Online Learning at CWU: Integrating Constructivism with Online Learning Components

In April of 2004 Faculty who have teaching appointments with the Center for Teaching and Learning were invited to participate in a seminar about the ways they incorporate Constructivist learning theory with Blackboard, CWU's online course management system. Constructivism is the formal philosophy adopted by the College of Education that encompasses a perspective about how learning occurs and how the teaching act influences learning. The seminar presentations were sponsored jointly by Marwin Britto, Director of the Educational Technology Center, and by David Kaufman and Jane Chinn of Multimedia Technology and Instructional Support.

As a framework for discussion faculty were provided with an article and a list of Constructivist tenets on which to relate their own classroom strategies for applying the learning philosophy. "The Conceptual Framework", a document describing the formal philosphy adopted by the College of Education at CWU can be downloaded online at the following URL:
http://www.cwu.edu/~ceps/ncate.html

An excellent synopsis of Constructivism, called "Constructivism and Online Education"(1999) was written by Peter E. Doolittle of Virginia Tech and can be found online at:
http://edpsychserver.ed.vt.edu/workshops/tohe1999/online.html.

This article was referred to by two of the seminar participants, Craig Johnson of Industrial Education and Technology and by Christopher Schedler of the English Department

The following faculty consented to participate in the seminar and give presentations. Select individual names to view streamed video vignettes. The videos require Real Player. If you don't have it please be sure to download the RealPlayer plugin first.

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Ian Quitadamo, Biology
Craig Johnson, Industrial Education and Technology
Susan Lonborg, Psychology
Mark Oursland, Math
Christopher Schedler, English
Andrea Sledge, Education