Vygotsky - Sociocultural Theory

Question 1

Learning

Answer 1

Learning occurs through social interactions with others who are more skilled within the zone of proximal development.

Question 2

Language

Answer 2

Language is a tool for thinking and learning.

Question 3

Tools for learning

Answer 3

Cultural objects, language, social institutions, social interactions, symbols, etc.

Question 4

Zone of proximal development

Answer 4

The distance between where a person is at developmentally and their level of potential ability.

Question 5

Scaffolding

Answer 5

Skilled assistance that can be gradually removed.

Question 6

What are the Elementary mental functions?

Answer 6

Attention, Sensation, Perception, and Memory.

Question 7

Where do Elementary mental functions come from?

Answer 7

We are born with them.

Question 8

What is a More Knowledgeable Other (MKO)?

Answer 8

An MKO is anyone that is at a higher mental function than the learner. This can be a teacher, tutor, parent, or peer that has more ability than the learner for the task at hand.

Question 9

How does the internalization of higher-order cognition happen?

Answer 9

First, children learn to talk through social discourse (social speech). Second, Social speech becomes Individual thought spoken aloud (private speech). Third, speech turns into unvocalized thought (Inner speech).

Question 10

What are the Key processes of development and learning?

Answer 10

Language/Dialogue, tools of the culture, scaffolding, and zone of proximal development.