Activating constructivist learning through student presentations in university classrooms
Keywords:
constructivist learning, student presentations, learning communities, higher education pedagogy, African universitiesAbstract
University classrooms are increasingly conceptualised as learning communities in which students actively construct knowledge through dialogue, collaboration, and shared inquiry rather than passively receiving information. Within this pedagogical shift, student presentations are widely used as instructional and assessment practices intended to promote engagement, communication skills, and constructivist learning. However, evidence suggests that the effectiveness of presentation-based pedagogy varies significantly across institutional, cultural, and technological contexts. This article presents a conceptual and critical literature review methodology that examines how student presentations activate constructivist learning communities in university classrooms. Drawing on constructivist learning theory, decolonial perspectives, and critical digital pedagogy, the review analyses global discourses promoting student presentations, their enactment within African higher education contexts, and their implications for classroom power relations, equity, and participation. The analysis identifies key tensions between the ideals of active learning and the practical realities of presentation-based assessment, particularly regarding cultural norms, linguistic diversity, and digital mediation. The article concludes by highlighting conditions under which student presentations can meaningfully support inclusive, dialogic, and collaborative learning communities in higher education and offers conceptual insights relevant to pedagogical design, academic development, and educational policy.
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