Deck 10: The Learning Sciences and Constructivism

Question 1

Students in Mr.McKay's class are generating ideas about ways to deal with the problem of limited resources for the homeless high school students in their area.They are consulting a variety of resources and experts to represent multiple perspectives on the topic.They want their conclusions to be plausible and plan to invite the mayor to give feedback about their ideas.What approach is Mr.McKay using in this setting?

A)Scaffolded learning
B)Problem-based learning
C)Discovery learning
D)Inquiry learning

Answer 1

Problem-based learning

Question 2

In the following classrooms,which teacher's lesson plan is most likely to result in deep learning?

A)The teacher opens the lesson with a series of discussion questions over the chapter students read in preparation for the new unit of study.
B)The teacher opens the lesson with a lecture over a complex concept in the new unit of study.
C)The teacher opens the lesson with a quiz over the content in the new unit that was assigned for homework.
D)The teacher opens the lesson with a review of prior learning that connects the learning in the new unit to material learned earlier.

Answer 2

The teacher opens the lesson with a review of prior learning that connects the learning in the new unit to material learned earlier.

Question 3

Ms.Angelo provided support students needed to get started on a multifaceted assignment.She circulated,answering questions,making suggestions,and encouraging students to review the instructions.On the second day,she monitored students as they continued to work on the project.Now she is certain that everyone is on the right track.At this point,what level of scaffolding is appropriate?

A)Fading support
B)Differentiation
C)Contingency support
D)Transfer of responsibility to students

Answer 3

Transfer of responsibility to students

Question 4

The principal at Bragg Elementary School held a meeting in which he reminded teachers to create learning environments that represent constructivist perspectives.Which of the following environments is LEAST likely to meet the principal's expectations?

A)One teacher created a simulation in which students carry out tasks that would be performed on a space station.
B)Another teacher sets aside a time every day for students to suggest ways they might take something they learned at school and use it away from school.
C)Another teacher provides a checklist format for students to keep track of their progress and take responsibility for turning in assignments on time.
D)Another teacher puts his notes on PowerPoint and lectures from them to help students take precise notes that capture the content without misunderstandings.

Question 5

The students in Ms.Lemley's class are working on a project in which their collaborative groups take different positions on an issue related to the world economy.They conduct research and discuss ideas that support their positions.After each group presents its position and defense,the entire class discusses pros and cons of proposed positions.These students are involved in:

A)scaffolding.
B)social negotiation.
C)a community of practice.
D)Piaget's idea of assimilation.

Question 6

According to cognitive science,which conditions are most likely to result in deep learning?

A)Corey reflected on his new thought about applying the mathematical principle he just learned and realized that he will use it again.
B)Vanessa answered the questions at the end of the chapter in her science text.
C)Brock took notes over the lecture in psychology and copied the new vocabulary words for the unit.
D)Larenda memorized the information in her notes about the conservation of energy.

Question 7

Mr.Hester uses cooperative group activities every week in his middle school language arts classes.He believes that the social interactions involved in such activities shape students' learning.Which of the following theorists most likely influenced Mr.Hester's thinking?

A)Information processing theorists
B)Piaget
C)Vygotsky
D)Bruner

Question 8

Nicole excitedly describes her group activity to her mentor teacher.She explains that students will get into groups of three and take turns calling out new vocabulary words to the others in the group.They will earn points for spelling the word correctly,defining it,and using it in a sentence.What kind of group work is Nicole describing?

A)Reciprocal teaching groups
B)Inquiry group work
C)Cooperative learning
D)Small group work

Question 9

Based on assumptions of the learning sciences,learning comes from:

A)the teacher or mentor.
B)the learner.
C)an information source.
D)a universal knowledge source.

Question 10

Constructivist theories of learning usually agree on two central ideas.One central idea states that social interactions are important in the process of constructing knowledge.What is the other central idea?

A)Individuals do not construct knowledge;groups construct knowledge.
B)Learners must be taught to construct knowledge.
C)The role of the teacher is important in the process of constructing knowledge.
D)Learners are active in constructing their own knowledge.

Question 11

What types of problems do students confront in problem-based learning?

A)Highly structured problems
B)Ill-structured problems
C)Skill-building problems
D)Scientific problems

Question 12

Ms.Moreno works with students at the upper elementary school level who are struggling to comprehend what they read in the content areas.Today,a group of her students is reading a passage in geography.After reading,one student pretends to be the teacher and asks the other three to summarize the passage.Next,the students generate questions to ask one another about the main idea.Then they clarify anything that was confusing and make predictions about what they will learn in the next section of the text.What procedure are these students using?

A)Inquiry
B)Reciprocal teaching
C)Cognitive apprenticeship
D)Embodied cognition

Question 13

In science class,the teacher posed the question,"Can photosynthetic plants live without sunlight?" Students planted seeds,provided water and sunlight,and watched them grow.Now they are formulating hypotheses about the teacher's question,denying sunlight to their plants and collecting data day by day.At this point they are ready to discuss their evidence and draw conclusions.What teaching approach is being used in this classroom?

A)Problem-based learning
B)Direct teaching
C)Unassisted discovery
D)Inquiry learning

Question 14

Tye got behind in physics after his basketball injury.He talked to his physics teacher and worked out a plan to get tutoring from the lab assistant.The tutor helped Tye catch up on understanding of concepts and also guided him through the experiments in the lab.Tye's approach to learning in this situation is an example of:

A)a cognitive apprenticeship.
B)problem-based learning.
C)reciprocal teaching.
D)inquiry learning.

Question 15

Teachers often assign roles for students to perform in their cooperative groups.Which role is typically responsible for explaining concepts and helping the group understand academic content?

A)Taskmaster
B)Gate keeper
C)Coach
D)Question commander

Question 16

Mr.Phillips is grouping his fifth-grade students for a cooperative learning project that will span class periods for two weeks.He has 5 groups of four plus one group of three.He balanced the number of boys and girls in the groups and made sure the students who are perceived by their peers to be different were placed in a group together.What does he need to change about his groups?

A)He has grouped them appropriately and needs to change nothing.
B)Increase the size of the groups to five or six students per group.
C)Group boys and girls separately at this age.
D)Place a student who is different in a group with a student who is tolerant.

Question 17

Which of the following teachers incorporates one or more of the common elements of constructivist student-centered teaching?

A)Mr.Tindal gives the students additional homework questions for extra credit when he covers complex new concepts in science.
B)Ms.Fowler writes the assignments on the board and has seatwork ready for students when they arrive each morning.
C)Mr.Franks rewards his students with extra points when they complete their spelling assignments and make a perfect score on the test.
D)Mrs.Kim's math center has containers with colored beads,building blocks,and play money for children to use when they solve tasks together.

Question 18

Mr.Reese conducted a concept lesson in math and assigned a challenging task.He expected some of his students to grasp the concept and complete the task with moderate effort,but he knew other students would not.He monitored their progress,stopping to ask prompting questions or drop hints to help students connect prior learning with this new concept.Mr.Reese was providing:

A)cognitive constructivism.
B)social negotiation.
C)scaffolding.
D)spiral curriculum.

Question 19

You are teaching a unit that includes a large amount of information the students need to understand.The material is not complex,but students should have working knowledge and be able to apply it in future lessons.Rather than lecturing to present the information,you want to use some form of cooperative learning for students to encounter the information.Which of the following strategies fits your goal in this situation?

A)Reciprocal questioning
B)Jigsaw learning
C)Reciprocal teaching
D)Structured controversy

Question 20

Mrs.Warner believes that students need to learn to respect one another and build skills that will help them relate to others throughout life.In general,what kind of assignments will help her students gain these skills?

A)Cooperative group assignments
B)Highly structured assignments
C)Collaborative group assignments
D)Reciprocal learning assignments

Question 21

Mrs.Pollock wants to use the computers in her classroom to help her second grade students improve their math scores on achievement tests.Based on reviews about technology and learning,which of the following plans is most likely to help Mrs.Pollock meet her goal?

A)Animated characters talking about math with sound effects and music
B)Simulation of a classroom activity that involves using math in a fun way
C)Tutorial requiring active engagement and frequent interaction with feedback
D)Examples of story problems read and worked by an expert

Question 22

Many constructivist approaches to learning recommend five conditions for learning.In light of these five conditions,contrast traditional classroom teaching with teaching based on these constructivist conditions.

Question 23

Students in Mrs.Davis's high school media class are designing instructional videos.Their target audience is students in grades 1-3.Their goal is to help these students use technology safely,wisely,and abide by rules of netiquette.As they finish developing a video lesson,they arrange to go into the classrooms in grades 1-3 and present the lesson to the children.After each lesson,the high school students discuss their reflections about the session.They look for ways to improve the lesson and transfer those types of changes to the next lesson.The attentiveness of the young children helps Mrs.Davis's high school students feel that they are making a difference.
Is this an example of service learning? Explain why or why not on the basis of established characteristics of service learning.

Question 24

Butterfly defect is a phenomenon that occurs when students "flutter from one enticing link on the Internet to the next,often forgetting what they are researching." They may begin with a homework assignment in which they research examples of a specific economic downturn.They begin a search by entering keywords into Google.An hour later,they have not completed their search or succeeded in finding examples.
Create a draft for the content of a lesson plan that deals with "butterfly defect" in a high school classroom.Use a constructivist approach to address the problem.

Question 25

The interdisciplinary science of learning is based on research from many fields that study learning.Despite their different perspectives,experts in the learning sciences agree on some basic assumptions.One basic assumption is that experts have deep conceptual knowledge.Another is that learning comes from the learner.
Describe at least two practices in traditional classrooms that seem inconsistent with these assumptions.

Question 26

In conjunction with a unit on environmentalism,students in Ms.Stremmel's class placed recycle bins in three locations at school.They collect the recycled goods and take them to the recycling center every Friday after school.This is an example of:

A)inquiry.
B)service learning.
C)community service.
D)cooperative learning.

Question 27

As a typical teen,Hanson spends more than 60 minutes a day on the Internet.He checks social media and Googles to find information for school.He gets distracted by links within sites and ads in the margins.As he multitasks,he follows links posted by friends and moves from one site to another.He often forgets what he reads when he skims so many different sites.This type of Internet searching often leads to:

A)jigsaw learning.
B)embodied cognition.
C)situated learning.
D)butterfly defect.

Question 28

Mr.Holland claims to use cooperative learning.He groups students,gives them math assignments in the book,and allows them to decide whether they work with group members or work independently.Mr.Holland needs your help to understand true cooperative learning and revise his practice to achieve it.
Describe how Mr.Holland should set up his groups for cooperative learning.
What does Mr.Holland need to do to turn his math assignments into true cooperative learning? Be sure to include all five elements of cooperative learning in your answer.

Question 29

Students in Mr.Morrow's sixth grade math class have provided math tutoring for students in the second grade.They conducted this service learning project for four weeks to use their math skills and meet needs of struggling young students.What additional learning activity must be involved for this project to exhibit the characteristics of service learning?

A)Reflect and write about the service experience
B)Assess the learning of the young students to measure gains in learning
C)Evaluate the effectiveness of the service they provided
D)Analyze the process of providing the service

Question 30

The preschool children in Ms.Anderson's class love to use technology-everything from computers to smartphones and tablets.Parents of several children talk with pride about their child's techno savvy ways.Based on studies about the use of technology with young children,which parents boast about technology use that is NOT good for the child?

A)Devan's parents talk about his skill in learning to turn gadgets on and off and listen to voicemail messages.
B)Jazz's parents talk about the way she can sit for an hour by herself and do the drill-and-practice program about numbers.
C)Larena's parents talk about her following simple spoken instructions that lead her through games of rhyming words.
D)Paul's parents talk about his skill in using the iPad's camera to capture plants and animals that interest him.