There are three instructional strategies; problem based inquiry, problem based learning, and project based learning. "Problem based inquiry is an effort to challenge students to address real world problems and resolve realistic dilemmas. Problem based learning is an instructional strategy in which students actively resolve complex problems in realistic situations. Project based learning is a teaching and learning strategy that engages learners in complex activities" (Orey, 2001). These three instructional strategies are not the only ones available to teachers but they work best with the principles of constructivist/constructionist learning theories. The constructionist building blocks are defined by Dr. Orey: Assimilation, Accommodation, and Equilibration. Assimilation occurs when external reality is made to fit within one’s current beliefs and understanding, Accommodation occurs when one’s current beliefs and understandings are altered to fit the external reality and equilibration is the balance between Accommodation and Assimilation.
The key to the correlation between learning strategies and the principles of constructivism is getting the students to achieve equilibrium with the curriculum that you are teaching, which may be a fairy tale because achieving equilibrium in every subject matter for every student is extremely difficult. That being wrote, as teachers we need to do the best with what we have and create as close to equilibrium as possible for the students in our class. The best way to do that is assimilating your subject matter to the reality of our students.
I teach high school math and one way I assimilate math is to have the students look for graphs of equations in their real world and then take a picture of it. They take pictures of seven different items that look like graphs of equations and then put them in slides of a power point. It is a great way for students to realize math is every where.
