Constructivism

Constructivism is a fancy term for a simple concept.

Did you learn algebra in school? Most of us did, and you might be able to solve for "x" if I were to give you a simple equation like 4x + 1 = 9. Could you have learned how to solve for x without first knowing about addition, multiplication, and other simple operations? Probably not.

Constructivism is the idea that all new knowledge or information must be built on prior information. Without understanding the basic nature of danger, "risk" would be meaningless. Without the basic understanding of what risks are, the term "adventure" is meaningless. Without understanding the nature of adventure, one cannot hope to be a good adventure educator.

This theory says that as we learn, we develop "constructs," what you might call "building blocks" or "concepts" about a particular topic. Those constructs can be built up, combined, added to, or ignored entirely! As we learn more, develop more, and face new questions, those constructs will be modified and utilized to make strong foundations for our understanding.

So how can we use this in our educational practices?
Learning can't be layered on to students before they are ready for the next layer. If you were a traditional teacher, you might simply test a student until they had mastered a skill before moving on (the standardized testing and grading system in most of the United States operates this way - you aren't allowed to move from Math I to Math II without passing, and you repeat a class that you have failed, continuing the cycle). We aren't traditional teachers, though, are we? One thing we can do is allow the student to solve problems with guidance or as a group. This way, they answer their own questions, make new discoveries, and progress at their own developmental pace. Along the way, an adventure educator might challenge their students to develop strong constructs based on their experiences and on other available evidence. Rushing students along would be like rushing the production of the foundation of your house - something that could eventually lead to disaster, as the foundation might not hold up the weight of a house for very long.

Again, Constructivism is a complex term for a simple idea - that learning is built on prior learning and experiences. Remember the mental "houses" of your students, and you won't ignore the progress of their foundations.

This is another excellent resource for understanding Constructivism:
http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/constructivism/index.html