Situated Cognition Theory

Paper Summary:

The paper explores the theory of situated learning and examines the genetic or biological bases and the cultural and evolutionary elements within this theoretical framework. The paper looks at various models within this theory relating to learning processes and strategies and notes their collaborative nature.

Outline:
Objective
Overview of the Theory
Situated Cognition Compared to Traditional Cognitive Learning
Measuring Ability and Capacity
Three Main Loci of Intelligence
Facilitation of Transfer of Learning
Cognitive Mechanisms that are Bases for the Origin of Cultural Evolution
Lave, Vygotsky and Dewey
Summary and Conclusion

From the Paper:

"The work of Kevin Oliver entitled: "Situated Cognition & Cognitive Apprenticeships" relates that "situated learning theory and the cognitive apprenticeship model based on it suggest skills be acquired through authentic contexts and by communicating with peers and experts about those contexts." (1999) It is suggested by the situated cognition theory of instruction that learning is directly linked to "authentic activity, context, and culture. It is more difficult to learn from un-natural activities." One example provided by Oliver is that learning ones' first language or a foreign language through a method known as 'immersion' is "widely held to be easier than learning languages from textbooks and vocabulary lists." (Oliver, 1999) There are practical steps that may be used in the application of situated cognition theory according to Oliver."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Gabora, L. (1996b). A day in the life of a meme. Philosophica, 57, p. 901-938. Online available at: http://www.lycaeum.org/~sputnik/Memetics/day.life.txt
• Gabora, L. (1997) Taking memes seriously. Semiotic Review of Books, 8 (2), May issue. Online available at: http://www.univie.ac.at/Wissenschaftstheorie/srb/srb/memes.html
• Gabora, L. (1997) The origin and evolution of culture and creativity. Journal of Memetics: Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission, 1 (1). Online available at: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit/1997/vol1/gabora_l.html
• Gabora, L. (1998) Autocatalytic closure in a cognitive system: A tentative scenario for the origin Feldman, Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 23 (1). http://www.vub.ac.be/CLEA/liane/Reviews/Laland.htm
• Gabora, L. Memetics. (1997) In (Paul Bouissac, Ed.) The Encyclopedia of Semiotics and Cultural Studies, Oxford University Press, Oxford.

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