Kirkpatrick Model: Four Levels of Learning Evaluation<\/a><\/p>\nIt is important to note that the education system influences the thoughts and belief systems of the children within. One\u2019s teachers and peers directly affect cognitive development by the language they use and the interpretations they offer of cultural events. While Piaget believed that a child builds a unique view of the world, Vygotsky suggested that others within a child\u2019s social circle influence their perspectives, values, and attitudes. Individuals are actively engaging within their learning environments, continuously analyzing the reactions of others and modifying their responses as they adopt or reject accepted standards as their own. Both learning and culture are depended on the other: individuals are constantly determining what is acceptable in society, and the environment is continuously confirming what would be considered appropriate behavior. Vygotsky states that it is the combination of cultural influences and genetics that create one\u2019s personality.<\/p>\n
Secondly, Vygotsky specified that the conclusions should be made based on the behavior of a student in a social setting. He did not place emphasis on intelligence itself. Instead, Vygotsky proposed the idea of the zone of proximal development, which distinguishes between what a child is able to accomplish independently and what they achieve under close guidance from a teacher. He maintained that learning occurred in the presence of tasks specific to the child\u2019s current ability under the supervision of a more competent person. In order to capitalize on this growth, Vygotsky encouraged testing based on the social context. He disagreed with the notion of independent intelligence assessments, preferring to focus on the potential of each student within the learning environment. The zone of proximal development is affected by the unique attributes of each individual, including personality, self-regulation, and previous knowledge. As the zone of proximal development cannot be clearly defined, it is challenging to explain the link between social interaction and learning. It does, however, support the argument for a more student-centered education system as well as the many factors that can influence potential outcomes.<\/p>\n
Criticisms of Vygotsky<\/h2>\n1. Observation and testing<\/h3>\n Vygotsky\u2019s theories have been heavily criticized for his lack of experimental tests. He relied widely on observation of his subjects to prove his findings as he believed that social interaction was a key factor to learning. His vague definition of social interaction, in which failed to state the best methods to engage with others, allowed the criticisms to continue even after his death.<\/p>\n
2. Active participation in the acquisition of knowledge<\/h3>\n While some philosophers assume that learning occurs naturally and fluidly, Vygotsky believed that leaners actively engage in the acquisition of knowledge. The criticism of Vygotsky\u2019s theory is that it does not account for the slower rate of cognitive growth in some children. Both genetics and passive experience are thought to play some role as well.<\/p>\n
3. Societal Influences<\/h3>\n Criticisms about the vagueness of his theories are not limited to just the acquisition of knowledge. Others were also critical about Vygotsky\u2019s theory of language, which stated that learning comes from cultural influences. Vygotsky minimized the role of genetics and instead highlighted socialization as key to language learning. Although it is possible that Vygotsky just never elaborated on his theory in his lifetime, some observations are detrimental to his work. Even with consistent social support, some children are never able to develop cognitively until a certain age. Jean Piaget, a Swiss psychologist, conducted a systemic study of cognitive development that offers some answers where Vygotsky could not. Piaget observed that children\u2019s learning occurred in stages, and they needed to reach the next stage, or milestone before they could understand some concepts.<\/p>\n
4. Lack of Cultural Relevance<\/h3>\n Even assessing Vygotsky\u2019s theory as a whole proved to be problematic. Vygotsky\u2019s theory revolves around the idea that social interaction is central to learning. This means the assumption must be made that all societies are the same, which is incorrect. Vygotsky emphasized the concept of instructional scaffolding, which allows the learned to build connections based on social interactions. In reality, only some learning activities place an emphasis on language, while other skills are acquired instead with hands-on practice and observation.<\/p>\n
5. Guided Learning: Zone of Proximal Development<\/h3>\n One of the most important aspects of Vygotsky\u2019s theory is also criticized: the Zone of Proximal Development. It is viewed as an attempt to make Piaget\u2019s theories trendy by rewording his ideas and presenting them in an alternate way. The concept of the zone of proximal development is not well understood and is criticized as an \u201cumbrella term\u201d under which many models of cognitive development could fall.<\/p>\n
Overall, Piaget\u2019s work has been more heavily scrutinized than Vygotsky\u2019s. This is due to the ambiguous nature of Vygotsky\u2019s theories, which make them difficult to test and measure. In addition to these challenges, Vygotsky\u2019s work needs to be translated from Russian, which is time-consuming in itself.<\/p>\n
See also: Fully and Partially Online Courses: Definitions<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934)\u00a0was a Russian teacher who is considered a pioneer in learning in social contexts. As a psychologist, he was also the first to examine how our social interactions influence our cognitive…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[56],"yoast_head":"\n
Lev Vygotsky - Sociocultural Theory of Cognitive Development - Educational Technology<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n