Toward a Constructivist Approach to Web-based Instruction in Software Engineering

Software engineering education today faces two challenges. One challenge comes from the changing perceptions of what learning is about, a shift from objectivist learning which views learning as the transmission of knowledge from the teacher to the learner to constructivist learning which regards learning less as the product of transmission than a process of active construction. The second challenge comes from the new learning opportunities that Web technologies now afford. Because of its versatility and accessibility, the Web can help to shift the focus from knowledge-astransmission to knowledge-as-construction. This paper describes a framework for applying the constructivist learning theory in the design of a Web-based courseware in the field of object-oriented software engineering.