Describe the big picture. Did this make sense?
Module 7 discusses constructivist theories of intellectual development. Constructivism characterizes learning as a process, where a person is actively engaged in creating meaning for themselves and learning about their environment. There are two types of constructivism, social and individual. Social constructivism is where a person learns based on what they already know (bring to the table) and the experiences in that social/cultural situation. Individual constructivism is where a person learns from experiences rather than memorization.
Two theorists, Piaget and Vygotsky, tried to explain constructivism through their many years of work and research. Piaget, an individual constructivist, focused on determining how meaning is constructed individually from personal experiences and other factors. Vygotsky on the other hand was a social constructivist, interested in social and cultural interactions that initiate learning.
Piaget proposed an idea that knowledge develops from an interaction between nature and nurture. In a stage model he designed, it discusses how knowledge evolves through 4 stages: sensorimotor, pre-operational, concrete operational, and formal operational. As a child grows and learns from personal experiences within their environment, they are learning. Children express new cognitive abilities that were not seen in previous stages as well as limitations that keep them from continuing to the next stage. From his studies, he determined that development proceeds learning because a child must be developed to learn. Also, that operational thinking can occur in different domains at different times. This is in part due to the cultural and social facts of a child's environment.
Vygotsky's idea was that cognitive development results from a complex interaction between heredity and environment (natural and cultural lines). Knowledge of previous cognitive structures is important in understanding how culture influences development. He used a visual explanation known as the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) to explain the social origins of functioning. ZPD includes skills a child is near learning and can only do so with the help of someone more cognitively developed. A different zone, the zone of optimal learning, is for children who have more interactions with adults or are more capable. This zone is where a child develops more skills and has a higher level of thinking, pushing them to the next level in their cognitive development. Vygotsky introduced an interesting topic, intersubjectivity. This process is where 2 individuals begin the same task, on 2 different levels of ZPD. Both are active in the task and adjust to understand each other's perspectives. It explains how people close the gap between different levels of cognitive development, a tool he calls smiotic functions. This tool helps stimulate a child's thinking and shape the development of more complex thoughts. Overall, through Vygotsky's tools and models he explained how theoretical learning (from school) further develops a child's cognitive ability. Also, that spontaneous experiences from the environment (outside school) help structure thoughts and cognitive development. Though both Piaget's and Vygotsky's theories are complex, I understood the ideas behind them.
Ask/discuss at least one of your unanswered questions or confusions for the class. IF you think you don't have a question, then what else do you want to know?
After reading module 7, the only question I have is if there are other cognitive development theories out there? Since I have never taken any classes related to this field, I am not aware of any other theories of cognitive development in respect to teaching? Are these ideas the most studied out there?
According to Piaget, why must development drive learning? How are they related? How does each happen? How does a child move from one stage to another? When is development happening, and when is it learning?
Piaget believes that development must proceed learning because a child must be ready (developmentally) before he/she can learn. Depending on what stage (sensorimotor, pre-operational, concrete operational, and formal operational) a child is in, determines what and how much the child can learn. Certain limitations are there, before a child can progress to the next stage. Knowing a child's current stage is crucial! If you do not know what development stage a child is at, you do not know what to expect from them or what you can teach them to further their learning. Both development and learning go hand in hand, but development and understanding of a child's stage must be understood before learning.
A child moves from stage to stage after mastering previous cognitive abilities and shifting to a different way of thinking than before. Each stage has new abilities as well as limitations that distinguish one stage from the next. A child's progression is a continuous adaptation of cognitive structures, with learning stemming accomplishments in previous stages. Piaget was not initially interested in specific ages at each stage, but through much research and studying these, ages emerged from each.
Learning is knowledge and skills required to master a subject whereas developing is moving from stage to stage after learned subjects are mastered. Much learning goes on at each stage of development before proceeding to the next stage. Development is when topics and subjects are mastered at a specific stage before moving on to the next level of development
I just looked online a bit to see if there were other theories out there on cognitive development! I found some information about Benjamin Whorf, an American linguist, created a theory which believed that a person's thinking depends on the structure and content of their social group's language. Another cognitive theorist was Willard Van Orman Quine (a philosopher and linguist) who believed that there are conceptual biases that determine the meaning of the language that we acquire. Quine's theory is similar to that of other nativist philosophers. One well known figure in this nativist tradition for cognitive developmental theory is Immanuel Kant, a German philosopher who wrote the Critique of Pure Reason.
ReplyDeleteIn your big picture, you do a good job of summarizing each bit, but still in the book's terms. My goal in doing this was for you to sit back after reading and think 'ok, so what does this all mean in the big picture?' to see what the chapter meant to you.
ReplyDeleteThere are A LOT of theories about cognitive development, but in education, these two are likely the most influential. Many current researchers are 'Piagetian' or 'Vygotskian'. They probably are the most studied in education. In the far future, it's not terribly important that you know the theorists' names or key terms, but the big ideas that you could apply to your future teaching (children of younger ages AREN'T capable of thinking about particular tasks, children have a range of tasks they can do with the help of another, etc). Whatever is useful here is something I want you to remember in the future. You can look elsewhere to find other research or theories which better explain your teaching experience.
Your description of learning and development is not very consistent with what Piaget would say. You seem to describe learning as a noun and development as the verb.... Piaget would say that development is a capacity for thinking and learning. By being in a preoperational stage, a child is only capable of thinking in particular ways at the time. This kind of development only happens with age (you cannot force a child into concrete operations!) Learning happens if you present the child with a task or question that is appropriate to their stage, but causes disequilibrium. The learning mechanism is really the accomodation or assimilation that happens to their existing schemes in order to return to equilibrium.