The Nature of Constructionist Learning
MIT OpenCourseWare offers this graduate seminar on constructionism, the learning theory associated with Seymour Papert and the MIT Media Lab, which holds that people build understanding most effectively by constructing things in the world. The course traces the philosophical and theoretical foundations of the approach and asks how new learning researchers can situate their own work within it. Readings cover the interplay between knowledge construction and the development of ideas, learners, tools, and contexts, and students complete projects applying constructionist thinking to their own research questions. Materials include the syllabus, readings list, and assignments as published by MIT's Media Arts and Sciences program. There is no video lecture series; the course is structured as a seminar built around discussion and written work rather than recorded talks. Free to access, with no certificate offered through OCW.