Cultivating Community: Constructivist Online Learning in a Teacher Leadership Program
Jessica Devine, Mordechai Gordon
Abstract
In this self-study, our goal is to shed light on what constructivist teaching and learning looks like in an online environment. We first explore the characteristics, goals as well as the limitations of more traditional online teaching. The next part examines constructivist learning theory as well as the impact that this theory has had on issues such as teaching, learning and assessment in online environments. We then illustrate the unique features of a constructivist online learning community in a Master’s in Teacher Leadership program at Quinnipiac University’s School of Education while providing data to evaluate the workings of this community. We conclude this essay by briefly reflecting on some of the advantages of constructivist online learning communities in comparison to more traditional online learning.