The term ‘sustainability’ is appearing increasingly often in the world of business. Whether it’s social sustainability, environmental sustainability, or economic sustainability, this is something that companies can no longer afford to ignore. As such, taking a strong stance on sustainability is no longer an optional extra. It’s essential.  

But before you start thinking that sustainability is all about planting as many trees as you can (though that certainly wouldn’t hurt), there’s much more to it than just that! 

Let’s jump right into the world of sustainability in business and check out some of the different types of sustainability. We’ll also offer actionable steps that businesses can take to increase sustainability. Finally, we’ll attempt to answer the question that we’re sure is on everyone’s people’s lips: “why should you even care about sustainability in business?” 

Social sustainability can often be left by the wayside in favour of other types of sustainability initiatives that are deemed ‘more important’. The truth is, it plays a key role in employee safety and wellbeing in the workplace. It’s equally as important as environmental and economic sustainability.  

The question is: how can we move social sustainability up the priority ladder so it sits in its rightful place next to environmental and economic sustainability?  

Like so many things in the workplace, the answer is education. 

Workplace learning tools are more than just compliance-based training. Many of these platforms have courses that can educate all members of the workplace about how they can be more socially sustainable. 

It can help them answer questions like:  

What can we do to increase psychological safety in the workplace? 

How can we make sure that everyone feels represented within the company? 

How can social sustainability help public perspective of a company? 

One example of social sustainability that we saw explode in popularity at the height of the pandemic was giving employees the option to work from home. By providing this option, employers showed that they cared about their employees’ wellbeing during a very uncertain time around the world. In other words, it gave employees one less thing to worry about!

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know that environmental sustainability is a hot topic in business from an individual level right up to major corporations.  

Understandably, different companies will have different capacities for how they can demonstrate environmental sustainability. However, the point is that companies must make an effort that is visible to both employees and consumers. 

The increasing pressure for businesses to demonstrate economic sustainability is more than just hearsay to make businesses feel guilty. There are some real stats behind it! For example, a 2018 Nielsen study of US consumers revealed that a huge 81% of global consumers feel strongly that companies should be doing something to protect the environment. 

While it may not be initially expected, environmental sustainability has an impact on employee retention too. Another study of 1000 US employees revealed that more than 70% would choose to work at a company if it had a strong environmental agenda. 

Here are some ways, both big and small, that companies can demonstrate a commitment to environmental sustainability: 

Investigate the type of power used to produce products. If they’re made with coal power, is there any potential to switch to a more sustainable power source like solar or wind? 

For documents that you would typically print onto paper, try keeping them as a digital file. Many programs allow for documents to still be highlighted or have notes made on them digitally, negating the need for a printout. You’d be shocked how quickly a sheet of paper or two adds up to thousands of sheets in a business! 

For every waste bin you have around the office, have one for recycling as well. You’ll find that simply having the option to recycle will mean that a lot less goes to waste. It’s a small, short term financial investment for long term environmental gain. 

A big part of maintaining economic sustainability within a business is finding that sweet spot between cutting unnecessary spending while also still investing money in things that could benefit the business’s long term financial growth. 

As much as we’d like it, there’s no yellow brick road that leads straight to Oz in the world of economic sustainability for businesses. 

To determine what increased economic stability may look like for a specific business, it’s best to get in touch with a financial advisor or equivalent professional. In doing so, businesses can get a clear idea of what specific actions they can take to increase and maintain economic sustainability. 

Why should you care about sustainability in business?

You may think sustainability is more of a ‘nice to have’ rather than a ‘must have’ for your business. After all, shouldn't things like financial growth and creating a superstar team of staff be the priority? The truth is, sustainability goes hand in hand with both of these things. 

While environmental, social, and economic sustainability all have distinct business functions, they can be likened to a house of cards. If all three are there, the house of cards can stand with ease. The moment one of them is removed or bumped a little too hard, the house of cards is at risk of collapsing.  

That’s not to say that not focusing on one of these types will cause a business to collapse entirely (there’s usually a lot more to it than that). However, if for example, environmental sustainability is being neglected, the social and economic sustainability of a business is likely to suffer as well. 

For more insights, subscribe to the Go1 newsletter to stay on top of all the latest L&D trends. Or, you can book a demo today to find out how Go1 can help with your team’s learning needs. 

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Before you start thinking that sustainability is about planting trees, there’s more to it than that! We’ll answer the question: “why should you care about sustainability in business?”

Sustainability as a business priority

Have you ever stayed late at work for a meeting in a different time zone, kept your Slack notifications on because your boss expects immediate responses, or, that dreaded cliche, attended a meeting that could have been an email? If these problems sound familiar, you’re experiencing the pitfalls of synchronous communication. 

Synchronous communication is just a fancy way of saying real-time communication. Common examples of synchronous communication include face-to-face conversations, in-person meetings, and phone calls. In other words, any form of communication where you respond instantly. 

While this type of communication certainly has its upsides, the alternative  — asynchronous communication — can be equally beneficial. Yet, it is often overlooked in the workplace, even though a majority of employees (52%) prefer asynchronous communication, and 42% say asynchronous communication is the future of work. 

With this in mind, we’ll explore the benefits of asynchronous communication for L&D. We’ll start by contrasting synchronous and asynchronous communication, before diving into the benefits of asynchronous communication, and finally outlining best practices to embrace asynchronous communication. 

Synchronous communication vs asynchronous communication

To understand the benefits of asynchronous communication for L&D, it’s vital to first understand the difference between synchronous and asynchronous communication. Let’s compare the two communication styles. 

Synchronous communication is simply a fancy way of describing real-time communication. Any time you are talking to someone and they reply instantly, that’s synchronous communication. Examples of synchronous communication include: 

To expand on this, RingCentral defines synchronous communication as “that which takes place in real-time between two or more parties. Put simply; a synchronous communication exchange is an interactive, ‘live’ interchange between people.”

Accordingly, the key characteristic of synchronous communication is that it’s immediate. Synchronous communication happens in real-time as a ‘live’ exchange between two or more people. When you picture a conversion in your head, there’s a 99% chance you’re picturing synchronous communication. 

In contrast, asynchronous communication features a lag between one person sending a message and another person responding. Where synchronous communication happens in real-time, asynchronous communication involves a delay.

For example, sending a message on Slack and waiting an hour for a reply is a form of asynchronous communication. Other examples of asynchronous communication include: 

Basically, any form of communication where you don’t reply instantly is asynchronous. 

As Owl Labs explains, “asynchronous communication is any type of communication where one person provides information, and then there is a time lag before the recipients take in the information and offer their responses.” 

Likewise, Holloway adds that asynchronous communication “happens when information can be exchanged independent of time. It doesn’t require the recipient’s immediate attention, allowing them to respond to the message at their convenience.” 

Thus, the key characteristic of asynchronous communication is that it is not immediate, affording greater flexibility and more time to digest information. 

Essentially, if synchronous communication is live, then asynchronous communication happens on delay. 

To learn more, start your free trial with Go1 today to access word-class training on synchronous vs asynchronous communication and much more. 

The benefits of asynchronous communication

Now that we understand the difference between synchronous and asynchronous communication, let's explore the benefits of asynchronous communication. Strap in, because there’s a lot to cover! 

First things first, asynchronous communication is what employees want. The majority of employees (52%) prefer asynchronous communication to synchronous communication, with 42% saying asynchronous communication is the future of work. It’s never a bad time to give your employees what they want! 

Employees prefer asynchronous communication because it offers far more flexibility and autonomy than synchronous communication, putting them in control of their communication.

Rather than feeling like they have to be ‘on call’ to respond to any request at a moment’s notice, asynchronous communication allows employees flexibility to work at their own pace, digest information, and give more considered and thoughtful responses. 

Why is flexibility so vital? According to the HBR, 59% of people say that flexibility is more important than salary or other benefits. That’s right, most employees would prefer more flexibility to more money, making asynchronous communication an easy win. 

This flexibility can be vital if your employees work across different continents and time zones. In these situations, getting everyone online simultaneously can be a massive logistical challenge, making asynchronous communication a lifesaver.  

When flexibility increases, employees also feel they have a better work-life balance. 

By encouraging asynchronous communication, employees have more control, autonomy, and ownership over how they communicate, rather than being beholden to rigid, synchronous communication. 

For example, rather than attending a mandatory 7:30 meeting, with asynchronous communication, employees might drop their kids off at school, log on when they get home, and contribute their brilliant ideas in a dedicated Slack thread instead. 

All of this leads to a significantly better work-life balance — and the stats back this up. 61% of employees say asynchronous communication results in a better work-life balance, while 35% say asynchronous work results in more purposeful and less distracting communication.

If you’re a results-focused manager, you might be thinking: ‘flexibility and work-life balance are great, but will asynchronous communication result in better output from my employees?’ The answer is a resounding yes. 

64% of people believe asynchronous communication maximises their productivity, as they don’t have to wait for others to complete tasks. Moreover, 69% say it gives them time to perfect ideas and responses before communicating.

Further, research by Slack finds that asynchronous communication saves three hours per week on average by replacing in-person meetings and inefficient communication styles. As a result, employees can reclaim wasted time and be far more efficient. 

While flexibility, productivity, and efficiency all fall under the modern L&D remit, asynchronous communication also benefits L&D teams in a direct, tangible way. 

36% of remote workers say they would prefer to give up email than Slack, Microsoft Teams, or other asynchronous collaboration tools. Given the ubiquity of email, this statistic underscores how valuable asynchronous communication tools are. 

Yet, 70% of L&D teams say their eLearning platform isn’t integrated with their preferred communication platform — a huge missed opportunity for L&D teams looking to get an edge on their competitors! 

Despite these incredible benefits, many businesses are shooting themselves in the foot by not offering asynchronous communication. 58% of people say their company doesn’t have the tools to support asynchronous work, while just 38% work for a company with asynchronous work policies. 

Additionally, in a recent survey, workers said that 40% of meetings could be replaced by asynchronous communication tools like Slack. We know that ‘meeting that could have been an email’ is a common cliche, but that’s a staggering amount. 

If you’re among the 58% of teams who currently don’t have the tools to support asynchronous work, we’re here to help. Below, we’ll dig into best practices for how businesses can embrace asynchronous communication. 

Best practices for asynchronous communication

At this point, it’s clear that the benefits of asynchronous communication are too good to ignore. So, what should your team do to embrace the async way of life? While there is no one-size-fits-all guide to asynchronous communication, here are a few best practices. 

Many people default to synchronous communication because it’s all they’ve ever known. In-person meetings and face-to-face conversations have long been the norm, and it’s hard to break these ingrained habits and unlearn our unconscious biases. 

However, by opening a dialogue (you could start by sharing this article or exploring Go1’s vast training catalogue) and explaining the benefits of asynchronous communication, your teammates will quickly get on board.

We’ll explore the benefits of asynchronous communication for L&D, outlining best practices to embrace asynchronous communication.

The benefits of asynchronous communication for L&D

It may only be February, but have you started to think about your compliance training for 2023?  We know that it can be hard to find the right compliance provider whose style matches your organizations. With Go1, you have multiple providers to select from, ensuring your compliance content meets the needs of your company.  Check out a few of our outstanding compliance content partners below.

What content partners should you check out this month?

Topic coverage: Compliance, Harassment, Data Compliance, Health and Safety, Privacy

155 courses in Premium, ranging from 25 minutes to 2 hours

Top courses: Preventing Discrimination and Harassment; Workplace Diversity, Inclusion, and Sensitivity; Code of Conduct Essentials

Award-winning Sexual Harassment program (Available in English and Spanish)

High-quality video-based learning with interaction and assessments

10+ courses in Premium, 20 minutes in duration 

Top courses: Work Health and Safety (Australia); Work Health and Safety (Australia); Sexual Harassment (Australia); Workplace Bullying (Australia); and, Privacy (Australia) 

Topic coverage:  Health & Safety; Financial Compliance; Data Compliance; Management; Construction; Education

120+ courses in Premium ranging from 10 to 100 minutes in duration 

Top courses: Ladder Safety, GDPR, DSE, Whistleblowing, Anti-Bribery

Courses approved by CPD, IOSH, ROSPA, IIRSM, IATP, CITB, Skills for Care 

Languages: UK English and machine-translated in 30+ languages  

What great new content have our current content partners added to the Content Hub?

Over 2000 titles have been added to the Go1 Content Hub in the past month. Below are some highlights of those additions.

Coorpacademy has added over 430 new titles in the past month, each of them available in English, French, and German (over 1300 new courses total). Specializing in contemporary content needs and aligned with the World Economic Forum’s top skills, new titles from Coorpacademy range from The New KPIs to 5-minute Yoga for Better Digestion and from Hire and Coach Qualified Salespeople to Understanding the Blockchain.

lawpilots has increased their content offering with 230+ new courses available in 35 different languages. With an engaging UX and frequent scenarios, topics include anti-corruption, conflicts of interest, export control, anti-money laundering, data protection, and information security.

Mind Channel now has over 25 sleek new microlearning courses in English and French. Ranging from 6 to 12 minutes in duration, new titles include Introduction to Continuous Improvement, Developing Female Leaders, UX Design & User Experience, and Hand and Power Tool Safety.

Packt has added 30 additional courses on popular tech topics. New titles, which range from 94 to 873 minutes (that’s over 14 hours!) include Learn Power BI, HTML Tutoring for Beginners, Salesforce Anti-Patterns, Mobile development with .NET MAUI, Building Analytics Teams, and Microsoft Azure Fundamentals Certification and Beyond.

Pinktum has expanded their content offering with over 200 new courses available in six languages: English, Spanish, German, French, Portuguese, and Chinese. This latest batch of titles from this customer favorite includes Unconscious Bias – Recognizing and Reducing Prejudices and Stereotypes, Becoming More Productive and Satisfied at Work, Successfully Leading Hybrid Teams, and Lateral Leadership — Leading Effectively Without Being a Supervisor.

Thomson Reuters is in the midst of refreshing their content catalogue, and as a result they have added over 40 new courses in 15 languages. Topics from this renowned compliance provider include anti-money laundering, whistleblowing, data privacy and security, and business continuity management. 

BizLibrary has refreshed their library and added hundreds of new courses in all topics, from leadership and mental health to Microsoft 365. *BizLibrary is restricted in some regions.

This week I looked for courses that would help with change management.  Like all organizations, Go1 is always looking for ways to grow and improve and often that comes with the need to lead others through those changes. Always looking scanning the library for different formats, I found the book summary of The Heart of Change by John Kotter and Dan Cohen from our content partner Soundview, who provides us with a number of executive book summaries.  This quick read gave some great information and advice on how to implement change, get buy-in, and make the change stick. I appreciated the format of this summary, with quick callouts and anecdotes.

It may only be February, but have you started to think about compliance training for 2023? Check out a few of our outstanding compliance content partners.

The Go1 Content Insider - February 2023 edition

Being a well-rounded educator leads to improved student learning, better engagement and personal career growth. The wide variety of skills enable the teacher to bring a plethora of perspectives and knowledge to their teaching, meet diverse student needs, and stay competitive in the job market.

This month, we’re thrilled to introduce our newest and widest range of courses, designed to help you achieve well-rounded excellence.

Which awesome content partners have we added to the platform?

Step up to the plate and bring the excitement of the Australian Football League to your primary students with the AFL’s teacher professional learning courses! With a suite of high-quality, curriculum-aligned materials and expert-led professional learning session, you’ll have everything you need to engage and inspire your students. Immerse yourself in webinars and videos packed with practical techniques and activities and watch your students’ skills soar as they discover the thrill of AFL.

Become a data-informed educator with Selena Fisk’s Data Literacy course. Learn how to sort through numbers, tell the real stories behind the data, and drive positive change in your school. Discover insights hidden in your data to exploit new opportunities and make informed decisions. Gain the skills to access, understand and effectively communicate data in a way that informs great decision-making. This course will equip you with a strategic approach to data and the confidence to have evidence-informed conversations in the classroom, shaping your pedagogical and program decisions.

Say goodbye to burnout and hello to happier, healthier educator with Daniela Falecki’s Five Foundations to Boost Educator Wellbeing course. As the founder and director of Teacher Wellbeing, Daniela brings over 20 years of expertise and a ‘keep-it-real’ approach to the education sector. Get ready to discover the five key aspects of wellbeing that you need to prioritise in order to thrive in your role as an educator or school leader. With Daniela’s passion and practicality, you will receive valuable insights and tools to help you boost your wellbeing and find balance in your life.

Which great content partners are coming soon to EC Premium?

Leon Furze will release a comprehensive course on Practical Reading Strategies, based on his successful and effective book. His approach presents six effective reading strategies through interactive activities, clear instructions, practical examples and theoretical foundations. Secondary teachers will be equipped to elevate their students’ literacy capacities after taking this course. 

Sound Supports offers courses for schools seeking to implement Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). Specifically, they hone in on building effective systems, utilising data-based decision making, and implementing evidence-based practices for improved student outcomes. 

CrookED Science is an award-winning STEM education consultancy founded by STEM expert Dr. Simon Crook. Their evidence-based courses will support primary and secondary schools, teachers and students to access the highest quality STEM education, anywhere.

Check out a short preview of the course by The Cybersafety Project: Creating Cybersafe Communities. Their mission is to provide a whole community approach focused on developing future skills, lifelong habits and self-regulation when innovating and using digital technologies to work, live and play.

Cyber Safety Project: Digital Habits of Young People

Our Featured Playlists are included in all schools’ Learning Hubs and are a great way to see a variety of high-quality content from different providers, all with just one click!

This month, we’re calling all Maths Teachers! With a handful of Maths teachers in the EC team and a few brilliant Content Partners, we just HAD to put together a Maths-focussed playlist! And the best part? It’s not just professional development! Find some awesome classroom resources that you can use today. From activities to thought experiments, games to questions, discover lessons that can adapt to any year and ability level.

Help your students feel confident in ‘playing’ with numbers and see just how beautiful maths can be. Check out this month’s featured playlist, Beautiful Maths, on your learning hub today!

At the start of this month, the Moorooduc Primary School engaged in a whole-school EC Premium workshop to launch the platform with their dedicated Education Success Manager. Staff were supported to access their account, search the library, and engaged in learning on the platform in the one-hour sessions. Staff also made a commitment to themselves and their team regarding the learning they aim to complete in Term 1 of 2023.

The Moorooduc Learning Hub was set up in line with the school Strategic Improvement Plan with a focus on tangible and practical learning in their chosen improvement areas. The Senior Leadership Team has created an assigned learning journey for all staff who will engage in the whole school Professional Learning via the EC Premium platform.

Get in contact with your Education Success Manager if you would like to organise a launch workshop with your staff, to get excited and begin learning on your school’s learning hub. If you’re interested in how we can design a learning hub for your staff based on your Strategic Improvement Plan, reach out to us today via ec.inc! 

As Chief Learning Officer, Maddie leads our content and learning design team to ensure that every professional development course we host on EC premium, and every professional learning program that we run with schools are of the highest quality.

Maddie brings deep academic credentials to the team and is a graduate of three master’s degrees in education and education leadership. As a former teacher, a very experienced K-12 learning consultant and the architect of some of our biggest state and national projects over the last decade, Maddie knows what it takes to build and run great professional learning in schools.

Maddie is a whale chaser (which means she loves whales, travels the world searching for different species, and then kayaks to within a safe distance and says nice things to them).

For more insights, subscribe to the Go1 newsletter to stay on top of all the latest L&D trends. Or, you can book a demo today to find out how Go1 can help with your team’s learning needs.

Embrace February by prioritising your own professional development. Make this season one filled with dynamic techniques to create a heartwarming impact.

The EC Premium Content Insider – February 2023 edition

Embrace February by prioritising your own professional development. Make this season one filled with dynamic techniques to create a heartwarming impact for your students and staff.

Go1 was delighted to welcome Queensland Treasurer, Member for Woodridge and long-time friend of the company, Hon Cameron Dick MP to our Logan office today.  

Go1 Co-founder, Vu Tran took the Treasurer on a tour of the construction site for our new Logan headquarters. 

“This headquarters affirms Go1’s commitment to making Logan our home. We look forward to moving in very soon,” Dr Tran said. 

“We often get asked why we have our headquarters in Logan and our answer is always – why not? Logan has the workforce, ingenuity and diversity Go1 needs to succeed.”  

“We believe that the success of Logan and similar communities around Australia is crucial to our success as a nation.” 

“Go1 has the goal to reach one billion learners globally, we want to democratise education and unleash positive potential through a lifelong love of learning.” 

“The Treasurer is welcome back anytime.”   

Queensland Treasurer, Hon Cameron Dick MP and Go1 Co-founder, Vu Tran

Go1 was delighted to welcome Queensland Treasurer, Member for Woodridge and long-time friend of the company, Hon Cameron Dick MP to our Logan office.  

Go1 welcomes Queensland Treasurer for a tour of our new Go1 Logan headquarters

Go1 was delighted to welcome Queensland Treasurer and Member for Woodridge, Hon Cameron Dick MP to our Logan office.   

Go1 welcomes Queensland Treasurer to tour new Logan Headquarters

How do you learn? If you ask the average person this question, they’ll probably recount a few standard answers; memorising facts, researching data, reading textbooks, discussing topics with friends or colleagues, or completing online courses. Some people may go a step further and consider themselves visual learners or aural learners (despite learning styles being a myth). While most of these are valid answers, they describe learning activities, rather than getting to the core of how we learn. 

At Go1, we believe it is vital to understand how we learn — to learn about learning, as it were. While this is a vast, complex topic, and there is much we still don’t understand about our brains,  neuroplasticity, or how we learn, a love of learning is a core component of what makes us human, so it is a worthy pursuit to understand learning on a deeper, more meaningful level. 

Thankfully, there are a variety of theories that describe how we learn. The five most common learning theories are constructivism, behaviourism, humanism, connectivism, and cognitive learning theory. 

In the coming months, we’ll be launching a learning theories series. Throughout this series, we’ll analyse each of the five most common learning theories to help you better understand how people learn. Already, you can check out our article on cognitive learning theory, and be sure to check back regularly in the coming weeks for more content on behaviourism, humanism, and connectivism. 

Today, we’ll kick off our learning theories series (say that five times fast!) by discussing constructivism, to help you understand constructivist learning theory. We’ll start by asking what constructivism is, before breaking down the types of constructivism and key constructivist principles, and finally analysing the benefits of constructivism for learning and development. 

Constructivism is one of the five most common learning theories, alongside behaviourism, humanism, connectivism, and cognitive learning theory. Constructivist learning theory posits that learning is an active and internal process whereby learners construct information based on their experience of the world. In this way, they build on a foundation of prior knowledge. 

The words ‘active’ and ‘internal’ are key to understanding constructivism, differentiating constructivism from many other learning theories. For example, behaviourism views learning as a passive process that happens in response to external stimuli, whereas constructivism views learning as an active process that happens internally. 

Think of constructivism like an architect designing a skyscraper: each new piece of knowledge is a brick that builds upon your pre-existing foundation. Just as we use mortar to bind bricks together to form a greater whole, constructivism encourages us to synthesise pieces of information to form a deeper, more well-rounded understanding of a given subject. 

As American psychologist Anita Woolfolk summarises, “​​learning is active mental work, not passive reception of teaching.” In this way, constructivism gives learners more control and agency throughout the learning process. 

The University of Buffalo expands on this definition, explaining, “[with constructivism] learners construct knowledge rather than just passively taking in information. As people experience the world…they build their own representations and incorporate new information into their pre-existing knowledge.” 

For example, a group of high-school students are asked to measure a piece of wood without using a ruler or measuring tape. Rather than simply stabbing in the dark, the students can bring their prior knowledge to the table to construct an informed guess. One student knows that they are 5 feet 11 inches tall, another adds that the heels on their standard-issue school shoes are 1.5 inches, while another knows the exact length of an A4 piece of paper. Using this pre-existing foundation of knowledge, they can construct a close estimate of the wood’s length. 

Thus, one of the key defining principles of constructivism is that each new piece of information builds on our prior understanding of the world, rather than each piece of knowledge being discreet. 

Accordingly, the University of Phoenix adds that “constructivists believe learning doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Instead, the theory suggests that people internally and unconsciously relate new information with existing information. In this way, learners actively “construct” their knowledge: They organise information into a unique, individualised base of knowledge.” 

To help solidify these definitions, most conceptions of constructivism outline a few shared, overarching principles. These are: 

1. Knowledge is constructed within learning environments.

2. People discover new ideas as they learn. That is, they learn about learning. 

6. Learning is personal, individual, and unique to the learner. 

7. Learning is an internal mental process, not a response to external stimuli. 

For a more detailed analysis of these constructivist principles, see this handy guide by Simply Psychology. 

Ultimately, while understanding an entire theory of learning can feel like a daunting task, keeping these eight simple principles in mind will go a long way to comprehending constructivism. 

Broadly, there are three main types of constructivism: cognitive constructivism, popularised by Jean Piaget, social constructivism, popularised by Lev Vygotsky, and radical constructivism, popularised by Ernst von Glasersfeld. Below, we will outline the key features of each type of constructivism.

Cognitive constructivism was popularised by Jean Piaget, expanding his theories of cognitive development. Cognitive constructivism is similar to the constructivist theories  we outlined above, emphasising that learning should tie in closely to the learners’ specific stage of cognitive development. 

According to the GSI Teaching and Resource Centre, “cognitive constructivism states knowledge is something that is actively constructed by learners based on their existing cognitive structures. Therefore, learning is relative to their stage of cognitive development. Cognitivist teaching methods aim to assist students in assimilating new information to existing knowledge.”

The University of Phoenix notes that cognitive constructivism was born out of frustrations with behaviourist learning theory, with many psychologists being “critical of behaviourism’s focus on behaviour that could be observed externally, and what they felt was its disregard for the internal psychology of individuals.” 

Lev Vygotsky popularised social constructivism. As the name suggests, social constructivism believes learning is an inherently collaborative and social process. According to social constructivism, learners develop knowledge from interactions with their peers, culture, and society. Therefore, learners rely not just on themselves to construct knowledge, but on others too.

While social constructivism builds on the pioneering work of Piaget, Vygotsky believed Piaget didn’t go far enough. Rather, he saw cognitive constructivism as a theory that “conceived of the learner as an independent entity absorbing information from the environment. That process could be seen as essentially spontaneous and independent.” In contrast, Vygotsky proposed that “learning could not be separated from its social context.” 

Finally, Ernst von Glasersfeld popularised radical constructivism. As the name suggests, von Glasersfeld proposed a far more radical notion of constructivism than either Piaget or Vygotsky.

As the University of Phoenix explains, “von Glasersfeld proposed that objective reality does not exist. In other words, he proposed that subjective knowledge constructions are the entirety of a person’s reality…whereas constructivists say that new knowledge (objective, shared) builds on existing knowledge (subjective, personal) Von Glasersfeld simply takes that concept to its most radical form: that at their most basic level, human beings grow what they know from a place of subjectivity.” 

Likewise, Simply Psychology notes that according to radical constructivism “the knowledge individuals create tells us nothing about reality, and only helps us to function in your environment. Thus, knowledge is invented, not discovered.” 

While this is a difficult concept for many to get their heads around (we don’t blame you if this one’s a head-scratcher), radical constructivism simply proposes that knowledge doesn’t offer us any objective, shared, or universal truth. Instead, it merely helps us to function and interpret the world around us. Therefore, all knowledge is subjective — it is ‘invented’ based on our interpretation, not ‘discovered’ based on absolute fact. Because of our inherent biases and limitations, von Glasersfeld believes it is impossible to construct an objective truth, so we have to make do with interpretations of knowledge, which will vary from person to person. 

For further insights, this helpful guide puts radical constructivism in von Glasersfeld’s own words. 

Now that we understand what constructivism is, common constructivist principles, and the different types of constructivism, it’s time to ask the big question: what are the benefits of applying constructivism over other learning theories? 

As we’ve alluded to, constructivism is a more active process than other learning theories, affording learners more agency, control, and ownership over what and how they learn. This, in turn, makes learners feel more engaged and invested in the learning process. 

By giving learners more agency and ownership over their learning, constructivism also helps to promote more diverse voices, ideas, and opinions. Moreover, it can aid students in developing crucial skills such as analysis, synthesis, critical thinking, and evaluation. This is because constructivism forces students to think more deeply and ‘join the dots’ to synthesise existing knowledge with new ideas. 

Constructivism (particularly cognitive constructivism) can also provide a more relevant and targeted approach to learning, as educators are encouraged to design lessons to suit their students' unique cognitive needs and abilities. By encouraging collaborative learning, students also have the opportunity to develop social skills. 

Don’t just take our word for it, several studies have quantified the benefits of constructivism for learning and development. For example, one study explored the benefits of constructivism for first-year environmental management students. To achieve this, students were “introduced to the idea of a learning or professional journal and provided with guidelines on its structure, but the content was very much of their own choosing.”

Accordingly, the researchers found that students became far more motivated and active participants in their study, using phrases like “I must commit myself here and [I am] at the centre of my own learning.” More specifically, researchers found that students were motivated by “their perception that the topic offered room for autonomy, independent learning, commitment, expanded conceptual understanding and improved capacity to reason.”

Finally, a study published by the Informing Science Institute found that students who followed a constructivist approach had better overall outcomes in terms of grades and motivation. They state, ​“students taught under the constructivist approach have higher mean scores, higher grades, and higher motivation levels as compared to their counterparts taught with other teaching approaches.”

We’ll kick off our learning theories series by discussing constructivism, to help you understand constructivist learning theory.

Understanding constructivist learning theory

We’ll kick off our learning theories series by discussing constructivism, to help you understand constructivist learning theory. 

Welcome to 2023! To get the new year started, we have launched a new 12 Months of Learning campaign, featuring new playlists, while keeping (and updating) a few standout topics from last year.  If you aren’t sure how to keep your learners engaged, check out these playlists for ideas on courses and topics you can use to help your learners keep their upskilling top of mind all year round.

Topic coverage: Health & Safety; Compliance; Mental Health; Soft Skills; Cyber Security

250+ courses, the majority of which are 15 minutes of less in duration; some titles are documents with recommended follow-up resources.

Playlists are available within the Go1 Content Hub

Courses are CPD accredited or IOSH approved

Top Courses: Remote Working 101, The GDPR Guru, Warning Signs

Topic Coverage: Harassment, Sexual Harassment

19 courses, ranging from 30 to 120 minutes

Courses are divided into real-life and relatable micro video sessions which are educational and entertaining

Languages: US-English, courses available with Spanish narration

Top Courses: Sexual Harassment and Abusive Conduct Prevention for Non-Supervisors and Supervisors (coverage for all 50 states available)

Topic Coverage: Leadership, Management, Personal Development, Soft Skills

1000+ courses, with a variety of durations

Interview style videos with experts in their fields

Plus, the Cutting Edge series, using scenarios to help learners connect their learning to real-life situations

Top courses: Appreciate Diversity and Inclusion, Accepting Change, Pick Me Up 

What new content partners have we added to the Content Hub?

Based in the UK, MindGym uses behavioral science to create content that equips companies to deliver business results. 

Topic coverage: General Management; Business Skills; Soft Skills; Personal Development; Collaboration; Managing Stress; Networking; Managing Change; Influencing Skills; Coaching; Goal Setting; Motivation

Offers a consistent UX with a modern look and feel, all under 15 minutes.

A few course recommendations:

Upskillist has added 139 new courses to the Content Hub. This collection of courses, each of which is 30 minutes in duration, ranges from hot topics in technology to how-to programming. Some example titles include E-commerce; Introduction to Prototyping; All about AI; The Evolution of Cryptocurrencies; Python Basics; and Advanced CSS.

Packt continues to grow their offering, adding 29 new in-depth courses to the Content Hub. With durations ranging from 4990 minutes (that’s three and a half days!) to 85 minutes, these courses provide up-to-date learning experiences with titles such as 101 UX Principles; CompTIA Security+ Certification SY0-601: The Total Course; Cyber Warfare – Truth, Tactics, and Strategies; and Job-Ready SQL in an Afternoon.

Marcom contributes a new series of six Safe Lifting courses tailored to different industries. The courses, each 30 minutes in duration, cover safe lifting in the following environments: Transportation and Warehouse; Office; Industrial; and Food Processing and Handling. They also cover the Healthcare environments for Medical Personnel, and Office and Maintenance Personnel. 

What content partners should you check out this month? This edition highlights our 12 Months of Learning campaign to help learners keep upskilling at the top of their mind.

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