Studying this module on constructivism kindled my mind about different concepts and principles of different theorist on their views about the acquisition of knowledge and skills. I have learned about Piaget’s and Vygotsky’s approaches about learning and the two types of constructivism, cognitive and social. I agree on what constructivists’ belief that development occurs at different rates in different individuals influenced by different factors, such as genes, culture, past experiences and social interactions.

To compare and contrast the theorist’s view on constructivism, I have understood that the core concept of Piaget’s view concentrates on the biological development of the child, while on the contrary, Vygotsky emphasizes the role of an adult in structuring and leading children through stages of development. For Piaget, children’s cognitive development will develop even without the help of More Knowledgeable Other (MKO), as long as the children talk and do things with other people and with their environment they will eventually learn.However, Vygotsky thought that assistance of an adult or more learned person is needed in order to develop child’s cognitive skills. When it comes to language, Piaget believed that it is just a part of a milestone in development. Consequently, Vygotsky found its important role in developing children’s cognitive skills.

It is indeed factual that development occurs at different rates, I can remember the daughters of my cousin who are identical twins. The other one started walking when he was nine months and talking straight when she was two and half years old. Unlike her sister, started walking when she was 1 year old and talking straight when she was 3 years old. This example just shows that the two children, even if they have similar physical characteristics, they still develop at different rates at particular stages.  Given the example above, Piaget believed that children are active learners who construct their knowledge from their environments. They learn through what he called assimilation and accommodation. On the contrary, Vygotsky thought that children develop through conversations with adults, playing allows them to become cognitively active and can perform well with the help of a more advance individual.

Since Vygotsky emphasis on the collaborative nature of learning and the importance of cultural context, he stated that Piaget had failed to notice the significance of social nature of language and that learning is a concerted effort. Whatever differences Piaget and Vygotsky have, it is better to use or observe both theories to study the development of an individual.