The Interplay of Constructivism and Art
The learning theory that our resource will be predominately based on is constructivism. Although ways of learning normally incorporate different aspects of all of the three learning theories in question – our resource most strongly supports the principles of constructivism. This theory follows the thinking of, “[equating] learning with creating meaning from experience.” (Ertmer, Newby). What this means is that individuals create meaning from their experiences, so in our students partaking in our resource and actively doing art – they then create their own meaning from within that experience. It is not necessarily only the act of experience, but the way that experience interacts with cognitive thinking to generate significance. For learning to be successful and long-lasting, all three of the following factors of, “activity (practice), concept (knowledge), and culture (context),” must be included in the design, and that is something illustrated in our own plans (Ertmer, Newby). We have activity in the form of various hands-on assignments using art materials; than concepts learned through lessons about art, color theory, and painting; and culture reflected in the methods that we learn and teach students within the framework of our own unique perspectives. A more specific example from our course is the texture in painting module; which involves teaching students the concept through a lesson, then having them carry out what they are taught by themselves as an activity in their sketchbooks. Through this process, students experience the learning through creating experience methodology that constructivism is based on. Because of this, constructivism is the theory that our learning resource has been based on, and the one that is reflected in our final product as students learn more about art and creation.
Art of Expression 