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The Information Transfer Process:

A Constructivism Approach to Elementary Education

Breanna Gutierrez

Emporia State University

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The Information Transfer Process:

A Constructivism Approach to Elementary Education

INTRODUCTION

The creation of knowledge dates back to the early inhabitants of our world. Originally

knowledge was diffused to students in an explicit, teacher led delivery. After years of this style

of teaching, a new theory was put into action in the classroom; constructivism. Constructivism

“is a psychological theory of knowledge (epistemology) which argues that humans construct

knowledge and meaning from their experiences” (Constructivism, 2009). The intent of this

paper is to take a step by step look at how constructivism relates to the information transfer

process.

CREATION

Creation is “externally-produced knowledge … through research and development

(Herbert Achleitner, personal communication). The theorist, Jean Piaget, defined a new route for

education to be diffused. Prior to his theory, education was often delivered through lecture and

was generally very teacher centered. Piaget found a need for students to take part in their

education. Piaget developed the theory of cognitive development. “The focus of Jean Piaget’s

theory is the various reconstructions that an individual’s thinking undergoes in the development

of logical reasoning”(Green and Gredler, 2002). His work set the basis for constructivism. He

believed the material world should be the basis for learning and that the learner should

experiment and arrive at conclusions on their own. In Piaget’s constructivism approach, the

teacher facilitates the students learning and creates a spontaneous environment where the
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students can “learn by actively constructing new knowledge, not by having information poured

into their heads” (Beisser and Gillespie, 2003).

Another theorist, Lev Vygotsky, focused on constructivism. While Piaget believed

students learn at their own pace and control their outcome of learning, Vygotsky indentified

complex skills as the goal of cognitive development. In Vygotsky’s theory the teacher is the

model, “‘specifically, the teacher, working with the child, explains, informs, inquires, corrects,

and forces the child himself to explain” (Green and Gredler, 2002). The child takes control of

his learning during the explanation. Vygotsky and Piaget created theories which have

continuously been studied, critiqued, debated, and implemented by professionals.

DISSEMINATION

Knowledge dissemination is “The one-way spreading of information that helps the user

seek and acquire alternative sources of information and learn about options” (Herbert Achleitner,

personal communication). Constructivism has been disseminated in many different outlets. The

movement is prominently featured in academic and practitioner journals and books. Several

published books and journals, such as Educational Leadership, Educational Research, Journal of

Special Education, Learning Disabilities: Research and Practice, School Psychology, feature

constructivism. These texts serve as an outlet to pass on the knowledge of Piaget and Vygotsky.

Another popular and newer approach for the dissemination of constructivism is found on

the internet. The blog, Constructivist Education, found at http://education.onbloglist.com/tunka/,

defines constructivism to the public and informs users of the different theories contributing to

constructivism. This blog is unique because it is strictly disseminating information without

providing an outlet for discussion.

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ORGANIZATION

In order for knowledge to be accessible for patrons it must be organized. Knowledge

organization is “a systematic arranging of data, information, and knowledge to facilitate

identification, access and retrieval” (Herbert Achleitner, personal communication). There are

several ways information is organized. It is organized by the Library of Congress, the Dewey

Decimal system and by subject headings.

Piaget is the main contributor to constructivism; therefore our focus is on his theories and

work. Piaget is found in the Dewey Decimal System under child psychology, reference number

155.4. Piaget can be found in the Library of Congress in developmental psychology, BF723.C5,

education BF723.C5 and also early childhood education (Library of Congress, 2009). These

headings are often used when researching information on Piaget.

DIFFUSION

Once knowledge has been created and disseminated, it must now be diffused. Diffusion

is “the process by which an innovation is communicated through certain channels over time

among members of a social system” (Herbert Achleitner, personal communication).

Constructivism is diffused through workshops or conferences, staff development in-services, and

university curriculum.

Several conferences have workshops focusing on using a constructivist approach in the

classroom. A summer conference that many educators around the United States attend is the

Constructivist Design Conference on Educational Improvement in New York. The conference

gives the background knowledge needed to understand the theory and then immerses the
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participants in a hands on constructivist project to diffuse the information. The conference focus

states,

Some conference participants focus almost exclusively on the task they came to achieve,

while others are more interested in learning constructivist strategies they can adapt to

their own work. Many participants are focused equally on their task and the strategies,

which are modeled throughout the week. Whatever your goal, whatever you want to get

out of the experience.... it can be achieved. (The Institute for Learning Centered

Education, 2009)

After attending conferences and workshops, many educators present staff development

in-services to their school faculty. At Delaware Ridge Elementary School in Bonner Springs, KS

the staff regularly takes part in constructivist based in-services. The school is based on

Expeditionary learning where the students take part in daily learning experiences they help create

and solve. Miss Dykman, a first grade teacher in Bonner explains, “Our curriculum instructors

base nearly all of our staff developments on using a constructivist approach with our students.

They often facilitate our sessions and let us discover the importance of constructivism on our

own.”

The most formal diffusion of constructivism takes part in the university walls. As a

growing number of university education departments are aligning curriculum with constructivist

theory, many students are interested in exploring graduate programs that are similarly focused.

The following lists several universities offering graduate programs in constructivism:

Antioch New England Graduate School, NH

Benedictine University, IL
Castleton State College, VT
Columbia College, MO
Niagara University, NY
Purdue University, IN
St. Lawrence University, NY
SUNY Plattsburg, NY
Virginia Tech, VA (
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After the knowledge of constructivism has been diffused to the recipients they are ready to
utilize the theory.

UTILIZATION

Knowledge can be considered a loss if it is not utilized in some way. Knowledge

utilization is “a process which aims at increasing the employment of knowledge to solve

problems and improve the quality of organizational decision-making” (Herbert Achleitner,

personal communication). Constructivism is utilized throughout the nation and world. Teachers

and students from coast to coast take part in constructivist learning everyday.

Schools have been created on the basis of constructivism. A new trend in schools is

expeditionary learning. In these schools, faculty study constructivist theories and put them in

action in their classrooms. The classroom is set up as crews who work together in their learning.

The Ron Clark Academy Charter School in Atlanta is also an example of constructivism in

action. Ron Clark’s school is designed around the students’ individual learning needs and

growth patterns.

Another utilization of Piaget’s theory is in school curriculum. Many textbooks have been

designed around his theory. The primary math series, Investigations, is designed to let students

explore their own methods of learning. The teacher facilitates the students while they develop

their own strategies and explanations. Students and teachers utilize Piaget’s knowledge in their

everyday practice.

PRESERVATION

Information can only continue in the informational process if is preserved. Knowledge

preservation is “the faithful storage and maintenance of documents to facilitate future use”

(Herbert Achleitner, personal communication). Piaget’s works are all collected within the
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University of Geneva where Piaget resided as an adult. All of Jean Piaget’s writings: books and

articles, conference reports, prefaces and more are stored in their original and translated versions.

The collection also includes original handwritten manuscripts by Piaget. Due to the extreme

fragility of many of these works, they are not available for patrons to check out. However, much

of the collection has been preserved in electronic formats or can be photocopied with permission.

(Archives).

CONCLUSION

The knowledge of constructivism has grown and developed following the information

transfer process. The knowledge was created by theorists such as Piaget and Vygotsky,

disseminated by journals and websites, organized into classification systems and diffused to

users in conferences and graduate school programs. Constructivism is utilized in classroom

settings and curriculum by teachers and students. It is preserved in a special collection at the

University of Geneva. Constructivism continues to cycle through the information transfer

process and is diffused and utilized on a regular basis.

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References

Archives Jean Piaget. Retrieved March 2, 2009, from http://archivespiaget.ch/en/index.html

Dewey Decimal Classification System (13th ed.). (n.d.) Retrieved March 2, 2009, from

http://www-lib.nearnorth.edu.on.ca/dewey/ddc.htm

Beisser,S., & Gillespie, C. (2003). Kindergarteners can do it-so can you: A case study of a

constructionist technology-rich first year seminar for undergraduate college students.

Information Technology in Childhood Education Annual, 243-260.

Constructivism. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

Retrieved March 23rd, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/constructivism

Green, S., & Gredler, M. (2002). A review and analysis of constructivism for school-based practice.
School Pyschology Review, 31, 53-70

Library of Congress. (n.d.) Library of Congress Classification outline: Class P- language and
literature. Retrieved March 1, 2009, from http://www.loc.gov/aba/
cataloging/classification/lcco/lcco_p.pdf

The Institute for Learning Centered Education. Retrieved March 22, 2009, from
http://www.learnercenterded.org