Instructional Design Comparison

I have chosen to compare and contrast the Behavioral Approach (BA), which has it’s foundation in the work of B.F. Skinner, and the Constructivist Approach (CA), pioneered by Jean Piaget. BA was used extensively in my high school so I have personal experience with it; CA is what I use in my teaching.

The approaches seem to be similar only in that for both, the end result is the acquisition and application of knowledge. The “Big Picture” difference is the definition and acquisition of meaning. The BA holds that meaning exists in and by itself; the CA holds that learners construct meaning for themselves based on experience.

The comparison chart included in Martin Ryder’s blog and attributed to Irene Chin is an excellent reference and quick overview of these differences:

BA is concerned with observable, changes in student behavior achieved through operant conditioning; CA is concerned with experience, engagement and reflection.

BA views the teacher as presenter of structured material; CA sees the teacher as creator of the learning environment and of activities (experiences) that allow the learner to construct meaning and that provide social context.

BA instructional methods include contract learning, individualized instruction and programmed instruction. CA instruction is based on activities within a group – authentic learning and collaborative learning.

Blogs would be the (nearly) perfect vehicle, (nothing’s perfect, right?) for bringing writing and critical analysis to the middle school general music classroom. In a typical public school class composed of students ages 12 – 14 of varying socioeconomic backgrounds but having similar technology exposure through the school, students could critically listen to audio clips and view performance videos of all genres of music provided by the teacher and brought to class by the students. They could then write reviews posted to a class blog created to look like an entertainment daily. Having students work in small groups, chosen first by the teacher to create a good mix of perspectives, later in groups of their choosing, and finally moving to individual work, would build listening skills, writing/reviewing confidence, utilize all the best features of constructivist learning and show the need and relevance of writing in another context.

I wish this technology had existed when I was teaching! The school did not even include the music room when wiring for internet connectivity because the IT meister couldn’t see the relevance – sure hope that has changed!