There are two versions of constructivism. Discuss the difference between radical and social constructivism
Radical constructivism of Von Glasersfeld emphasized that learners construct their own understanding and that they do not simply mirror and reflect what they read. Learners look for meaning and will try to find regularity and order in the events of the world, even in the absence of full or complete information.
Radical constructivism is concerned with three procedures of building the knowledge: the construction of mental structures, the position of cognitive constructivists, and the construction of personal meaning, while cognitive constructivism, involving two levels of construction, structure and meaning.
In other words, the knowledge is individually constructed in radical constructivism, for example; what Ali learns about a particular subject is different from what Saeed learns about the same subject, due to the different experiences that Ali and Saeed have undergone and the different prior knowledge of both. Accordingly; each student process the new information differently and link it with its similarities in the real world, at this stage; the learning becomes meaningful since student individual becomes able to use this information in his or her life or generate new knowledge, the students become producers of information not only consumers.
In radical constructivism, the knowledge is based on personal experience, and the information is more likely to be acquired, retained and retrieved in the future if it is learner-based and related to his previous experiences.
Social constructivism of Vygotsky considered a "strong" form of constructivism, the theory argues that human development and knowledge is constructed through social interaction. Learners manage to construct their own knowledge depending on their own reality.
Social interaction plays a fundamental role in the process of cognitive development. Vygotsky argued that social learning precedes development. He states: “Every function in the child’s cultural development appears twice: first, on the social level, and later, on the individual level; first, between people (interpsychological) and then inside the child (intrapsychological). (Vygotsky, 1978, p. 56).
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References:
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Constructivism (learning theory). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
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Doolittle, P. E. & Camp, W. G. (1999). CONSTRUCTIVISM: THE CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION PERSPECTIVE. Journal of Vocational and Technical Education. Volume 16. Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University. Available at: https://ejournals.lib.vt.edu/JCTE/article/view/706/1017
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Glasersfeld, E. V. (1998). Why constructivism must be radical. Cambridge University
Press, Cambridge: 23–28. -
Lombardi, J. (2008). Introduction to Radical Constructivism. (online video). Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTsY3TosVX0
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Vygotski, . L.S, (1979). Mind in Society/ The Development of Higher Psychological Processes, Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data, USA
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Lombardi, J. (2008). Introduction to Radical Constructivism. (online video). Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTsY3TosVX0