E2-Situated Cognition

Question 1

situated cognition

Answer 1

knowledge is situated within authentic activity, context, and culture

Question 2

what does it mean that learning is situated

Answer 2

• takes place and needs to be understood within a context
• context provides structure and meaning
  ex: math in school is completely different than math in a restaurant

Question 3

learning is ….

Answer 3

1. situated
2. participation: happened through adoption of the behaviors and belief systems of social groups
3. a tangible skill set: not just something that’s happening inside the head but actions and goal-directed activities within cultural contexts

Question 4

Learning in Situated Cognition Ex’s:

learning vocab

Answer 4

-it is much more effective having everyday images/experiences than giving vocab words to memorize

Question 5

Learning in Situated Cognition Ex’s:

second language learning

Answer 5

• difficult in a classroom or a textbook, but easier to immerse oneself in a group where the language is primarily spoken
  ie: study abroad

Question 6

Learning in Situated Cognition Ex’s:

etiquette for elevator

Answer 6

behavior is learned from participation in the situation

Question 7

Situated Cognition in Action:

Authentic Activities

Answer 7

• situations that mirror meaningful contexts are authentic activities
  ex: the market venders in brazil
• 4 aspects of authentic activities

Question 8

4 aspects of authentic activities

Answer 8

1. personally meaningful: you can relate to it
2. related to real world: outside of the culture you are currently in
3. learn to think in the mode of the discipline
4. assessment reflects the practice

Question 9

Communities of Practice: 3 key characteristics

Answer 9

• ** all 3 must be present
  1. shared domain of interest
  2. focus on community relationships for learning
  3. shared practice develops over time through social negotiation

Question 10

communities of practice characteristics:

1. domain

Answer 10

shared domain of interest
-not just a network of people or club of friends… need commitment and membership

ex: radiologists, Trekkies, Badger football fans

Question 11

communities of practice characteristics:

community

Answer 11

relationships are key
-interact with each other, engage in shared activities, help each other, share information with each other, and build relationships that enable them to learn from each other

Question 12

communities of practice characteristics:

practice

Answer 12

members are practitioners, engaged in practice
-shared repertoire of resources which can include stories, tools, experiences, ways of handling typical problems, shared language/jargon etc.

Question 13

enculturation

Answer 13

the ways in which people are consciously or unconsciously, adopt the behavior and belief systems of new social groups
-by participating in the practices of a community, we selectively appropriate skills, knowledge, values, ways of thinking, and identities with that community

Question 14

Communities of Practice (CoP’s) are Dynamic

Answer 14

-newcomers come in and learn from old-
timers and as this happens the practice changes
-as newcomers come in, they may change the practice

Question 15

Legitimate Peripheral Participation (LPP)

Answer 15

• learning as a newcomer
• newcomers first engage in low-risk but productive activities (i.e. on the periphery)
  (ex: in mean girls you are going to wear pink on Wednesday)
• over time, they build familiarity with the language, principles and culture of a community
• eventually they take on more important tasks
• *Newcomers become oldtimers

Question 16

apprenticeships

Answer 16

• a form of training in which an expert teaches a skill to a novice through demonstration and practice
• situated cognition theorists emphasize the use of cognitive apprenticeships

Question 17

cognitive apprenticeships

Answer 17

learning the ways of a practice through explanation

• modeling and observing
• coaching and scaffolding
• legitimate peripheral participation
• articulation and reflection

Question 18

affinity space

Answer 18

a place or set of places where people affiliate with others based primarily on shared activities, interests and goals

• a place where informal learning happens
• could be virtual or physical

Question 19

affinity spaces vs CoP’s

Answer 19

• CoP’s: community implies belonging and membership, shared goals and collective force
• Affinity Spaces: focuses on spaces where people interact
• —mainly digital but also physical
• –don’t require membership or belonging
• –usually occur outside of formal learning environments and schools
  ex: badger football games, minecraft forum

Question 20

affinity spaces certain features

Answer 20

• content: what the space is about
• generators: what creates content for the space
• interaction: what users do with the content and how they connect with each other around the content