Information Design Lab

In formal learning environments such as classrooms, learners are too often positioned as passive — listening, watching, attending, consuming — rather than encouraged to engage as creators — designing, making, producing, constructing.

During the first week of this course, we will (1) investigate the theoretical foundations of learning by creating, and (2) explore how to design learning experiences and technologies that support creating as a central activity.

We do this by focusing on constructionism, a theory of learning developed by Seymour Papert. Constructionism builds on the constructivist theories of Jean Piaget, asserting that knowledge is not simply transmitted from teacher to student, but actively constructed by the mind of the learner. Papert wrote in 1991:

Constructionism shares constructivism’s connotation of learning as ‘building knowledge structures’ irrespective of the circumstances of the learning. It then adds the idea that this happens especially felicitously in a context where the learner is consciously engaged in constructing a public entity, whether it's a sand castle on the beach or a theory of the universe.

Our investigations and explorations will be supported through readings, and a group assignment with construction-oriented learning experiences to experiment whether learners are likely to make new ideas when they are actively engaged in making some type of external artifact, which they can reflect upon and share with others.

The Instructional Design Process (View slides)
Affective Learning Presentation (View slides)
AFP Evaluation Instruments (View slides)
Affective Assessment (View slides)
Swine Flu Ad (Video)