Situated learning

Situated learning is a theory that explains an individual’s acquisition of professional skill

and includes research on apprenticeship into how legitimate peripheral participation leads to
membership in a community of practice. Situated learning “takes as its focus the relationship
between learning and the social situation in which it occurs”.

Let’s discuss about some topics that we study in the text books which we can understand and
learn from the normal life conditions.

SITUATION-1:

In the topic to find the angle of elevation in the chapter ‘Some application of
trigonometry’ in CBSE class 10 mathematics textbook, we can bring the students to
understand how to calculate the elevation of building or pole.

We can bring the students to the situation. Make the student stand a few calculated
distances from the building or pole. Give the student a protractor with mass attached with a
string. Ask them to look to the top of the building or pole. Thereby they can find the angle of
elevation and can find the height of the building or pole by using the trigonometric operation
of tangent.

SITUATION-2:

In the topic of laws of reflection in the chapter ‘Light reflection and refraction’ in
CBSE class 10 science textbook, we can bring the students to understand how the angle of
incidence and angle of reflection relates.

We can bring the students to the situation. Students are allowed to light a
monochromatic light to a mirror. Since it is a mirror it will reflects. Ask them to measure the
least angle of incident and reflected ray from the mirror. Subtracting them from 90°. There
we will get the angle from the normal. And hence the students can find that the angle of
incidence and angle of reflection is same. And also by their observation they can find that the
incident ray, reflected ray and the mirror are in the same plane.

By making such situations they can understand the concept of laws of reflection.
SITUATION-3:

In the topic of probability in the chapter ‘Probability’ in CBSE class 10 mathematics

textbook, we can bring the students to understand how to calculate the probability of certain
event.

We can give the students coins or dies. Ask them to toss the coins or dies. And then ask
them to find the chances of something like chance getting one in the die or chance of getting
head in the coin. Thereby they can find the chances from the dies and coins. So they can learn
and understand the concept of probability easily.

SITUATION-4:

In the topic of combination in the chapter ‘Permutations and combinations’ in CBSE

class 11 mathematics textbook, we can bring the students to understand and learn how many
combinations can be made by a given number things.

To understand the concept we can make students to certain groups of girls and boys.
Suppose one group consist of 1 boy and 2 girls and another group consist of 2 boys and 1 girl.
Tell them that the teacher want one girl and one boy from them. Ask them how many ways
that will occur. This is the concept of combination. By making this situation students can
easily learn and understand the concept of combinations.

SITUATION-5:

In the topic of projectile motion in the chapter ‘Motion in a plane’ in CBSE class 11
physics textbook, we can bring the students to understand and learn the range of the
projectile.

We can bring the students to the situation. Bring the students to a ground. Ask them to
through the shot-put. And ask them to the measure the distance and time taken to touch the
ground. Ask them to elevate the angle of throwing the shot-up.and again through and again
ask them to measure the distance and the time of flight. By observing the reading of the trails
we can understand that there is a relationship between the angle of projection, time of flight
and the range of the projectile. By making such situations students can understand and learn
the concept of projectile motion very easily.
 There are many other concepts in the textbooks that can be taught by creating some
situations like circular motion, torque, force, conservation of momentum, refraction of light,
resonance effect, etc.

Reference:

https://prezi.com/ngf8x57bm6xm/experimental-and-situated-learning-strategies/
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/situated_learning
NCERT Mathematics text book –class 10
NCERT Science textbook – class 10
NCERT Mathematics textbook –class 11
NCERT Physics part-1 textbook - class 11