Chapter 2: Cognitive Development:

Vygotsky’s Theories

Week 4

Instructor: Xu Wei

Chapter 2 Objectives (continue)

• Objective 2.3: Explain how the underlying principles and stages presented in Vygotsky’s theory of development influence current educational research and practice.

Lev Vygotsky• Russian psychologist (1896-1934), much of

whose work was suppressed until the dissolution of the USSR

• Focused on sociocultural theory, the idea that all development takes place in social settings and is therefore influenced by social forces

• Developed theories as he worked to improve his own teaching and looked for ideas that might help explain and guide his experiences as an educator

Vygotsky’s View of Cognitive Development

How Development Occurs

• Learning Precedes Development

−Acquisition of Signs with Help of More Experienced Others

− Internalization of Signs

−Autonomous Problem Solving (Self-regulation)

Vygotsky’s View of Cognitive Development

• Key Ideas

−Social Sources of Individual Thinking

−Role of Cultural Tools

−Zone of Proximal Development

Sociocultural Theory

• Information is passed in two phases: interpsychologically and then intrapsychologically

• Experiences are co-constructed; both the teacher and the learner participate in the process of knowledge acquisition or construction

Cultural Tools

• Material (e.g. calculators, blogs, wikis, PDAs, cell phones, etc.) & Psychological (signs and symbol systems, Braille and sign language, maps, works of art, codes, and language) Tools employed in the culture, in frequent social situations are critical to cognitive development

• People are best able to represent their thoughts when they are familiar with commonly accepted forms of communication

Vygotsky’s View of Cognitive Development

• Private Speech

• Zone of Proximal Development

• Scaffolding

Zone of Proximal Development

The Zone of Proximal development is known as

the ZPD or Zo-Ped (common in Europe)

Zone of Proximal Development Zone of Proximal Development

Student KnowsStudent Knows Learning Goal Learning Goal

Zone of Proximal Development—Mentor scaffolds learning and the learner develops new knowledge using developmentally appropriate learning tasks.

Zone of Proximal Development—Mentor scaffolds learning and the learner develops new knowledge using developmentally appropriate learning tasks.

ZPD

Scaffolding

• “Scaffolding” is the work required by the expert necessary to bring the learner from that which they are capable of doing alone to that which they are capable of doing with assistance.

• It is also used to describe the act of assistance itself.

ScaffoldingScaffolding

1. New Task = Mentor + Learner

1. New Task = Mentor + Learner

2. Time Passes = Gradual Release

2. Time Passes = Gradual Release

3. Learner Takes on the Responsibility for learning

3. Learner Takes on the Responsibility for learning

Applications of Vygotsky’s Theory

• Provide Cooperative Learning

•Activities Among Students with Different Ability Levels

Vygotsky’s Work: Instructional StrategiesInstructional Principles•*Embed learning activities in a context that is culturally authentic.•*Create learning activities that involve students in social interactions.•*Encourage students to use language to describe their developing understandings.•*Create learning activities that are in learners’ zones of proximal development.•*Provide instructional assistance to promote learning and development.

Language• Language is central to sociocultural theory

because it is the primary means of information transmission between expert and learner

• Private Speech vs. Egocentric Speech:–Piaget viewed egocentric speech as

evidence of children’s social immaturity–Vygotsky viewed private speech as a tool

for simplifying complex tasks

Language

Have you ever found yourself talking out loud while trying to

solve a difficult problem?

Piagetian Ideas:Four discrete stagesCognitive development is limited by stagesYoung children are schematicMotivation to maintain cognitive equilibriumDevelopment occurs when assimilation is not possible (adaptation)

Piagetian Ideas:Four discrete stagesCognitive development is limited by stagesYoung children are schematicMotivation to maintain cognitive equilibriumDevelopment occurs when assimilation is not possible (adaptation)

Vygotsky's ideas:Continuous development (no stages)Zone of proximal developmentSocially transmitted knowledge (cooperative learning and Scaffolding)Private speech helps internalize knowledge

Vygotsky's ideas:Continuous development (no stages)Zone of proximal developmentSocially transmitted knowledge (cooperative learning and Scaffolding)Private speech helps internalize knowledge

Both were constructivistsBoth believed that social forces set the limits of development

Both were constructivistsBoth believed that social forces set the limits of development

Comparing Piaget and Vygotsky’s Theories

Role of Social Interaction

• Piaget: Disequilibrium is the key to Piaget: Disequilibrium is the key to learning.learning.

• Vygotsky: Encounters with more Vygotsky: Encounters with more experienced people (experts) is key to experienced people (experts) is key to learning.learning.

• Piaget: Peer-to-peer interaction is the best Piaget: Peer-to-peer interaction is the best source of motivation to learn.source of motivation to learn.

• Vygotsky: Adult or older person-to-child Vygotsky: Adult or older person-to-child interactions as ideal sources of learning.interactions as ideal sources of learning.

Review• Piaget and Vygotsky suggest a

paradigm of cognitive development through physical and social stimulation.

• Cognitive development requires sensory stimulation; high variability in sensory experiences leads to high levels of cognitive development.

Review• Children should have opportunities

to play.• Students should not be assisted with

that which they are able to do by themselves; they should be assisted to achieve slightly more than they might on their own.