Inquiry-Based Training Model and the Design of E-Learning Environments

Cognitive developmental theories attempt to explain cognitive activities that contribute to students’ intellectual development and their capacity to learn and solve problems. Cognitive developmental research has had a great impact on the constructivism movement in education and educational technology. In order to appreciate how cognitive developmental theories have contributed to the design, process and development of constructive e-learning environments, The author will first present Piaget’s cognitive theory and derive an inquiry-training model from it that will support a constructivist approach to teaching and learning. Second, an example developed by the author and his graduate students will be presented that uses the Web as an appropriate instructional delivery medium to apply Piaget’s cognitive theory to create e-learning environments. The result is a collection of simple, uniform, and effective inquiry-training math web sites for elementary and middle school students. The information presented can be applied to other subject areas as well.