Introduction

Constructivist learning and person-centered education appear to be highly overlapping, but equally exhibit different roots, terminology, practices, and emphases. Hence, the following questions arise:

• What are the commonalities, and what are the differences between the approaches?
• How do the differences, in particular, become apparent in the design and facilitation/implementation of courses?
• Can the two approaches, or aspects of their underlying philosophies, be brought together in a way to be most constructive to all persons involved? How would such a “combined effort” look like?

Constructivism, as primarily a paradigm of knowledge construction can well be enriched by the Person-Centered Approach, stemming from a psychological perspective on personality development in a constructive interpersonal atmosphere. Both aspects, certainly, are essential in our knowledge society.