*3.1.3. Constructivism*

This influential paradigm considers knowledge as an experience that is developed by interacting with the world on the basis of prior knowledge. Hence, students are not passive recipients of knowledge. Rather, they make sense of the world by actively building and transforming meaning [39]; teachers become facilitators who guide students towards processing information through active exploration. From this perspective, every learning process is creative, as learners create their own meaning as they attempt to understand the world. As stated by Craft [40], 'in a constructivist frame, learning and creativity are close, if not identical' (p. 61).

#### *3.1.4. Constructionism*

Influenced by Freire and Piaget, Papert elaborated the theory of constructionism. He shares Freire's endeavour to free the latent potential of students, by creating learning environments which connect to their passions [38]. Building on constructivism, constructionism argues that learning better occurs when students make and share tangible artefacts [41]. Hence, this theory is directly related to the *maker* and *digital making* movements.

Papert pioneered the educational use of digital technologies. More than information and communication devices, he considers technologies as powerful educational tools which allow students for concretising and expressing their ideas by designing, building and engineering. Constructionist learning environments are usually not based on a fixed curriculum. Rather, students use technology to build their own projects, while teachers act as facilitators of the process [38]. Hence, learners become designers. The constructionist view highlights the importance of social participation in the knowledge construction process and considers making as an inherently social activity, through which learners design artefacts that are of relevance to a larger community [42].
