Situated
learning is a theory that postulates that meaningful learning takes place when
it is embedded in a social or physical context where it can be applied. Formal instruction and the activities that
take place in a classroom are often very different than work performed by
practitioners in a real world setting.
Lave
explains that learners begin with observation or “legitimate peripheral
participation”. Learning and involvement
increases within the learning context and the pupil becomes a fully functioning
participant in the environment. Some of
the early research in situated learning by Lave and Wenger involved
“apprenticeships” in different settings including midwives, meat cutters, tailors,
and alcoholics.
This
apprenticeship is called a “community of practice.” Within a community of practice group members
share and learn from their interactions with group members as a way to develop
personally and professionally. Social media and Web 2.0 tools can create this
informal type of “community of practice” where people can engage in problem
solving, information seeking, and sharing ideas and resources.
Situated
learning with a multimedia tool would have learners approaching a problem from
multiple perspectives and opportunities to explore. Herrington and Oliver suggest that in
instructional situated learning can be applied to the design process. Lessons should reflect the way they are ideas
and concepts are used in real-life. Learning should offer multiple perspectives,
support a collaborative environment, provide coaching and access to experts and
skills or behaviors to model.
Situated
learning seems to be a theory ready made for a web-based environment where
students can have access to “experts” in different settings through web-based
learning.
________________________________
Herrington, J., & Oliver, R. (1995). Critical
characteristics of situated learning: Implications for the instructional design
of multimedia.
Lave, J. (1991). Situating learning in communities of
practice. Perspectives on socially shared cognition, 2,
63-82.
Mills, N. A. (2011). Situated learning through social
networking communities: The development of joint enterprise, mutual engagement,
and a shared repertoire. CALICO Special Volume: Second Language
Acquisition Theories, Technologies, and Language Learning (Eds., S. Thorne
& B. Smith), 28(2).
Becki,
ReplyDeleteGood job with picking the learning theory. I agree that there is a big difference between what school usually teaches and what people actually do as a Job. That was one of the thing I was surprised about when people go to get a job in their field, they felt that school did not practically help them to be ready for the job. But, as you said it, with Social Media and Web 2.0, the learner would have several viewpoints about what he is curious about so he could start to be exposed to more than the materials studying within a learning system.
I can also say that it is the best way to learn from being active, in interaction with what you are learning and with people that has the same goal as you. This will even make more connections within neurons in the brain, which will make recall more easier to occur. That is the process of learning. This is the way I can learn, being able to do what I am learning. Social Media and Web 2.0 uses could definitely enhance learner s participation into the materials. Good job!