Learning Theories Essay

Lev Vygotsky, born in the U. S. S. R. in 1896, is responsible for the companionable cultivation theory of learning. He proposed that tender interaction profoundly influences cognitive phylogenesis. Vygotskys key point is his whimsey that biological and cultural tuition do non occur in isolation. Vygotsky approached increment differently from Piaget. Piaget believed that cognitive development consists of four main periods of cognitive growth sensory motor, preoperational, concrete operations, and formal operations.Piagets theory intimates that development has an endpoint in goal. Vygotsky, in contrast, believed that development is a process that should be analyzed, instead of a product to be obtained. Marcy P. Driscoll stated (as cited in Riddle, 1999) that Vygotsky believes the development process that begins at birth and continues until death is too complex to be defined by stages. The major theme of Vygotskys theoretical theoretical account is that social interaction play s a fundamental role in the development of cognition.Vygoysky states Every function in the nestlings cultural development appears twice basic, on the social level, and later, on the individual level counterbalance amidst people (interpsychological) and then inside the child (intrapsychological) (Funderstanding, 2001). This applies equally to voluntary attention, to logical memory, and to formation of concepts. All the higher functions originate as material relationships amidst individuals.A second aspect of Vygotskys theory is the root that the potential for cognitive development is limited to a certain eon span that he calls the zone of proximal development (ZPD). Vygotsky believed that this life foresighted process of development was dependent on social interaction and that social learning actually leads to cognitive development (Kearsley, 1998). Vygotsky describes it as the distance between the actual development level as laid by fissiparous problem solving and the le vel of potential development as determined throughLearning Theories 3 problem solving under grownup guidance or in collaboration with more capable peers (Funderstanding, 2001). In former(a) words, a student fanny perform a depute under adult guidance or with peer collaboration that could not be achieved alone. The Zone of Proximal Development bridges the gap between what is known and what clear be known. Vygotsky claimed that learning occurred in this zone. Therefore, Vygotsky revolve arounded on the connections between people and the cultural context in which they act and interact in overlap get a lines.According to Vygotsky, humans exercising tools that develop from a culture, such as speech and writing, to mediate their social environments. Initially, Children develop these tools to service solely as social functions, ways to communicate needs. Vygotsky believed that the internalization of these tools light-emitting diode to higher thinking skills (Riddle, 1999). When Piage t observed young children participating in self-involved speech in their preoperational stage, he believed it was a phase that disappe bed once the child bear oned the stage of concrete operations.Driscoll states (as cited in Riddle, 1999) in contrast, Vygotsky viewed this egocentric speech as a transition from social speech to internalized thought. Thus, Vygotsky believed that thought and actors line could not exist without each other. Vygotskys theory was an attempt to explain consciousness as the end product of socialization. For example, in the learning of language, our first vocal noises with friends or adults are for the purpose of communication, but once know they become internalized and allow inner speech.Traditionally, schools have not promoted environments in which the students play an active role in their reading and in the education of their friends. Vygotskys theory, however, requires the instructor and students to play untraditional roles as they collaborate wi th each other. Instead of a instructor dictating the lessons to students and later evaluate them, a teacher should collaborate with her students in order to create meaningful ways that students can make their own evaluation. Learning then becomes a reciprocal experience for the students and the teacher. Learning Theories 4.The physical classroom, base on Vygotskys theory, would provide clump desks or tables and work musculus quadriceps femoris for peer instruction, collaboration, and small group instruction. care the environment, the instructional design of material would be structured to promote and aid student interaction and collaboration. Thus, the classroom becomes a community of learning. Because Vygotsky asserts that cognitive deviate occurs within the Zone of Proximal development, instruction would be designed to reach a developmental level that is just above the students current developmental level.Vygotsky proclaims, learning which is oriented toward developmental levels that have already been reached is ineffective from the view point of the childs overall development. It does not aim for a new stage of the developmental process, but or else lags behind this process (Social Development, 1996). Appropriation is necessary for cognitive development within the zone of proximal development. Individuals participating in peer collaboration or guided teacher instruction must share the same focus in order to access the zone. Samuel J.Hausfather states (as cited in Riddle, 1999), joint attention and shared problem solving is needed to create a process of cognitive, social, and activated interchange. Furthermore, it is essential that the matchs be on different developmental levels. In addition, the partner that is on the higher level needs to be assured of his partners lower level. If this does not occur, or if one partner continually dominates, the interaction is less successful. Scaffolding and reciprocal instruction are effective strategies to access the zone.Scaffolding requires the teacher to provide students the opportunity to run short the current skills and knowledge. Hausfather reports (as cited in Riddle, 1999) the teacher must engage students interests, simplify tasks so they are manageable, and motivate students to pursue the instructional goal. In addition, the teacher must look for discrepancies between students efforts and the solution, control for frustration and risk, and model an idealized pas seul of the act. Learning Theories 5 Reciprocal teaching allows for the creation of a dialogue between students and teachers.This two-way communication becomes an instructional strategy by encouraging students to go beyond answering and discussing questions. A bring (as cited in Riddle, 1999) demonstrated the Vygotskian approach with reciprocal teaching methods in their successful architectural plan to teach reading strategies. The teacher and students alternated turns leading small group discussions on reading. After modeling four reading strategies, students began to assume the teaching role. Results of this study showed significant gains over other instructional strategies.Cognitively Guided development is another strategy to implement Vygotskys theory. This strategy involves the teacher and students exploring mathematics problems and then sharing their different problem solving strategies in an chip in dialogue (Riddle, 1999). Vygotskys social development theory challenges traditional teaching methods. Historically, schools have been organized around recitation teaching. According to Hausfather, (as cited in Riddle, 1999) the teacher disseminates knowledge to be memorized by the students, who in turn, recite the information choke off to the teacher.However, the studies described above offer empirical evidence that learning, based on the social development theory, facilitates cognitive development over other instructional strategies (Riddle, 1999). School structure does not reflect th e rapid changes that gild is experiencing. Opportunities for social interaction have considerablely increased with the introduction and integration of computer technology. Therefore, the social context for learning is transforming as well.Learning relationships can now be formed from distances through cyberspace, whereas collaboration and peer instruction was once only possible in shared physical space (Bacalarski, 1994). Computer technology is a cultural tool that students can use to mediate and internalize their learning. According to Kathryn Crawford (as cited in Riddle, 1999) recent research suggest changing the Learning Theories 6 learning contexts with technology is a coercive learning activity. If schools continue to resist structural change, students will not be as prepared as they should be for the world.Lev Vygotsky lived during the Russian Revolution, a time of great change in his culture. His theory was that biological and cognitive development does not happen apart f rom each other. These two developments deem and grow from each other. This is when learning takes place. Because of this theory, his environment of change was a great influence in his own cognitive processes. Learning Theories 7 References Bacalarski, M. C. , (1994). Vygotskys Developmental Theories and the Adulthood of Computer Mediated Communication a similitude and an Illumination.Retrieved November 7, 2003 from http//psych. hanover. edu/vygotsky/bacalar. html. Funderstanding, (2001). Vygotsky and Social Cognition. Retrieved November 7, 2003 from http//www. funderstanding. com/vygotsky. cfm. Kearsley, G. , (1998). Social Development (Vygotsky). Retrieved November 9, 2003 from http//members. aol. com/daidpeal/vygotsky. html. Riddle, E. M. , (1999). Lev Vygotskys Social Development Theory. Retrieved November 7, 2003 from www. kihd. gmu. edu/submersion/knowledgebase/theorists/constructivism/vygotsky.