Learning Theories Paper

Overview
Situated Cognition is a more recently developed theory that draws from several epistemologies
inclusive of behaviorist, neurological, psychological, and social perspectives. The roots of
situated cognition are ascribed to Artificial Intelligence research and Cognitive Psychology
Hung(2002). While primarily viewed as a cognitive theory, it has strong groundings in
constructivism where learning is seen as participatory. Using behaviorist and cognitive
approaches, knowledge is derived from actions and cognitive processes allowing understandings
to be constructed. More than this, the physical, social, and cultural environments are part of the
interaction that enable the construction of meaning. The critical thing is that learning cannot be
separated from real life.
Contributors
Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger were major contributors to the theory, suggesting that learning is
socially and personally constructed by the participants in communities of practice (Matusov, Bell
and Rogoff, 1994). As another contributor, Greeno (1989) posited that the interactions that lead
to learning are between the cognitive agents and their physical and social situations. Therefore
learning comes from that interplay rather than being constructed solely in an individuals mental
sphere. Brown, Collins and Duguid (1989) stressed in their contribution to Situated Cognition
that there can be no separation of learning from doing, thereby necessitating authentic
experiences and environments for meaningful learning. Thus learning and cognitive processes
are entrenched in the situations in where they take place

Major Principles
Learning cannot be separated from the situation in which it takes place. For example, Brown et
al. (1989) thought that the ability to use words correctly is a function of experiencing words in
their natural context. The learners thus participate in the usage as they interact with the cognition
of other participants, after which the learners can negotiate understanding of acceptable use.
Gibsons Affordances underline that the cues to understanding and perception come from the
environment (Altalib 2002). Therefore, to decontextualize learning is more likely to create
deficiencies in understanding while authentic learning environments contain the elements for
learning.
Another major principle is that learning takes place in communities of practice. All persons in the
learning environment by their interactions and practices transform the perceptions of everyone as
they create meaning. Within the communities is a range of participants with skill levels from
novice (newcomers) to mastery (old-timers). Novice entrants engage in Legitimate Peripheral
Participation where they can observe and model actions, and access the expertise of others. They
will take on some of the communitys practices, but importantly, will also contribute to changes

in meaning (Matusov, et al. 1994). Allied to this principle is Cognitive Apprenticeship whereby
novices acquire skills and knowledge working alongside those with expertise. This process of
learning then is constant through cycles of perceiving and acting dependent on joint formative
interactions Hung (2002).
Tools and artifacts such as language and culture are the means learners use to take meaning from
a situation. How they are used and understood from the combined perspectives of the
community will restrict or enable understandings. With the participatory nature of learning,
Hung (2002) contended that these media are jointly used to form relationships when constructing
meaning.
A fourth principle of Situated Cognition demands that learning environments should be authentic
involving real life content and activities. Lave and Wenger argued according to Altalib (2002)
that what is learned should be reflective of how it happens in everyday occurrences rather than
being merely by symbolic manipulations. The task of equally dividing of a quantity of flour is
remembered more meaningfully than solving the problem with paper and mathematical symbols
only. This ties in with the idea of memory as a process (as opposed to internal memory) where
participants continually build and rebuild their understandings (Hung 2002). Purely symbolic
interpretations are more difficult to process without the real world application.
Application
Situated Cognition in its strictest interpretation of learning in real world contexts might be
difficult to apply in the average classroom. However, it can be applied in a range of approaches
where authentic activities or apprenticeships might be arranged. The I*EARN program or a
variation thereof could be adopted since the individual is not called upon to manipulate symbols
in a purely cognitive way, but by interacting within an authentic context (Greeno 1989).
Students are part of a community of practice interacting with a range of expertise from peers
around the world, teachers, environmental experts, and scientists. The project they undertake
must fit but is not limited to local curricular goals. It must fundamentally contribute to improved
quality of life on the planet in a tangible way, so they have a legitimate role (task) in society
through community participation and membership (Jonassen and Land 2000, p. 49). As an
authentic environment therefore, participants engage in complex activities whose resolutions are
dependent on the perspectives, language, culture, and community practices. Additionally,
participants demonstrate their understandings in their performance, keeping knowledge fixed in
its context. Assessment can be based on both the process of learning where feedback further
transforms meaning, as well as the product of learning.

References
Altalib, H. (2002). Situated Cognition: Describing the Theory. Retrieved from
http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED475183.pdf
Brown, J. S., Collins, A., & Duguid, P. (1989). Situated Cognition and the Culture of Learning.
Educational Researcher, 18(1), 3242. doi:10.2307/1176008
Jonassen, D. H., Land, & S. M., (2000). Theoretical Foundations of Learning Environments. )pp.
57-88). N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Hung, D. (2002). Situated Cognition and Problem-Based Learning: Implications for Learning
and Instruction with Technology. Journal of Interactive Learning Research, 13(4), 393
414.
Greeno, J. G. (1989). A perspective on thinking. American Psychologist, Children and their
development: Knowledge base, research agenda, and social policy application, 44(2),
134141. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.44.2.134
Matusov, E., Bell, N., & Rogoff, B. (1994). [Review of "Situated Learning: Legitimate
Peripheral Participation" by J. Lave, E. Wenger. (1994)] America Ethnologist, 21(4), pp
918-919.
Seel, N. M. (2001). Epistemology, situated cognition, and mental models: Like a bridge over
troubled water. Instructional Science, 29(4/5), 403427.