Constructivist approach of Vygotsky for innovative trends in learning and teaching

Abstract

"The teacher must adopt the role of facilitator not content provider." Lev S. Vygotsky The goals of education and the objectives of teaching learning process presently have undergone a tremendous change in view of the societal make-over and technological advancements. The focus has now shifted to learner centered strategies from just acquiring the mere knowledge and increasing scores on literacy rate. Learning occurs when the learner constructs his own knowledge mechanisms for learning based on his experiences, aptitude and ability. The work of Lev Vygotsky (1934) has become the foundation of much research and theory in cognitive development over the past several decades, particularly of what has become known as "Social Development Theory". Vygotsky's theories stress the fundamental role of social interaction in the development of cognition, and places its belief strongly that community plays a central role in the process of" making meaning". Vygotsky theory of cognitive development of learners is relevant to instructional concepts such as "scaffolding" and "apprenticeship," in which a teacher or peer helps to structure or arrange a task so that learner can accomplish it wholly. Also, Vygotsky's theories feed into the current interest in collaborative learning, suggesting that group members should have different levels of ability so that more advanced peers can help less advanced members operate within their ZPD. The present paper attempts to examine the psychological basis of innovations in classroom technology in light of Vygotsky's views. And the process of development which can be triggered in learners in any situation with thoughts, intellect, language and observations together to create fundamentally new forms of mental functioning. Introduction We know different learners, in a class, have different learning needs and the right method depends on the situation. As different learning needs call for different instruction methods, the effective technology integration depends on a well-planned match of needs with resources and instruction strategies, along with classroom conditions that support them. The goals of education keep on changing with changing times. Earlier the focus was on acquiring the knowledge of the 3 R's (Reading, wRiting and aRithmetic), now with technological advancements, the society has different challenges and hence different strategies are required to serve today's educational goals. In order to respond to modern challenges, these changes must reflect in the instruction-learning processes inside as well as outside the classrooms. In an attempt to understand the intricate (instruction) learning process, different scholars gave different theories which can be crystallized into two different views on instruction and learning, viz., objectivism and constructivism. (a) Objectivism knowledge has a separate, real existence of its own outside the human mind. Learning happens when this knowledge is transmitted to people and they store it in their minds. (b) Constructivism humans construct all knowledge in their minds by participating in certain experiences. Learning occurs when one constructs both mechanisms for learning with their unique version of knowledge, colored by background, experiences, and aptitude.