Learning Theory – Emma Galli

The use of ICT in the classroom for a variety of different lessons, can often allow

children to engage in a meaningful experience within the classroom. With use of the correct

ICT tools within the classroom, ICT can allow children the ability to create and construct

their own models, helping students to learn through a variety of experiences and other

people’s ideas. This form of learning takes the learning approach of Social Constructivism.

As stated by Faculty of Education: University of Hong Kong, Social Constructivism has a

heavy focus on learning through a social nature, which approaches learning through

students’ ownership of ideas and their own questioning of topics. Theorist of Social

Constructivism believe that learners best learn when they are given the opportunity of

social interactions and the building and creating of their own ideas (Faculty of Education:

University of Hong Kong). The ICT used within the lesson on life-cycles, promotes the

students own learning with others, to question, create and develop their own

understanding on the topic. By creating their own books and working in groups to research

these key ideas of lifecycles- the students are offered a rich learning experience. Vygotsky

stressed that while scaffolding was needed, social interactions have a large effect on the

learning (Faculty of Education: University of Hong Kong). Within this lesson, the students are

offered the scaffolding from the teacher, especially when they complete the scavenger

hunt. However, the need to interact with other students to design and develop ideas with

others socially is reoccurring throughout the set of lessons as the create their own book,

discuss key ideas with the class and research the topics with their partners.
 References:

Faculty of Education, University of Hong Kong. (n.d.) What teachers should know about

social constructivism. Retrieved

from http://kb.edu.hku.hk/theory_social_constructivism.html