Designing Instruction for Constructivist Learning

Richard E. Mayer

Goals and preconditions. The primary goal of this theory is to foster knowledge construction (understanding) through direct instruction. It is intended primarily for use with textbook-based learning, lectures, and multimedia environments in which behavioral activity (manipulation) is not possible.

Values. Some of the values upon which this theory is based include:

• instruction that focuses on the process of learning (what goes on inside the learner's head) as well as the product of learning,
• transfer (knowledge use), as well as retention,
• how to learn, as well as what to learn.

Methods. These are the major methods this theory offers:

• Select relevant information
  1. Highlight the most important information for the learner, using:
     1. Headings
     2. Bullets
     3. Margin notes
     4. Italics
     5. Arrows
     6. Repetition
     7. Boldface
     8. Icons
     9. White Space
     10. Font size
     11. Underlining
     12. Captions
  2. Use instructional objectives and/or adjunct questions.
  3. Provide a summary.
  4. Eliminate irrelevant information; be concise.
  
  
• Organize information for the learner, using:
  1. Structure of the text
     1. Comparison/contrast structure
     2. Classification structure
     3. Enumeration (or parts) structure
     4. Generalization structure
     5. Cause-effect structure
  2. Outlines
  3. Headings
  4. Pointer (or signal) words
  5. Graphic representations
  
  
• Integrate information
  1. Advance organizers
  2. Illustrations (multi-frame) with captions
  3. Animation with narration
  4. Worked-out examples
  5. Elaborative questions

Major contributions. Offers a non-discovery, non-manipulation approach to constructivist learning.