A Constructivist Perspective
By David H. Jonassen and Jane Howland
- a biochemical activity in the brain: by machines that can monitor brain activities, it is possible to "see" learning occurring as different parts of the brain lights up.
- a relatively permanent change in behavior: when exposed to certain stimuli, people respond in predictable ways if they are reinforced for their performance.
- information processing: human mind is capable of making meaning from its environment.
- remembering and recalling: learning is to make sense out of what of is studied.
- is a social negotiation: meaning maker is a process of negotiation among participants through dialogues or conversations, i.e. a "social-dialogical process".
- is thinking skills:
- "logical thinking (judging the relationships between meaning of words and statements);
- critical thinking (knowing the criteria for judging statements covered by the logical dimension), and
- pragmatic thinking (considering the background or purpose of the judgment and the decision as to whether the statement is good enough for the purpose)".
Learning is not only a biochemical activity that occurs in the brain it is a complex active process that affects the whole person, affecting individual behavior and social function.