What is Situated Learning?

What is Situated Learning?

Learning is a function of the activity, context and culture in which it occurs. The theory is primarily social rather than psychological, and originates from Lave and Wenger (1991).

Situated Learning rejects traditional classroom learning activities which involve knowledge presented in an abstract form and out of context. The theory also places emphasis on social interaction. In Lave and Wegner’s (1991) words, “learning is an integral and inseparable aspect of social practice”.

Knowledge is acquired as learners become involved in a “community of practice” (the context and culture idea). As newcomers move from the periphery of this community to its center, they become more active and engaged within the culture and assume the role of experts. Furthermore, situated learning is usually unintentional rather than deliberate (touched on this during Jason’s presentation). These ideas are what Lave & Wenger (1991) call the process of "legitimate peripheral participation."

Main principles

1. Knowledge needs to be presented in an authentic context, i.e., settings and applications that would normally involve that knowledge.

2. Learning requires social interaction and collaboration.

Book & Authors

The Book

Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation
by Jean Lave & Etienne Wenger (1991)

• The term "Communities of Practice" was coined in this book.

The People

Jean Lave

Professor of Education and Geography, University of Berkeley, California.

Social anthropologist with a strong interest in social theory.

Etienne Wenger
Pioneer of "community of practice" research.

Founder of CPsquare: cross-organizational, cross-sector community of practice on communities of practice
http://www.cpsquare.org/

Current Research Project: Learning for a Small Planet
broad, cross-sectoral investigation of the nature of learning and learning institutions at the dawn of the new millennium
http://www.ewenger.com/research/researchsummary.htm

impact on education and ID

How has situated learning impacted education and instructional design?

• Creates a “powerful metaphor for human learning that incorporates elements of everyday cognition, informal learning, authentic learning experiences, and cultural influences” (Wilson, 1995; Brown, Collins, & Duguid, 1989).
• Embodies a learner-centered, problem-based approach to learning (Wilson, 1995; Wilson & Ryder, 1996; Brown, Collins, & Duguid, 1989)
• Fosters “cognitive apprenticeships” where students are presented “with a task in a familiar activity” where scaffolding is available for “unfamiliar tasks” (Brown, Collins, & Duguid, 1989, p. 10).
• Encourages the development of Wenger’s communities of practice or Wilson and Ryder’s dynamic learning communities which entails “groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and who interact regularly to learn how to do it better” (“Communities of Practice,” Wenger, 2004).
• Integrates the situated experience of an internship or apprenticeship throughout the curriculum and help students develop critical-thinking and problem-solving skills embedded in authentic learning (Lave & Wenger, 1991)
• Transforms the perception of instructional design whereby ID, once viewed as traditional, rigid, and systematic, is now seen as current, well-positioned, and localized (Wilson, 1995)
  

technology integration

What are the implications for technology integration?

• Use of low-tech communication tools to foster community, e.g., email listservs, blogs, newsgroups, discussion forums, Internet Relay Chat (IRC), and instant messaging (IM)
• Growth of content management systems (e.g., WebCT, Blackboard, Mooddle) to create cognitive apprenticeships among small group collaborations
• Development of architecturally-structured K-12 professional development forums, i.e., TappedIn
• Integration of videoconferencing for work collaboration, e.g., Flash Communication Server, Breeze, WebEx
• Creation of business-oriented COP tools with shared workspace areas as well as the ability to synchronize with email messages and calendar appointments

impact in the future

How the theory will impact education and instructional design in the future?

-A movement towards more cooperative practices. The theory states that social interaction is critical. To move from the periphery of a learning community towards the center, one needs to be involved with the community, collaborate, inquire and assist others. This movement applies to both the education and corporate sectors. The corporate sector may be a slower adopter because it values a person's ability to be “independent” and "innovative".

- The classroom of the future: Forget abstract teaching and learning, and embrace authentic contextual learning. “Field trips” may become the norm and we may see a greater involvement of professionals in the classroom. Perhaps a name change where classrooms are called “laboratories”.

- Before moving towards the “classroom of the future” we see the integration of problem-based learning activities (e.g. The Adventures of Jasper Woodbury from the Cognition & Technology Group at Vanderbilt and the projects of the Center for the Study of Collaborative Problem Solving at Missouri headed by D. Jonassen) and other interactive multimedia applications (e.g. see “Microworlds” from the Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology by Lloyd Rieber- & “Situated Games” – ‘JFK Reloaded?’)

meaningful learning

How does the theory relate to meaningful learning?

Situated learning is a social practice in which learning is viewed as an aspect of all activity. (p. 38)

"In contrast with learning as internalization, learning as increasing participation in communities of practice concerns the whole person acting in the world." (p. 49)

"Where the circulation of knowledge among peers and near-peers is possible, it spreads exceedingly rapidly and effectively" this "...may well be a condition for the effectiveness of learning." (p. 93, emphasis mine)

Source: Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation by Jean Lave & Etienne Wenger (1991).