Use of Technology for Constructivist Learning in a Performance Assessment Class

Abstract

The use of educational technologies in teaching and learning presents pedagogical concerns and challenges to educators. Combining multimedia technologies with the Web has created new possibilities for the development of instructional materials to deliver course content. However, this use of technology continues to represent traditional conceptions regarding the use of computers. The question remains as to when and how to use various forms of educational technology and how to best integrate them into the classroom. Disciplines such as measurement and evaluation are not free from these challenges, especially when instructors are looking for ways to improve learning of statistical concepts that are hard to retain. Using educational technology as a constructivist tool could aid students to represent their ideas, articulate what they know, and explore, manipulate, and process information, while actively collaborating with each other (Jonassen, Peck, & Wilson, 1999). The purpose of this article is to describe constructivist uses of technology and to present a curriculum unit for a performance assessment class in health and physical education, which is presented as an example of a project-based learning activity that exemplifies a constructivist use of software to support problem solving.