Constructivism, a theory by Jean Piaget, explains the process of learning as a highly personalized experience, in which a learner forms or constructs one’s own interpretations of any new event, which are based on prior experiences.
According to Constructivism, you learn anything new either through
- assimilation – adding the new information to the existing schema (when the new information agrees with your existing knowledge) or through
- accommodation – modifying the existing schema (realizing that the existing knowledge wasn’t right, and hence correcting your prior notions).
Reflection Question:
How can an instructional designer use this knowledge of the two processes, assimilation and accommodation, to improve the effectiveness of eLearning courses and/or training programs?