Constructive alignment
Encyclopedia
Constructive alignment is a principle used for devising teaching and learning
activities, and assessment tasks, that directly address the learning outcomes intended in a way not typically achieved in traditional lecture
s, tutorial
classes and examinations (Biggs and Tang, 2007). Constructive alignment was devised by Professor
John B. Biggs
, and represents a marriage between a constructivist
understanding of the nature of learning, and an aligned design for outcomes-based teaching education.
Constructive alignment is the underpinning concept behind the current requirements for programme specification, declarations of Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) and assessment criteria, and the use of criterion based assessment. There are two basic concepts behind constructive alignment:
A branch of educational evaluation
theory has emerged that focuses on constructive alignment as a key element in effective educational design. Known as Design Focused Evaluation (Smith 2008) this approach seeks student feedback on the efficacy of the designed alignment between the intended learning outcomes and the teaching and learning activities students engage in during a course of study.
Learning
Learning is acquiring new or modifying existing knowledge, behaviors, skills, values, or preferences and may involve synthesizing different types of information. The ability to learn is possessed by humans, animals and some machines. Progress over time tends to follow learning curves.Human learning...
activities, and assessment tasks, that directly address the learning outcomes intended in a way not typically achieved in traditional lecture
Lecture
thumb|A lecture on [[linear algebra]] at the [[Helsinki University of Technology]]A lecture is an oral presentation intended to present information or teach people about a particular subject, for example by a university or college teacher. Lectures are used to convey critical information, history,...
s, tutorial
Tutorial
A tutorial is one method of transferring knowledge and may be used as a part of a learning process. More interactive and specific than a book or a lecture; a tutorial seeks to teach by example and supply the information to complete a certain task....
classes and examinations (Biggs and Tang, 2007). Constructive alignment was devised by Professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
John B. Biggs
John B. Biggs
John B. Biggs , born in Hobart, Tasmania in 1934, is an Australian educational psychologist and novelist who developed the SOLO Taxonomy for assessing the quality of learning outcomes, and the model of constructive alignment for designing teaching and assessment...
, and represents a marriage between a constructivist
Constructivism (learning theory)
Constructivism is a theory of knowledge that argues that humans generate knowledge and meaning from an interaction between their experiences and their ideas. During infancy, it was an interaction between human experiences and their reflexes or behavior-patterns. Piaget called these systems of...
understanding of the nature of learning, and an aligned design for outcomes-based teaching education.
Constructive alignment is the underpinning concept behind the current requirements for programme specification, declarations of Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) and assessment criteria, and the use of criterion based assessment. There are two basic concepts behind constructive alignment:
- Learners construct meaning from what they do to learn. This concept derives from cognitive psychologyCognitive psychologyCognitive psychology is a subdiscipline of psychology exploring internal mental processes.It is the study of how people perceive, remember, think, speak, and solve problems.Cognitive psychology differs from previous psychological approaches in two key ways....
and constructivistConstructivism (learning theory)Constructivism is a theory of knowledge that argues that humans generate knowledge and meaning from an interaction between their experiences and their ideas. During infancy, it was an interaction between human experiences and their reflexes or behavior-patterns. Piaget called these systems of...
theory, and recognizes the importance of linking new material to concepts and experiences in the learner's memoryMemoryIn psychology, memory is an organism's ability to store, retain, and recall information and experiences. Traditional studies of memory began in the fields of philosophy, including techniques of artificially enhancing memory....
, and extrapolation to possible future scenarios via the abstraction of basic principles through reflection. - The teacher makes a deliberate alignment between the planned learning activities and the learning outcomes. This is a conscious effort to provide the learner with a clearly specified goal, a well designed learning activity or activities that are appropriate for the task, and well designed assessment criteria for giving feedback to the learner.
A branch of educational evaluation
Educational evaluation
Educational evaluation is the evaluation process of characterizing and appraising some aspect/s of an educational process.Q. 3 Discuss the role of standards and criteria in educational evaluation...
theory has emerged that focuses on constructive alignment as a key element in effective educational design. Known as Design Focused Evaluation (Smith 2008) this approach seeks student feedback on the efficacy of the designed alignment between the intended learning outcomes and the teaching and learning activities students engage in during a course of study.