Situated Cognitive Theory By Nonye Nwachukwu & Ruiwen Ma Situated Cognitive Theory

Definition This theory suggests that knowing cannot be separated from doing by stating that all knowledge is situated in activity related to social, cultural and physical contexts. Learning is seen as how a person effectively performs, rather than the accumulation of knowledge. It is a theory of instruction that suggests learning is naturally tied to authentic activity, context, and culture. Two major components of situated cognition are 1) knowledge is conceived as lived practice and 2) learning involves communities of practice. Major proponents of situated cognition propose that communities of practice allows students and instructors to collaboratively create understanding.

History 1980s - Lave and Wenger argues that learning is fundamentally situated 1989 - Brown, Collins and Duguid believed authentic tasking was the only way to produce meaningful learning https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejQiJmA5dQQ

Major Theorists J. Lave argues that learning as it normally occurs is a function of the activity, context and culture in which it occurs Wenger Brown, Collins & Duguid (1989) emphasize the idea of cognitive apprenticeship: "Cognitive apprenticeship supports learning in a domain by enabling students to acquire, develop and use cognitive tools in authentic domain activity. Learning, both outside and inside school, advances through collaborative social interaction and the social construction of knowledge Suchman (1988) explores the situated learning framework in the context of artificial intelligence.

Principles of Situated Learning Knowledge needs to be presented in an authentic context, i.e., settings and applications that would normally involve that knowledge. Provide authentic content that reflects the new way knowledge will be used in real life – non linear design, no attempt to simplify. Provide authentic activities – activities that have real world relevance Provide access to expert performance and modelling of process- access to social periphery, access to expert thinking. Provide coaching and scaffolding – complex open ended learning environment. Provide multiple roles and perspectives- the opportunity to express different points of view. Learning requires social interaction and collaboration

Principles Continued Support collaborative construction of knowledge –Classroom organization in small groups. Promote reflection - opportunity for learners to compare with experts Promote articulation – publicly present arguments to enable defense of learning Provide for authentic assessment – multiple indicators of learning

Debate Activity and learning are bound to the specific situations in which they occur. discuss: Whether learning is bound to context or not depends on both the kind of learning and the way that it is learned. Knowledge does not transfer between tasks. Discuss: There is ample evidence of successful transfer between tasks in the literature. Transfer depends on initial practice and the degree to which a successive task has similar cognitive elements to a prior task. Teaching abstractions is ineffective. Discuss: Abstract instruction can be made effective by combining of abstract concepts and concrete examples. Instruction must happen in complex social contexts. Discuss: Research shows value in individual learning and on focusing individually on specific skills in a skill set.

Benefits Collins (1988) notes four benefits of situated cognition as a theoretical basis for learning. Students learn about the conditions for applying knowledge. Students are more likely to engage in invention and problem- solving when they learn in novel and diverse situations and settings. Students can see the implications of knowledge. Students are supported in structuring knowledge in ways appropriate to later use by gaining and working with that knowledge in context.

Pedagogical implications Curriculum requires instructional design that draws on apprenticeship models common in real life. Curricular design should rely on contextual narratives that situate concepts in practice. Classroom practices such as Project Based Learning and Problem Based Learning would qualify as consistent with the situated learning perspective, as would techniques such as Case Base Learning, Anchored Instruction, and Cognitive Apprenticeship

Discussions Do you think cognitive situated theory can be applied into formal education? How do we as instructors design our instructions to reflect the principles of cognitive situated theory? Do you think we can adopt cognitive situated theory into teaching all subjects? Do you think learners can only acquire knowledge from social interactions and activities?

References Anderson, J.R.; Reder, L.M.; Simon, H.A. (1996). "Situated learning and education". Educational Researcher 25 (4): 5–11. Brown, J.S., Collins, A. & Duguid, S. (1989). Situated cognition and the culture of learning. Educational Researcher, 18(1), 32-42. Cognition & Technology Group at Vanderbilt (March 1993). Anchored instruction and situated cognition revisited. Educational Technology, 33(3), 52-70. Collins, A. (1988). Cognitive Apprenticeship and Instructional technology. (Technical Report No. 6899). BBN Labs Inc., Cambridge, MA. Heidi Digby (2010) Jean Lave: The Situated Learning Theory: Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejQiJmA5dQQ Koreabridge (2015). 3 types of learning: Acquisition, Participation, and Construction. Retrieved from http://koreabridge.net/post/3-types-learning-acquisition-participation-and-construction-andylove7777 Herrington, J., & Oliver, R. (2000). An instructional design framework for authentic learning environments. Educational Technology Research and Development, 48(3), 23-48. Lave, J. (1988). Cognition in Practice: Mind, mathematics, and culture in everyday life. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University < Press. Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. McLellan, H. (1995). Situated Learning Perspectives. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Educational Technology Publications. Suchman, L. (1988). Plans and Situated Actions: The Problem of Human/Machine Communication. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.