Lev S. Lev S. VygotskyVygotsky

Culture is the prime determinant of cognitive developmentCulture is the prime determinant of cognitive development

Learning leads cognitive Learning leads cognitive developmentdevelopment

The social formation of mindThe social formation of mind

Vygotsky believed that Vygotsky believed that individual development could individual development could not be understood without not be understood without reference to the social and reference to the social and cultural context within which cultural context within which such development is such development is embeddedembedded

Mind evolution is Mind evolution is continuouscontinuous

Unlike Piaget or Bruner, Unlike Piaget or Bruner, Vygotsky focused on the Vygotsky focused on the mechanism of the mechanism of the development, excluding development, excluding distinguishable distinguishable developmental stagesdevelopmental stages

Vygotsky’s theoretical Vygotsky’s theoretical assumptionsassumptions

He rejected the idea that a single He rejected the idea that a single abstract principle, such as abstract principle, such as equilibration, can explain cognitive equilibration, can explain cognitive developmentdevelopment

He offered an alternative to Piaget’s He offered an alternative to Piaget’s constructivismconstructivism

Piaget: Mind models the external worldPiaget: Mind models the external worldHuman beings make sense of their world by means Human beings make sense of their world by means of their mental structuresof their mental structures

Vygotsky: External world models the mindKnowledge is internalization of social activity

MediationMediation

Mediation means Mediation means that human beings that human beings purposefully purposefully interpose tools interpose tools between them and between them and their environment, their environment, in order to modify in order to modify it and obtain it and obtain certain benefits. certain benefits. Example: farmers Example: farmers plough the earth plough the earth to acquire better to acquire better crops.crops.

He states that He states that by using by using activity activity mediators, the mediators, the human being is human being is able to modify able to modify the the environment, environment, and this is her and this is her way of way of interacting interacting with the naturewith the nature

Mediation is a central concept in Mediation is a central concept in Vygotsky’s view of cognitive development. Vygotsky’s view of cognitive development. It offers a complementary perspective to the behaviourist view.

MediationMediation

Two Two phenomena phenomena marked the marked the mediated mediated relationshirelationship of p of humans humans with their with their environmeenvironment:nt:

The use of tools within The use of tools within social organized social organized activityactivity

The use of language as The use of language as a cultural form of a cultural form of mediationmediation

Mediation Mediation intelligence intelligence higher higher mental processesmental processes

How people How people convert social convert social relations into relations into psychological psychological functions?functions?

They use different types of language They use different types of language (signs) as mediators between their (signs) as mediators between their minds and their environmentminds and their environment

Higher mental processes: Higher mental processes: symbolic mediation symbolic mediation

When a child tries to grasp an object, and parents When a child tries to grasp an object, and parents interpret this gesture as a pointing out to the object, interpret this gesture as a pointing out to the object, they give her the object. She internalizes the gesture as they give her the object. She internalizes the gesture as a way of acquiring the object. After repeating this a way of acquiring the object. After repeating this behaviour with other objects, the mental representation behaviour with other objects, the mental representation of this behaviour becomes more abstract. An of this behaviour becomes more abstract. An interpersonal relation between child and parents interpersonal relation between child and parents becomes intrapersonal (child’s representation of becomes intrapersonal (child’s representation of acquiring objects). acquiring objects).

DecontextualizationDecontextualization

development. It appears development. It appears as the detachment from the as the detachment from the individual features of the individual features of the environment . An example environment . An example is when children start to is when children start to play with abstract objects. play with abstract objects.

The use of abstract language is the most important sign-mediated behaviour that occurs during cognitive

Mediation Mediation intelligence intelligence higher higher mental processesmental processes

During During humankind’humankind’s evolution, s evolution, more more complex complex structures structures of activity of activity mediated mediated by more by more complex complex tools tools produce produce more more complex complex mental mental structures. structures.

Psychological tools Psychological tools enable us to enable us to perform higher perform higher mental functions:mental functions:

various systems for countingvarious systems for counting mnemonic techniquesmnemonic techniquesalgebraic symbol systemsalgebraic symbol systemsworks of artworks of artwritingwritingschemes, diagrams, maps, schemes, diagrams, maps, and technical drawingsand technical drawingsall sorts of conventional all sorts of conventional signssigns

Zone of proximal Zone of proximal development (ZDP)development (ZDP)

It represents one of the most obvious It represents one of the most obvious difference between Vygotsky’s and difference between Vygotsky’s and Piaget’s view of cognitive developmentPiaget’s view of cognitive development

Zone of proximal Zone of proximal development (ZPD) development (ZPD) This is the vygotskian concept that This is the vygotskian concept that

explains the mechanism of cognitive explains the mechanism of cognitive development development

ZPD is actually the gap between ZPD is actually the gap between actual competence level (what actual competence level (what problem level a student is able to problem level a student is able to independently solve), and the independently solve), and the potential development level (what potential development level (what problem level could she solve with problem level could she solve with guidance from a tutor)guidance from a tutor)

ZPD is based on the mental functions ZPD is based on the mental functions that have not yet matured but are that have not yet matured but are being in the process of maturation. being in the process of maturation.

Zone of proximal Zone of proximal development development

Zone of proximal Zone of proximal development (ZDP)development (ZDP)

It supports a representation of intellectual It supports a representation of intellectual development based on continuity.development based on continuity.

It states that learning can force cognitive It states that learning can force cognitive developmentdevelopment

It states the role of the teacher as a It states the role of the teacher as a necessary mediator of child’s cognitive necessary mediator of child’s cognitive development.development.

Learning, instruction and Learning, instruction and development in Vygotsky’s development in Vygotsky’s viewview

The only good type of instruction is that The only good type of instruction is that which leads the cognitive development. which leads the cognitive development.

The only good learning is that which is in The only good learning is that which is in advance of the development. Learning advance of the development. Learning that is situated within the current that is situated within the current developmental level is not desirable . developmental level is not desirable .

How could we understand the statement How could we understand the statement that some learning doesn’t bring that some learning doesn’t bring development? development?

Scaffolding Scaffolding

Cognitive development in Cognitive development in the zone of proximal the zone of proximal development stresses the development stresses the role of a social partner of role of a social partner of the student (a teacher or a the student (a teacher or a more skilled peer).more skilled peer).

Scaffolding:Scaffolding: the instructor becomes a the instructor becomes a supportive tool for the student in the zone supportive tool for the student in the zone of proximal development. The of proximal development. The characteristics of an ideal teacher are those characteristics of an ideal teacher are those of a scaffold:of a scaffold:

It provides supportIt provides supportIt functions as a It functions as a tooltoolIt extends the range It extends the range of the workerof the workerIt allows to It allows to accomplish a task accomplish a task otherwise otherwise impossibleimpossibleIt is used It is used selectively, when selectively, when neededneeded

Scaffolding Scaffolding

In Vygotsky’s view, learning is an interactive, In Vygotsky’s view, learning is an interactive, interpersonal activity:interpersonal activity:

Instructor and student co-construct the solution to Instructor and student co-construct the solution to problemproblem

Inequality between partners resides only in their Inequality between partners resides only in their respective levels of understanding. Authority is sharedrespective levels of understanding. Authority is shared

The psychological mechanism is to create (external) The psychological mechanism is to create (external) activities that will be later internalized by student activities that will be later internalized by student

Scaffolding example: Scaffolding example:

Palincsar’s reciprocal learning (an Palincsar’s reciprocal learning (an instructional strategy for improving instructional strategy for improving reading comprehension). Intersubjectivity reading comprehension). Intersubjectivity comes together with scaffolding.comes together with scaffolding.

ReferencesReferencesCognitive development theoriesCognitive development theorieshttp://education.indiana.edu/~p540/webcourse/develop.html Vygotsky Internet archiveVygotsky Internet archivehttp://www.marxists.org/archive/vygotsky/ http://www.marxists.org/archive/vygotsky/ Theories in psychology. VygotskyTheories in psychology. Vygotskyhttp://www.psy.pdx.edu/PsiCafe/KeyTheorists/Vygotsky.htm http://www.psy.pdx.edu/PsiCafe/KeyTheorists/Vygotsky.htm Vygotsky and language acquisitionVygotsky and language acquisition http://www.sk.com.br/sk-vygot.html http://www.sk.com.br/sk-vygot.html Zone of proximal development. Four stagesZone of proximal development. Four stageshttp://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/students/learning/lr1zpd.htm http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/students/learning/lr1zpd.htm Situating the Zone of Proximal Development Situating the Zone of Proximal Development http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/summer82/marsh82.htm http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/summer82/marsh82.htm Animation scafoldingAnimation scafoldinghttp://www.coe.uga.edu/epltt/vygotskyconstructionism.htm http://www.coe.uga.edu/epltt/vygotskyconstructionism.htm These are not animations, but are good examples for iconic representations of These are not animations, but are good examples for iconic representations of

scientific concepts (Bruner)scientific concepts (Bruner)http://auc.uow.edu.au/conf/Conf96/Papers/McNaught.html http://auc.uow.edu.au/conf/Conf96/Papers/McNaught.html Animation: Nerve Synapse (the same, Bruner) Animation: Nerve Synapse (the same, Bruner) http://camel2.conncoll.edu/academics/zoology/courses/zoo202/Nervous/synapse.htmlhttp://camel2.conncoll.edu/academics/zoology/courses/zoo202/Nervous/synapse.htmlMaking sentencesMaking sentenceshttp://www.cs.fsu.edu/~jtbauer/sentence.html http://www.cs.fsu.edu/~jtbauer/sentence.html