This essay critically reflects on ‘communal constructivism’ as an e-learning approach. The basis of my argument is that the ubiquity of digital media and the growing influence of the online environment in people’s lives have fundamentally... more
This essay critically reflects on ‘communal constructivism’ as an e-learning approach. The basis of my argument is that the ubiquity of digital media and the growing influence of the online environment in people’s lives have fundamentally changed the nature of learning. I start with a broad overview of the development of learning theories, look in detail at constructivist theories, and then review the impact of digital media in our lives and the increasing evidence of people accessing a ‘virtual world’ on line. The specific institutional and cultural context is therefore the ‘virtual world’ that we all now partly inhabit. Finally, I draw the threads together to posit that ‘communal constructivism’ is a new learning paradigm. I begin with an overview of the changing nature of learning.
