Learning can be engaged by dialectic, that is, by identifying pros and cons that inhere in propositions, and more generally, by raising questions about the validity of claims. We report here on a classroom case study of dialectical constructivist pedagogy: Students created dialectical analyses of two lectures and four books as core activities in a freshman seminar ‘‘Information, People and Tech...

The study explores the roles of instructional animation to support middle school students’ learning of chemistry concepts. We discuss two roles of animations: a constructivist tool to support visualization and interpretation of chemical processes, and a problem-solving tool to support reasoning about chemical phenomena. We developed Chemation, a handheld-based chemistry animation tool, to addre...

Project-based learning (PBL) is an instructional model rooted in constructivist principles, according to which learning is driven by cognitive conflict and knowledge is constructed by the individual, through collaborative efforts and social interactions. Therefore relying on a social learning environment for implementing a PBL scenario appears beneficial. The approach is illustrated by means of...

This chapter discusses one of the main features of ICT—interactivity. Drawing from many years of Web-based course design and delivery at the University of Hong Kong, it is argued that enhanced interactivity is the single most important reason why teachers should practice Web-based teaching. The notion of conversational learning community (CLC) as a kind of constructivist learning environment is...

Despite the turmoil of a worldwide economic crisis, the health sector remains largely understaffed, and the nursing shortage represents a major issue that jeopardizes graduate nursing education. Access to education remains a challenge, particularly in rural and remote areas. This article reports the process of developing an asynchronous online qualitative research course. This online course was...

Information and communication technologies have played a fundamental role in teaching and learning for many years. Technologies, such as radio and TV, were used during the 50s and 60s for delivering instructional material in audio and/or video format. More recently, the spread of computer-based educational systems has transformed the processes of teaching and learning (Squires, Conole, & Jacobs...

Flexible delivery of educational resources must take account of cultural variables and recognise the specific learning needs, preferences and styles of learners. In designing instruction, there may be a tension between the need to ensure access for a multicultural student population, while at the same time taking into account the need for localisation to accommodate learners’ cognitive styles a...

The purpose of this study was to describe how four teachers in four different cities in Missouri implemented a constructivist-based learning environment (CBLE) that included an innovation cluster that paired an emerging online technology with a unit design framework. The motivating question for the study originated from prior research on teacher reform efforts including the adoption of technolo...