Instructors' Strategies in Creating and Implementing Constructivist LLM-Based Learning Activities

Aurelia, E., Yeo, S., Lui, M., Law, E., and Tang, A. (2026). Instructors' Strategies in Creating and Implementing Constructivist LLM-Based Learning Activities. In Proceedings of the 2025 International Conference on Human-Engaged Computing (ICHEC '25).

Abstract

Large language models (LLMs) are increasingly being integrated into educational settings, enabling more adoption of constructivist teaching and learning approaches in classrooms. This paper explores the strategies instructors are currently using to incorporate LLMs into learning activities that align with constructivist principles, which emphasize that learners actively construct their own knowledge. Through interviews with nine instructors who have designed eleven distinct LLM-based activities and using reflexive thematic analysis, this study identifies various types of learning activities with respect to four different aspects of the constructivist learning theory. The strategies employed and challenges faced to foster constructivist student-LLM interaction were also discussed. Finally, this paper proposes a shift in AI tool design: moving away from ``know-it-all'' oracles toward LLMs designed as pedagogical peers that can support active, collaborative learning at scale, enhancing the constructivist learning experience.

Materials

URL (https://doi.org/10.1145/3786995.3787043)
DOI (https://doi.org/10.1145/3786995.3787043)

BibTeX

@inproceedings{aurelia2026instructors,
  abstract = {Large language models (LLMs) are increasingly being integrated into educational settings, enabling more adoption of constructivist teaching and learning approaches in classrooms. This paper explores the strategies instructors are currently using to incorporate LLMs into learning activities that align with constructivist principles, which emphasize that learners actively construct their own knowledge. Through interviews with nine instructors who have designed eleven distinct LLM-based activities and using reflexive thematic analysis, this study identifies various types of learning activities with respect to four different aspects of the constructivist learning theory. The strategies employed and challenges faced to foster constructivist student-LLM interaction were also discussed. Finally, this paper proposes a shift in AI tool design: moving away from ``know-it-all'' oracles toward LLMs designed as pedagogical peers that can support active, collaborative learning at scale, enhancing the constructivist learning experience.},
  type = {poster},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1145/3786995.3787043},
  doi = {10.1145/3786995.3787043},
  publisher = {ACM},
  address = {Singapore},
  year = {2026},
  booktitle = {Proceedings of the 2025 International Conference on Human-Engaged Computing (ICHEC '25)},
  title = {Instructors' Strategies in Creating and Implementing Constructivist LLM-Based Learning Activities},
  author = {Aurelia, Emily and Yeo, Shun Yi and Lui, Michelle and Law, Effie Lai-Chong and Tang, Anthony},
}