Research On The Design Theory Of Jonassen's Constructivist Learning Environments

With the shift of instruction paradigm as the background, this research, by analyzing and the design theory of Jonassen's constructivist learning environments, intends to promote the construction of a new learning-centered instruction paradigm. The dissertation undertakes a systematic research and an extension of CLEs theory, including the significance of the research, the background of the origin and development of this theory, its foundations, its basic design framework and strategies and a resulted developmental model, so as to identify some possible solutions to and strategies of the transformation of the traditional instruction paradigm.The dissertation includes five chapters.Chapter 1 discusses the value and significance of the research on CLEs. With the drawbacks of the traditional teaching-centered instruction as the entry point, the dissertation puts forward the important standpoint of constructing a learning-centered instruction paradigm, and that the designing of constructivist learning environments may be a feasible approach to it. As a typical representative of learning environments design, CLEs, being forward, systematic and practical, has important research implications and values.Chapter 2 analyzes the context of the origin and development of CLEs. After combing the history of instructional design development in USA, two reasons for the booming of researches on learning environments are identified. One is the turning of epistemology, and the other is a recognition of the complexity of knowledge and learning. On this basis, the dissertation differentiates instruction system design and learning environments design. The objective is to acquire a clearly understanding of the origin and development of learning environments design, and thus helping to lay a foundation for a better understanding of the origin and basic features of CLEs.Chapter 3 analyzes the theoretical foundations of CLEs. The dissertation first systematically reviews the developmental venation and important standpoints of CLEs, and then focuses on an analysis of the assumption of learning, technology and the theoretical foundation guiding the design of CLEs.Chapter 4 is a comparatively micro exploration of CLEs, focusing on the important elements and supporting conditions of CLEs design model, analyzes the key concepts of CLEs and the relationship between them, and the key points deserving attention in the designing of CLEs. This chapter is an important interpretation of this theory, aiming at a systematic and complete understanding of the design of CLEs.Chapter 5 attempts to extend the design theory of CLEs. Based on a contrast among CLEs, OLEs and KF, the dissertation points out the characteristics as well as the deficiency of CLEs. On this basis, by referring to some other mature learning environments theories, the writer puts forward a CLES design model, which is a crisscrossing design network composed of eight elements and twelve evaluation variables.