EXERCISE 1

SUBMISSION DATE: 25 MARCH 2009

1
EXERCISE 1

BRIEFLY DISCUSS THE FOUNDATIONS OF DIRECTED AND

CONSTRUCTIVIST INSTRUCTION

INTRODUCTION

The evolution of the educational practice has over the years been influenced greatly by
the views of different theorists. Education or teaching as a social practice could not
have been developed without considering how its impact affected or benefited the
individual learners it was meant for .The perspectives of both behaviorist and
constructivist theorists confirm this above mentioned statement. When one looks at
their arguments, one notices that learners or students feature right at the centre of their
arguments.

FOUNDATIONS OF DIRECTED INSTRUCTION

The main proponents of this perspective are among others the following, Skinner,
Atkinson, Shiffrin, Robert Cagne and Ivan Pavlov. They based their arguments on
behaviorist theories that maintain the following:

1. That learning is transmitted knowledge! Teaching should be directed, systematic,

and structured.
2. That students should all pass the same tests, standardization means accountability.
3. Learning has to be teacher directed. (Roblyer, 2006:p37)

Their ideas have over the years translated into teaching methods, technology
integration strategies and assessment methods that are aligned to the thinking above.
One can quote for example the use of applications like drill and practice as well as
tutorials. The above techniques are very teacher-directed and structured to qualify
under directed instruction.

FOUNDATIONS OF CONSTRUCTIVIST INSTRUCTION

The main authority figures in this perspective include among others, John Dewey, Lev
Vygotsky, Jean Piaget, Jerome Bruner and Howard Gardner .Their thinking affiliates
strongly to the following arguments:

1. That directed instruction is teacher centered, hands –on instruction and student
centered.
2. Knowledge is constructed, not transmitted! Let students do activities that help them
generate their own knowledge
3. Let students show what they have learned in different ways, not just on written tests.
(Roblyer: 2006:p37)

2
The technology integration strategies associated with this thinking include among
others simulations, Problem solving and in some cases instructional games. The above
as one can see allow for more open-ended to make learners more visual and experiential
and they allow the more flexibility in how they learn and show competence.

CONCLUSION

Although the two perspectives differ in how they define learning, they have however
made a valuable contribution towards the improvement of the current educational
practice.

Resourses.

Roblyer, M.D. 2006. Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching