Constructivism advocates that learners create new knowledge by doing what?

• A. Building on their experiences and prior knowledge
• B. Receiving exact facts from instructor
• C. Memorizing isolated definitions
• D. Avoiding new experiences

Answer: (A)

Constructivism holds that learners actively construct new knowledge by connecting what they’re learning to their own experiences and what they already know. When students encounter new ideas, they interpret them through their existing mental models and adapt those models as needed, often through engagement with real problems, discussion, and reflection. Building on experiences and prior knowledge makes new concepts meaningful and better integrated, leading to deeper understanding.

The other approaches don’t fit this view because learning as a passive transfer of exact facts from an instructor doesn’t require the learner to relate new material to their own experiences. Memorizing isolated definitions is also rote and detached from a broader context, and avoiding new experiences would prevent updating or expanding one’s understanding.