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Comparison and Analysis of Vygotsky and Bruner

Vygotsky:

Sociocultural theory of Vygotsky considers

learning as a semiotic process where participation

in socially-mediated activities is essential. The

theory regards instruction as crucial to cognitive

development in the classroom. Instruction should

be geared to the ZPD that is beyond the learners

actual development level. Social instruction

actually produces new, elaborate, advanced

psychological processes that are unavailable to

the organism working in isolation

A Vygotskian classroom emphasizes creating ones own concepts and making knowledge

ones property; this requires that school learning takes place in a meaningful context,

alongside the learning that occurs in the real world. The Vygotskian classroom stresses

assisted discovery through teacher-student and student-student interaction. Some of the

cognitive strategies that group members bring into the classroom are questioning,

predicting, summarizing, and clarifying.

In a Vygotskian classroom, dynamic support and considerate guidance are provided based

on the learners needs, but no will or force is dictated. Students are exposed to discussions,research collaborations, electronic information resources, and project groups that work on

problem analysis. Recent technologic advances have affected the application of

constructivist theory in practice. Innovative interactive computer software programs allow

students to synthesize the course material through active learning. Despite some minor

disadvantages, this use of technology allows interaction with others that would normally be

inaccessible through distance-education and Web-based courses.

Bruner:

The outcome of cognitive development is thinking. The intelligent mind creates fromexperience "generic coding systems that permit one to go beyond the data to new andpossibly fruitful predictions" (Bruner, 1957, p. 234).

Thus, children as they grow must acquire a way of representing the "recurrent regularities"in their environment.

A clear application of sociocultural theory

principles in second language classroom isobvious in the task-based approach. This

approach emphasizes the importance of

social and collaborative aspects of learning.

sociocultural theory focuses on how the

learner accomplishes a task and how the

interaction between learners can scaffold and

assist in the second language acquisition

process (Turuk, 2008).

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So, to Bruner, important outcomes of learning include not just the concepts, categories, andproblem-solving procedures invented previously by the culture, but also the ability to"invent" these things for oneself.

For Bruner (1961), the purpose of education is not to impart knowledge, but instead to

facilitate a child's thinking and problem solving skills which can then be transferred to arange of situations. Specifically, education should also develop symbolic thinking in children.

Cognitive growth involves an interaction between basic human capabilities and "culturallyinvented technologies that serve as amplifiers of these capabilities." These culturallyinvented technologies include not just obvious things such as computers and television, butalso more abstract notions such as the way a culture categorizes phenomena, and languageitself. Bruner would likely agree withVygotsky that language serves to mediate betweenenvironmental stimuli and the individual's response.

Bruner also incorporated Darwinian thinking into his basic assumptions about learning. Hebelieved it was necessary to refer to human culture and primate evolution in order tounderstand growth and development. He did, however, believe there were individualdifferences and that no standard sequence could be found for all learners. He consideredinstruction as an effort to assist or shape growth.In 1996 he published The Culture ofEducation. This book reflected his changes in viewpoints since the 1960's. He adopted thepoint of view that culture shapes the mind and provides the raw material with which weconstrict our world and our self-conception.

Bruner stressed the importance of the role of social exchanges between the child and adult

Although Bruners theory is much narrower in scope that Piagets, Bruners ideashave been applied more directly to education.

This is notably through his notion of spiral curriculum, which basically argues that

ideas can be presented to children at almost any age, provided they are coached in

an appropriate mode of representation.

Strengths and Limitations of Bruners Theory

Limitations - not concerned with infant development as much as Piaget and Vygotskyso not a lifespan theory of Cog Dev - more a general approach to learning Paradigmatic andNarrative thinking difficult to test and so theory cant be demonstrated to be trueStrengths - Focus on Education have had a profound effect on education

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