Constructivism and program comprehension strategies

Program comprehension strategies and learning theories are difficult topics in themselves, and the combination of both can provide some interesting observations. Constructivism differs from the traditional learning theories which suggest knowledge exists as something independent of the individual in several ways. One major premise of constructivism is that we actively construct our knowledge rather than simply absorbing it through repeated practice or predefined steps. Constructivism asserts that there is no knowledge independent of that constructed by the learner, and its construction is a unique experience for each individual. This paper provides an overview of existing program comprehension strategies and contrasts them in relation to the learning theory of constructivism.