Definitions of Online Constructivism in the Literature

Crumpacker describes constructivist online approaches as being active, as each student is responsible for discovering, constructing, practicing, and validating acquired knowledge via active exploration and interactive social collaboration. For educational success, he further suggests that such collaborative pedagogy using constructivist principles shifts the focus from assistive teacher-student interaction found in face-to-face learning experiences to the pivotal role of building supportive peer relationships in technology-based teaching.

Experiential learning as a defined constructivist framework is used as an approach in online course design by Nunes, McPherson and Rico, whose design elements are described as a "blend of activities that promoted reflective practice within an active learner environment conducive to collaborative learning". Additionally, Williams asserts that online instruction that defines the use of a constructivist theoretical perspective must specifically use methods and strategies that assist learners in actively exploring complex topics. Thus, Williams asserts that the constructivist content must be well-defined so that knowledge connects to the context under study and to the experiences that the learners bring to that context. Ermer and Newby and Wilson offer further definition to the use and elements of constructivist theory in online design:

1. Emphasis on identifying the context in which skills will be learned and applied as applications of learning in meaningful contexts.

2. Emphasis on learner control and capability of the learner to manipulate information. Premise is for the learner to actively use what is being learned.

3. Need for information to be presented in a variety of ways. For reinforcement of important content, design process allows for revisiting content at different times in rearranged contexts for different purposes and from different perspectives.

4. Support for the use of problem-solving skills that allow the learner to expand their thinking beyond the information given.

5. Assessment focuses on transfer of knowledge and skills. Ortiz describes design elements for constructivism online as "rooting educational activities in a realistic situation that embodies the knowledge and skills that students need to learn". She further describes this pursuit of knowledge as becoming dynamic, based on encouragement of collaboration and communication among learners as an integral part of the process. Additionally, she suggests that in a well-formulated design for online coursework, learners are encouraged to bring prior experiences and current understanding, while negotiating and refining their understanding through continuous reflection within both content and process. Ortiz concludes that the resulting learning becomes an informed student-activated response to the construction of meaning.