Constructivist Learning Theory

I recently completed a research paper on the need for constructivist principles to be more widely adopted in education.  Constructivist concepts are not new; Socrates, Piaget, and Vygotsky theorized about them many years ago.  However, they are still not incorporated into instructional design today as often as perhaps they ought.  I argued that the rise in online and distance education over the past couple decades is demanding a philosophical change in educational pedagogy—a change from instructivism to constructivism.  What I mean by “constructivism” is that educators set up environments that encourage learners to construct understandings of knowledge through a self-discovery process as opposed to teachers “dumping” knowledge on them to memorize.  In other words, education is inquiry-based as opposed to being expository.  How this theory can be practically applied to the virtual learning environment is through the use of interactive and collaborative tools (discussion boards, wikis, chats, etc.), the use of questions in discussion forums that promote critical thinking and reflection (i.e. Socratic questioning), and a philosophical shift from teacher-centered learning to student-centered learning (i.e. the shift from the teacher being a “sage on the stage” to being a “guide on the side”).  This is food for thought.

What say you?  What strategies do you use to promote deep learning and understanding in an online course?