Welcome to this interesting blog where you can find valuable information about the theory of Vygotsky and Constructivism.
Vygotsky was one of the early constructivism and the
champion of social one. His view was emphasized in ZPD - “zone proximal development".
Use a Learning Theory Constructivism
Social Constructivist
1. Language, Culture, & Knowledge
Vygotsky (1934) emphasized the role of language and
culture in cognitive development and in how we perceive the world, and claimed
that they provide frameworks through which we experience, communicate, and
understand reality.
He demonstrated the importance of language in learning
by demonstrating that in infants, communication is a pre-requisite to the
child’s acquisition of concepts and language. But, he suggests that people
learn with meaning and personal significance in mind, not just through
attention to the facts:
I do not see the world simply in colour and shape but
also as a world with sense and meaning. I do not merely see something round and
black with two hands; I see a clock…. (p. 39)
Language and the conceptual schemes that are
transmitted by means of language are essentially social phenomena. Knowledge is
not simply constructed, it is co-constructed.
2. The Zone of Proximal Development
Vygotsky believed that learning takes place within the
Zone of Proximal Development. In this, students can, with help from adults or
children who are more advanced, master concepts and ideas that they cannot
understand on their own. This model has two developmental levels:
1. The
level of actual development – point the learner has already reached & can
problem-solve independently.
2. The
level of potential development (ZDP) – point the learner is capable of reaching
under the guidance of teachers or in collaboration with peers.
The ZDP is the level at which learning takes place. It
comprises cognitive structures that are still in the process of maturing, but
which can only mature under the guidance of or in collaboration with others.
For example, let's say a teacher is instructing
students about the water cycle. If a teacher has already taught a lesson on the
concept of evaporation, the teacher should use this prior knowledge of
evaporation when introducing information about condensation. The child will
then be able to make connections between the different phases of the water
cycle. However, in some cases, the teacher might not be the most effective
person to convey a concept. Vygotsky said children learn through a process
developmental psychologists now call scaffolding, though Vygotsky himself never
used that term. So, Group work and collaborative projects with peers who have
mastered a task or concept might prove effective as well.
“The child is able to
do in collaboration today; he will be
able to do independently tomorrow”
Lev Vygotsky.
Many schools have
employed the traditional way of teaching in which a teacher transmits
information to students. In contrast, Vygotsky’s theory promotes a learning
environment in which students play an active role in learning.
Comment
References:
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario