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Toward constructivism for adult learners in online learning environments
Author(s) -
Huang HsiuMei
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
british journal of educational technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.79
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1467-8535
pISSN - 0007-1013
DOI - 10.1111/1467-8535.00236
Subject(s) - constructivism (international relations) , perception , learning theory , online learning , constructivist teaching methods , mathematics education , psychology , educational technology , pedagogy , instructional design , online discussion , computer science , teaching method , multimedia , world wide web , international relations , neuroscience , politics , political science , law
Since online learning has a different setting from the conventional classroom, online educators need to use some special techniques and perceptions to lead to success. Moreover, adults have special needs and requirements as learners compared with children and adolescents, thus online educators should know how adults can learn best because of their special characteristics. Philosophical and methodological shifts also affect instruction. Many researchers have suggested that constructivism should be applied in distance education. Thus, this paper attempts to examine the impact of constructivism in online learning environments when focusing on adult learners. The author develops the connection between constructivism and adult learning theory. In addition, the paper proposes instructional guidelines using the constructivist approach in online learning for adults.