Situated learning

The theory of situated learning (also -situated cognition) illuminates the social anchoring of individual learning. Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger were responsible in the development of the idea.

A variety of learning theories attempt to explain how human learning takes place. The majority of these theories focuses on the individual as a learner. Early 1990s have scientists from different disciplines come together to explore the social dimension of learning.

For the understanding of the theory, it is important to consider the theoretical guiding principle of the concept. These were partly developed in the course of development of the theory with this. These guiding principles include the importance of negotiation, the heeled context, including the theory of communities of practice, identity development as one of the main goals of the learning process for the learning person. Another central idea of the theoretical model of situated learning is that the social context which enables individual learning, developed with the learning person. Theories that have taken this mindset are, for example distribuierte cognition.

• 2.1 From the analysis model is applied
• 2.2 Application
• 2.3 Example of application: design of a learning situation and a learning environment,
• 2.4 The role of the teacher
• 2.5 Situierte Cognition and Instruction

• 3.1 Other models of ' social learning '
• 3.2 Application in German-speaking

Core idea of ​​the theory

In what learning situations, the theoretical model of situated learning refers?

In many models of teaching and learning specific learning situations are taken a closer look at (for example learning in the classroom ). When heeled learning there has been a change in the focused learning situation.

• First, the developers have focused everyday Lehr-/Lernsituationen. Not learning as such stood solely in the foreground, but the action situation in which learning is also interwoven and embedded. Situations that have been analyzed for the development of the model, were the informal ' training situation ' Apprenticeship.
• The model was developed as a ' universal ': Situated learning takes place not only in ' Apprenticeship' situations, but also in the context -situated in schools and businesses. The basic assumption of the model developer is here that learning can never take place without such a context (see Wenger, which highlights the drastic consequences of blocking for individual and businesses ). Due to the lucrative field of application of the model took place focusing on companies.

Each situation has specific context elements that influence the learning situation and the possibilities for the individual and the learning community.

• A model that illuminates the double-layered school learning situations, the ' fingerprint ' of the school context situation analyzed is still pending ( in approaches Bernd Hackl, Klaus Holzenkamp ).
• A model that analyzed the teeth of individual development in the context -situated, is under development.

Learning as, Negotiation of Meaning ' - meaning negotiation

Theories of situated learning have a common starting assumption. They are directed against assumptions that knowledge is transmitted from the teacher to the learners so that the learners after the knowledge acquired in exactly the same shape as the teacher (see Nuremberg funnel). The theory of situated learning, however, assumes that knowledge can not be transferred from one person to another. Learning requires the negotiation of meaning in the situation ( ' situation Backtalk, Schoen, 1986) and the negotiation of social structures condition.

Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger summarize these initial adoption of:

"Learning as internalization is too Easily construed as to unproblematic process of absorbing the givenName, as a matter of transmission and assimilation. "

This unproblematic acceptance of learning as intake of knowledge is critically examined in the concept of situated learning.

Of situated context

The theory of situated learning implies that learning is ' situated ' takes place. That is, learning is embedded in the situational context. The concept of ' situatedness ' goes back to a ' neologism ' ( neologism ) by Lucy Suchman in the mid 80s. Suchman, pointing to the importance of context for human cognition and thus brought a hitherto underexposed perspective in the cognitive discussion, which has been limited ( The criticism by Nardi 1998 s ) so far on the human brain as a ' seat of cognition machine '.

Context is interpreted as

• Reifikationen (tools, instructions, thoughts, models, plans, see Suchman 1987)
• Practice in the social context (eg, Lave, Wenger 1991)

Situatedness means in the context of the theoretical model of situated learning thus taking place in a social context with a focus on an analysis of precisely this context.

Construction of identity in the foreground

Another central element of the theory of situated learning is that not is on the development of cognitive structures in the foreground. There is a correlation between people 's internal ( cognitive ) and personal external processes ( situation). With situation is not only a material aspect meant ( available tools, etc. ), but also and especially the social environment of the learner.

In the concept of situated learning learning takes place as ' meaning negotiation ' at / near the

• Construction, extension and change of identity
• Expansion of opportunities for participation in social context.

Chaiklin and Lave explain:

" We have come to the conclusion [ ... ] thatthere is no such thing as" learning " sui generis, but only changing participation in the culturally designed settings of everyday life. Or, to put it in other way around, participation in everyday life 'may be thought of as a process of changing understanding in practice, did is, as learning. "

" Learning to do is part of learning to become and to belong. "

The importance of situated context for learning

Of central importance is the role of social interaction in the concept of situated learning. Social interaction is interpreted in the concept of situated learning as a 'space' in which experiences are made and skills can be developed ( Wenger 1998). Social contacts are used as a way for the individual to negotiate meaning. They enable individuals to carry out practices and learn to understand that they could not accomplish without outside help.

What has the environment to do with the process of learning of the individual?

The idea of learning in a context -off brings the idea of ​​learning in a social context with it. This assumption is frequently confused with the ' learning by doing '. The focus of the concept of ' learning by doing ' is on the practical not the analysis of the social Bedingungsgefueges, as is the case with the ' Situated Learning '. Lave and Wenger emphasize (1991 ) that the model of situated learning of a dramatic expansion of the theoretical assumptions and models of a ' Learning in Doing ' mean.

"This conception of situated learning CLEARLY what more encompassing in intent than Conventional notions of ' learning in situ ' or ' learning by doing ' For Which It what used as a rough equivalent. [ ... ] We have tried to capture this new view under the rubric of legitimate peripheral participation. Discussing each shift in turn help to clarify our june Reasons for coming to the characterize learning as legitimate peripheral participation in communities of practice. "

To explain these types of ' embedding ' were developed further theoretical models:

• Legitimate Peripheral Participation The model ( Lave, Wenger 1991)
• The model of communities of practice that make the place can take place in the Legitimate Peripheral Participation or is prevented ( Wenger 1998)
• The model of scaffolding ( Wood et al, 1978;. Bruner et al 1976. Based on the fundamental assumption of a Zone of Proximal Development, Vygotsky, 1930/1978 )

Development of identity and shaping the environment in the interplay

Another basic assumption of situated learning is that the individual is not only influenced by its environment, but that this also characterizes itself its environment. The Community of Practice opens up the realm of experience for Legitimate Peripheral Participation ( or blocked access to it ) for the New Comer, on the one hand. On the other hand, the members of a community of practice shape the practice of this community.

Lave cites Giddens and Bourdieu:

" We have to avoid any account of socialization Which presumes Either did the subject is deterministic mined by the social object (the individual simply as' molded by society ); or, by contrast, Which takes subjectivity for granted as to inherent characteristic of human beings, not in need of explication. "

"We shall escape from the ritual either / or choice in between objectivism and subjectivism ... only if we are prepared to inquire into the mode of production and functioning of the practical mastery Which makes possible to objectively intelligible Both practice and thus to objectively enchanted experience of did practice. "

Relation to constructivism debate in the German literature

Knowledge is always formed by an active construction process from learners in the situational context reference, which has given the to-do learning his name. This theory is often seen in the German literature in the context of constructivism discussion. In the English literature, from which the concept of ' situatedness ' is taken, a reference is hardly prepared to constructivism. The group of authors who have developed the concept of ' Situated Learning ' has even explicitly point out that the theoretical area with constructivist theories, a very different cognitive interest follows despite overlapping meaning farms ( namely the development of an analytical framework for assessing the social context individual learning activities ).

Application of the theoretical analysis of the concept

From the analysis model is applied

The concept of situated learning was originally intended as a model for the analysis of learning situations ( Suchman 1987, Lave, Wenger 1991).

As such, the idea of ​​situatedness is the end of the 80s the subject of numerous new theoretical models become (so the ' Situated Learning ' by Lave and Wenger, the concept of ' communities of practice ').

This analysis models were then used as the basis for design concepts.

Application

The theory of situated learning has been applied in various fields. These include, among others, the design of work and school learning.

You straighten up

• The design of individual learning situations
• The design of the learning environment
• The transformation of broader organizational processes and institutions ( see, eg, Brown, Duguid 1991).

Example: designing a learning situation and a learning environment,

The theory of situated learning assumes that knowledge is created anew by an active process of construction in learners. Hence consequences for the design of learning environments are drawn.

If designed a learning situation that should be considered that learning is not only based on ' intrabrain ' processes, but also on the context of embedding and the negotiation of meaning in social relationships based, the basic situation of the learner should be taken into account during learning. Educational approaches that build on this basic idea, especially criticize the teaching of abstract knowledge by means of frontal teaching. This is explained by a learning situation thus created, do not comply with the subsequent possibilities of knowledge use. The method will be of traditional forms of teaching to dull knowledge - it can retain and indeed be reproduced, an application of this knowledge falls learners but often difficult. Learning and application situations are to be designed as similar as possible because knowledge is considered to be highly context bound. So this means that the situation occurs in which learning is yet to be designed the same way that they are the situation in which the knowledge is used, similar, since knowledge is seen in context. Only in this way can the lessons aim to use knowledge outside of learning situations that can be achieved. As demands on the teaching, therefore, results in the following aspects:

• Learning and working in groups
• Use of tools
• Consideration of the application areas of knowledge

The role of the teacher

The teacher (be it a person or a learning medium ) has a different role in the learning -to-do when the teacher where the teacher and his teaching subject are the traditional approach, the focus. The learner and his learning process are located in the center, and the teacher 's job is to provide him with tools and to provide assistance. An assessment is made of the whole learning process, the teacher plays a supporting role as a coach. The teacher should be an expert in his field and work with the students together on a complex task. The dialogue between them is the focus. Over time, the Expert directs less and less, rather he responded to questions from the students.

Situierte Cognition and Instruction

There are various models that have developed for instructions on how situated learning should look like. The common features of these models can be summarized as follows:

• The learning environment should be designed so that it is possible the learner to work on real-world problems and authentic situations. This is to ensure that the learner the application context is clear, and that an application outside of the learning situation is successful. The learning and the learning content should not be ends in themselves, but create opportunities to solve a variety of everyday problems.
• Learners should the learning environment different contexts in which the learning can be seen on offer. The learner should be clear that knowledge is not only based on a context, but also to new problems can be obtained.
• Learners should have learned to articulate and reflect on it. It is to come to an abstraction of the knowledge of the knowledge later applied to other problems. Since knowledge is abstracted by the learners in this way even it is different from just a learned abstract knowledge. Thanks to our own abstraction of knowledge this is directly linked to salary situation.
• Just learning in a social context should be taken into account in the design of learning environments. Cooperative learning and problem solving, establishing learning groups and learning and working with experts are important factors here.