EduPsych- Chapter 9 Learning and Cognition in Context

Contextual Theories

• Theoretical frameworks focused on how people’s
  general physical, social, and/or cultural
  surroundings support and influence their learning,
  development, and behavior

Basic Assumptions

• Brain collaborates closely with the body

• Situated cognition= knowledge/skills often tied
  to specific contexts

• Distributed cognition= learners perform better
  when offloading cognitive load

• Social constructivism= learners co-construct
  meaning through collaboration
  • Sociocultural theories= guidance from
  knowledgeable individuals helps learners benefit
  from cultural wisdom

Interactions With More Advanced Individuals

• Benefits of interaction with advanced learners:

  • Teaches cognitive and metacognitive strategies

• Mediated learning experience= connects observations to
  concepts, principles, and theories

  • Guided by more advanced individual

Interactions With Peers

• Research suggests sharing ideas with peers is effective
  in learning

• Benefits of peer collaboration:

• Clarifies/organizes thoughts

• Encourages elaboration on learning

• Exposes diverse perspectives

• Identifies/reflects on inconsistencies

• Models effective thinking/studying strategies

• Develops reasoning, argumentation, and social
  skills

• Fosters advanced epistemic beliefs

Community of Learners

• All students participate and discuss/share to
  acquire knowledge

• Use of diverse resources

• Diversity in students is respected & valued

• Coordination between teachers and students

• Process as important as product

Culture

• Learned behaviors and beliefs that are passed
  from generation to generation

• Facilitates survival and progress

• Aspects of culture can be concrete or abstract

• Most people are involved in multiple cultures

• Always changing

Schemas and Scripts

• Culturally influenced schemas and scripts help
  organize knowledge of the world

• Schema

  • Organized set of facts about a specific topic

• Script

  • Type of schema; predictable sequence of
    events related to a common activity

  • Ex: dining at a restaurant

Worldviews

• Beliefs about how the world works

• Culturally transmitted and often implicit

• Shapes meaning-making processes

• May conflict with academic content

• Students learn more when teachers acknowledge
  and value students’ worldviews

Examples of Worldviews

• Humans have free will

• The world is fair and just

• Consciousness survives death

• Anyone who works hard can be success and make
  a lot of money

• Humans should not consume animals

• Government should provide resources for
  individuals/families who live in poverty

Communities of Practice

• Groups of people who:

  • Share common interests and goals

  • Regularly interact and coordinate efforts

  • Adhere to shared standards

  • Transmit knowledge of acceptable behaviors

  • Introduce newcomers through legitimate
    peripheral participation

    • Begin with simple, low-risk tasks  work
      with experts on complex tasks

Society

• A large, enduring group that shares social and
  economic structures

• Collective institutions and activities

• Influences learning through:

  • Provided resources
    ▪ Distributed knowledge is a resource

• Supported activities
  – Communicated messages

Authentic Activities

• Real-world classroom tasks/assignments

  • Promote meaningful learning & complex
    thinking

  • Encourage resource utilization for better
    outcomes

  • Facilitate knowledge transfer to new situations

  • Boost motivation through relevance
    

• Examples:
  – Problem/Project-based learning
  ▪ Design a board game
  – Service learning
  ▪ Community garden

Technological (Digital) Innovations

• Digital technologies= allow electronic storage,
  manipulation, and transmission of information

• Benefits:

  • Access to distributed knowledge

  • Integrates media and pedagogical strategies

  • Distance learning

• Individualized instruction

• Enables data manipulation with manageable
  cognitive load

• Easy access to diverse knowledge

• Facilitate communication/collaboration

• Supports authentic, real-world activities

• Blends “work” and “play”

Using Technology Effectively

• Use technology to enhance learning, not just for its own
  sake

  • More technology isn’t always better

  • Ensure tech enhances learning and thinking

• Apply traditional instructional principles to tech-based
  activities
  • Structure activities to reduce distractions
  • Teach appropriate social etiquette and technological
  literacy