Situated cognition was coined by John Seely Brown, Allan Collins and Paul Duguid in 1989. Brown and Duguid were then part of the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center. These three researchers introduced us to situated cognition and the power it has on learning. This is a learning theory I feel we always strive for in education, without really knowing we are.
In situated cognition, learning happens in the context of an authentic activity. The teacher situates the students in the context of an authentic activity, problem or topic. The teacher then provides scaffolding and coaching to support students in this authentic learning activity. Note the main vocabulary word here: activity.
In situated cognition, the learner gains knowledge and understanding through authentic learning activities. I know I stated this already, but it bears repeating. Authentic activity is the foundation for situated cognition. When I first realized this, my initial thought was, “Well, yes! Of course authentic learning activities are what we should strive for! We already do!”
…but do we?
In their seminal research piece Situated Cognition and the Culture of Learning, Brown, Collins and Duguid emphasize the need for authentic learning activities. They state on page 34, “…but it is nonetheless full-blooded, authentic activity that can be deeply informative - in a way that textbook examples and declarative explanations are not.” This is where I stopped and realized that even back in 1989 we were fighting the same battle we do today. Authentic learning activities are necessary, more so today than ever before. Our students have immediate access to information that was once only available in a textbook (even my dear seven-year-old will tell me to YouTube how to fix something). Due to this immediate information, learning must become more authentic or it will be irrelevant (and I fear may already be).
The question in, what is authentic learning? Looking specifically at Brown et al’s definition through situated cognition, learning and authentic activities are all related to a specific content, or “domain.” Let’s take an orchestra for example. Within the domain of the orchestra, there are specific ideas, detailed content, general knowledge and specific practices that need to be followed. This is the domain’s culture. For the domain of music, the culture would include: when to stand up as an ensemble, when to sit, when to play, when to stop, the role of the concertmaster (and who that is), the role of the conductor, how the audience interacts with the ensemble, and the expectations of the ensemble in rehearsal and concert settings. If you know nothing about the orchestra, how can you better understand this culture? According to situated cognition, you immerse in an authentic learning activity directly related to the domain’s culture. This is why we have school instrumental ensemble programs. The student members are experiencing an authentic learning activity to better understand the culture of the domain without leaving the school building. An authentic learning activity, but not needing an authentic learning environment.
What implications does this have for the general classroom teacher? We need to continue our shift in perspective and understanding of instruction. Stand-and-deliver or read-the-textbook instruction is not relevant and is not authentic to the many content domains we have in schools. Let’s focus on teaching our students how to be a scientist, mathematician, author, or historian. Let’s have students learn the craft of an artist, a programmer, or designer.
The challenge: move away from traditional instruction and have students learn the culture of your content. Treat them as a member of the culture, and tell them they are a member. “You are a scientist. As a scientist, you have specific expectations. Those expectations include…here is how I will help you…”. We need to place our students in an authentic situation and let them learn through this style instruction and activity. Only then can they truly understand what it means to be an artist, scientist, musician, mathematician, historian or author. That is when inspiration hits. It may be in that moment that a child at any age finds his or her passion, and knows what he or she wants to do for the rest of their life. Authentic learning activities in an authentic situation can inspire.
I highly recommend reading Brown, Collins and Duguid’s piece (citation at the bottom). I also highly recommend this YouTube video from Edutopia featuring John Seely Brown. While it speaks to Situated cognition, it also looks into learning communities that sprout up from domains (something for a later post, but inspirational nonetheless).
Brown, J. S., Collins, A., Duguid, P. (1989). Situated cognition and the culture of learning. Educational Researcher. 18(1). P. 32-42.
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