Dear @Miranda, as it was stated by dear @Nageswara, we who teach an engineering are using very much constructivism as an approach. You may not avoid it. Laboratory is my love where students finally realize what they have been taught! " A constructivist approach in education means a paradigm shift from instruction to learning emphasis

based on an active self-constructed acquiring of knowledge, skills and competence. Therefore the aim of the article is to substantiate the principles of the constructivist approach in engineering education." Paper is attached!

http://tf.llu.lv/conference/proceedings2013/papers/109_briede_b.pdf

Do you still see teachers who behave as though knowledge can be poured into students' minds?  Please share how you have been facilitating meaningful student learning, as a facilitator. 

I always keep up with research findings, and implement them in my classes, and at the same time, I keep up with training courses interactions and my internet readings and discuss them with students.

Constructivism is a theory of knowledge (epistemology) that argues that humans generate knowledge and meaning from an interaction between their experiences and their ideas. Wikipedia

Particularly in engineering the students are involved in understanding and applying them to objects that they see day-to-day life. What we do therefore is after explaining the concepts, do some problems with examples taken from day-to-day life so that students understand them. After they will spend time on drawing board (CAD) to design and actually make them in the laboratory so that they will remember the principles very effectively.

I am enclosing a few documents that will illustrate these concepts.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constructivism_(philosophy_of_education)

http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/constructivism/

http://www.uni.edu/~rao/Tool%20DesignSyl-2011.pdf

Dear @Miranda, as it was stated by dear @Nageswara, we who teach an engineering are using very much constructivism as an approach. You may not avoid it. Laboratory is my love where students finally realize what they have been taught! " A constructivist approach in education means a paradigm shift from instruction to learning emphasis

based on an active self-constructed acquiring of knowledge, skills and competence. Therefore the aim of the article is to substantiate the principles of the constructivist approach in engineering education." Paper is attached!

http://tf.llu.lv/conference/proceedings2013/papers/109_briede_b.pdf

A constructivist approach in education has been developed on the basis of the paradigm shift from instruction to active, conscious, purposeful learning. Self-constructed acquiring of knowledge, skills and competence is in the center of the approach.

The essence of the constructivist approach is reflected in the following features: motivated, meaningful learning based on a previous experience; activity; self-constructed knowledge, skills and competence; a teacher as a facilitator and counselor; positive and supportive learning environment. Therefore the constructivists support a perspective that for each individual the most important is knowledge which is developed meaningfully by the individual based on his/her experience. Constructivists do not support imposition of knowledge when a student is a passive receiver of information.

in engineering courses we use real life examples and practical projects. The links provide details on applications in engineering

http://rees2009.pbworks.com/f/rees2009_submission_8.pdf

I have learned now what constructivism is... not being familiar with philosophy (and/or concepts) of learning...

Being for 34 years now in my profession as "diagnostic electron microscopist" and having also tought some time (10 or 11 years) "Light & Electron microscopy" in a School (college?) for education of Technical assistances in Hospitals () I always tried to combine "theory" with practical experience and "per-ception" [I guess I can't translate really the meaning of "be-greifen" in German to English (something like "to grasp something" or "take it in your hands actually")].

The problem always was: what do the students know by themselves when starting in a class?? e.g. If they don't know anything or even haven't had the opportunity to see or grasp on a practically, how to teach them anything about ? 

So I think, the sentence: "Learning by doing" and vice verse "Doing besides learning" with the offer of a profound theoretical support (at least there must be an "Introduction" might be the right way. And mentioning research results or findings (even or especially if they actually are copied and pasted into a powerpoint presentation  to be compared with what has to be said in theory) always I find a good idea.

Thanks all for the multiple references too!

To educators and researchers, goes without saying dear Miranada.

Dear Miranda,

Would you be as kind as to explain what kinds of teaching challenge are you interested?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constructivism_(philosophy_of_education)

I studied the models and methods of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) in the teaching of a number of medical disciplines.

I supervised the work (PhD) of the teacher of my Department: "Models and Methods of neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) in the teaching of toxicology and radiology."

The list of my work - RG - brochure on this topic.

I've already written about NLP.

Repeat statement of colleagues: "To educators and researchers, goes without saying dear Miranada".

Dear Miranda,

Are you interested?

P.F. Zabrodskii. Models and methods of neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) in teaching toxicology and radiobiology. Saratov. Saratov Military Medical Institute. 2004. 86 p.

Publisher: Saratov Military Medical Institute, Editor: P.F. Zabrodskii

Edit

ABSTRACT The monograph describes models and methods of neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) in teaching toxicology and radiobiology.

I was once punished for following the "constructivist" approach in teaching instead of the "traditional" approach & this happened about 25 years ago. There were 2 sections for one general chemistry (1) course: one with me & I covered 11 chapters of the textbook and the other with a colleague who covered 12 chapters.

Upon the order of a "high" official at that time, I was directed to teach chapter 12 in general chemistry (2) in the next semester & I was "told" to hurry up in order to give all the subjects. The "advice" at that time to me was "just to give the titles of the sections in each chapter" & proceed!

Of course, I did not pursue the order from above & kept sticking to the constructive approach because of 2 reasons: I learnt the value of this approach in my education diploma program & I know how to test the outcome in my students " who became highly successful, later on, in their careers". Had I followed the sending-receiving approach, the result will be the opposite " destructive" teaching-learning process. Mind you, chapter 12 in the above story was NOT a big deal "the students can do without taking it  altogether" !!

Thanks to all of you for your posts.  Thank for links provided by Profs Nageswara, Ljubomir, Behrouz.  I appreciate Behrouz short simple summary: '...a teacher as a facilitator and counselor; positive and supportive learning environment. Therefore the constructivists support a perspective that for each individual the most important is knowledge which is developed meaningfully by the individual based on his/her experience. Constructivists do not support imposition of knowledge when a student is a passive receiver of information.'

Thanks for sharing direct experiences Dr. Nizar, Wolfgang et al.

It is important not juggling terms and trends in pedagogy, needed a solid knowledge and skills of the students. Important is the ability of students to the creativity, the ability to produce ideas, find solutions to problems!

The teacher plays an important role.

Aristotle did not know what constructivism and NLP!

Aristotle (can be called other names) knew how to teach students!

There's no disputing that Aristotle was a great teacher.  He would have use the jargon of his days, as we do now use our current terms.  Yes, creativity is important.  Perhaps a creative teacher can teach creativity to students, because we can give only what we possess.

'The fact that Aristotle was a pupil of Plato contributed to his former views of Platonism, but, following Plato's death, Aristotle immersed himself in empirical studies and shifted from Platonism to empiricism.[5] He believed all peoples' concepts and all of their knowledge was ultimately based on perception. Aristotle's views on natural sciences represent the groundwork underlying many of his works.

Aristotle's views on physical science profoundly shaped medieval scholarship. Their influence extended into the Renaissance and were not replaced systematically until the Enlightenment and theories such as classical mechanics. Some of Aristotle's zoological observations were not confirmed or refuted until the 19th century.  His works contain the earliest known formal study of logic, which was incorporated in the late 19th century into modern formal logic.'

Dear Miranda Yeoh, 

I agree with you completely.

Theory - this is good. But the important personality of the teacher.

I do not think most teachers use constructivist theories.

"All theory, dear friend, is gray, but the golden tree of life springs ever green".

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (Faust. Eine Tragödie).

Yes, you are right Prof Zabrodskii.  Many teachers and lecturers think that if the students can pass exams, that's all that is needed.  They even tell students to memorize.  Einstein disagrees with them.

Research findings generally as theories I teach for Post Graduate students, since I do not teach under Graduate students. If these sounds good then outline of research work is sketched for their thesis works or some special research problem solving issue.

Thanks Kuldeep.  This is a paper that may be of interest to you and some other friends on this thread.  'Problem-Based Learning as a Teaching Method Versus Lecture-Based Teaching in Respiratory Therapy Education'.

http://scholarworks.gsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1014&context=rt_theses

Dear Miranda Yeoh,

I agree with you completely.

Thank you. You are right.

Einstein - !! +++

I thought so, but did not know of this statement of Einstein.

Dear Prof Zabrodskii, It's not good enough to tell some people that I disagree with their views, because who am I?  Just a small fly.  But I just bring Einstein into the picture, he's the great educator and supplies me with many quotes!

'The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.'  Albert Einstein

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/alberteins148802.html#zSepAFlYo6qtmr9s.99

Dear Miranda Yeoh,

!!!!+++++