Students often spend so much time taking notes that they do not comprehend information in traditional classes. Also, they come to focus on memorizing information instead of analyzing it or coming up with new ideas. Rote memorization holds precedence over critical thinking in traditional classrooms.
Teachers try to get students to work in groups so they can learn from each other and develop group work skills. According to the San Francisco State University website, teachers interact with the students and moderate the students' environment, but give students many opportunities to explore on their own. Teachers must be only one of many resources the students can choose from, not the only resource. Students must be encouraged to take the initiative when learning new ideas, instead of waiting for the teacher to disseminate the information.
Teachers present information to students by teaching them big concepts first and then having them learn increasingly more simplistic concepts that support the larger ideas. Teachers build activities on primary sources provided to the students by the teacher or discovered by the students themselves. Primary sources are raw and unedited, unlike information gleaned from raw data and converted into directive textbook material designed to encourage students to engage in certain types of thought.
Teachers observe students as they learn skills and assess them as they learn. Constructivism classes rely more heavily on exhibitions and portfolios, which allow teachers to observe the student’s progression of skills. Teachers also ask questions as a form of assessment. Questions are a crucial part of the constructivist classroom. Students are encouraged to ask questions and, according to the University of Maryland website, the teacher must allow these questions to drive the curriculum.
Students come into classes with their own ideas and cognitive structures. Teachers must connect new knowledge, which students adapt to their already existing cognitive structure. When students hold wrong or incomplete ideas in their heads and teachers present them with new information, students will, theoretically, reformulate their ideas. Teachers must try to put students into situations where their previously held assumptions are questioned.
Metacognitive skills allow students to learn on their own, which will benefit them when they are required to acquire skills outside the classroom. These skills involve students assessing their thought patterns to determine whether they are learning the most effectively, changing the learning approach when necessary.