D-+Situated+Cognition

Albert, an alien, finds himself back on his own planet after spending some time on planet Earth. He stands before a council who questions him about his expeditions.

__**Head Councilman:**__ Do you know why you are here?

__**Albert:**__ Well actually I…

__**Head Councilman:**__ We send you down to planet Earth to study the humans and bring us valuable information. Instead, you sit in a box all day, converse with random people, and stuff your face with junk. What next? Do you plan on joining a dance class as well?


 * __Albert:__** Now that you mention it, I have joined a dance class. It’s a delightful kind of dance called…

__**Head Councilman:**__ Do you realize that you are wasting our time?! You are supposed to be learning about humans. You’d be better off here researching the materials we already have and trying to put pieces together.


 * __Albert:__** But, I am learning about humans. It’s a special kind of learning that is most valuable for our kind. Don’t you understand Situated Cognition?


 * __Head Councilman:__** Situated Hogwash to me! Sounds like something you just made up.

__**Albert:**__ No, no, this theory has been around for quite some time. We have based our knowledge about humans through the use of books and lectures from “human scholars”. One needs to learn about a subject matter by doing what experts in that subject matter do. The experts in this case are the humans themselves. You see, the process is within the learner as the learner internalizes knowledge transmitted from others or experienced through interaction with others (Driscoll, 2005). Situated Cognition shifts the focus from the individual to the socio-cultural setting and the activities of the people within that setting. That is something I learned from a theorist named Wenger.

__**Head Councilman:**__ Explain to the council how this theory operates and why we shouldn’t just keep you here.

__**Albert:**__ Well, it operates in different ways. You see, learning is conceived as increasing participation in communities of practice. Individuals participate in more than one community and that they achieve their identity in each community through their personal trajectories of participation. One thing we have failed to recognize is that not all humans are the same. You see, characteristics of humans are perceived and acted upon differently depending on whose environment is the focus. When I first landed on Earth, I resided in a small town in Kentucky and studied humans by working on the farms. I assisted farmers in cutting crops, collecting eggs and selling those goods in the market. Humans spent their free time with their families, eating big meals, watching television, and preparing themselves for work the next day. It wasn’t until I went to San Francisco did I realize the significant differences in cultures among humans. Humans in San Francisco work in tall buildings, eat at “ethnic” restaurants and spend their free time mostly with their dogs rather than their families. It then occurred to me, that as different as these humans are from each other, they relatively have the same skills. Those from a city like San Francisco, who work in the financial sector, understand the value and concept of money, as does a farmer in small town Kentucky, who handles money when selling their goods. It is the role of culture that defines how one develops cognitive skills. Cognition can be viewed upon as semiosis or the dynamic and productive activity of signs (Whitson, 1997). It is the relationship of the object, sign, and interpretant. For example, the farmer sees a chicken (object), that lays lots of eggs (sign), which can then be exchanged for money (interpretant). Similarly, a real estate agent can see a house (object) have a terrible leaking problem (sign), which means a buyer is less inclined to buy (interpretant), which then becomes a problem (sign) that needs to be fixed quickly (interpretant), because a house (object) that is well taken care of (sign) can be exchanged for good money (interpretant). I learned from Driscoll’s book, Psychology of Learning for Instruction that I can test my interpretation of particular sign by using the sign myself and observing its effects or verifying it with a member of the culture I am in. This was when I discovered legitimate peripheral participation. The definition of legitimate peripheral participation is an opportunity for a newcomer to work on a collaborative project or join a community of practice and learn to become an old-timer through a gradual process. You see, I enter as a newcomer, progress to the point of seeming to be an old-timer with the respect to newcomers, and eventually overcome the old-timers themselves. Another way of putting it is learning, then teaching, then learning from teaching.


 * __Head Councilman:__** I see, but can you explain further so we can better understand where you are going with this?


 * __Albert:__** Well, I joined a community of practice by getting a job in an accounting firm in the financial district of San Francisco. I wanted to learn what humans did on a day-to-day basis. They have us sit in these things called “cubes” and give us loads of paperwork. I crunched numbers all day long but my main concern of course was to observe the humans. Because I was considered an “intern”, I was partnered with a human who gave me certain tasks to do. I observed the way he interacted with other humans and I asked if he could show me how to be more like him. He was more than pleased to fulfill my request and I was then nicknamed his “apprentice” and he, my “mentor”. As an apprentice, I followed him to different places, such as clubs and popular hangouts and he taught me all kinds of greetings. My mentor would then would introduce me to random people and leave me to converse. I repeated some of the phrases he taught me but did not get the positive reaction as I had hoped for. But, he was persistent to get me involved in the social atmosphere and I was determined to learn. In the office, it turned out that my mentor was constantly criticized for his poor skills in math. I then showed him quick and easy ways to do the job. Word got out about my advanced math skills and more people from the office wanted to learn from me as well. I gradually became confident in myself and was doing better interacting with the humans. Soon enough, people wanted to learn how to be more like me. My social interaction could never have been learned strictly from books.


 * __Head Councilman:__** I must admit that I am intrigued by this theory of Situated Cognition. Can you explain to the council this theory’s application to instruction? In other words, its importance to learning theory. What are its strengths and weaknesses for instruction?

__**Albert:**__ There are certainly different interpretations of Situated Cognition theory. It’s strength is that it gives learners a chance to apply what they’ve learned in a traditional setting to real world problems or situations. Learning strictly from books or a classroom does not engage the learner to fully experience what was taught. By working as a member of a group on a project or a learning community, the learner is given a responsibility that has an importance in the common goal. Because other members of the group are dependent on each individual’s participation, there is more pressure and motivation for the learner to fulfill their responsibility. On the other hand, a weakness in Situated Cognition is that some learners would rather work in a traditional classroom setting and are resistant to collaborative activities. Many learners are quite introverted and prefer to learn things on their own time and with their own resources. Not everyone works well in groups or in a community of practice and are less engaged in the activity than if they worked by themselves. A learning trajectory describes the learners’ participation over time in a community of practice. Driscoll mentioned five different types of learning trajectories. Peripheral trajectory does not engage in full participation, probably because the learner feels excluded or loses interest. That may explain why my mentor was not very strong in his math skills and was not enthusiastic about his job. Inbound trajectory suggests that a newcomer has invested in the community of practice and is headed for full participation. My boss for example, has worked for the company for over 20 years and started off in my position as an “intern”. Insider trajectory suggests a means for continued evolution of practices within the community. The individual who was in my position before me still works for the company but for a different department with new responsibilities. Boundary trajectories happen when learners work with other participants from different backgrounds but work toward a common goal by each participant contributing his or her own unique expertise. The outbound trajectory is the process of leaving a community by “developing new relationships, finding a different position with respect to the community and seeing the world and oneself in new ways.” (Wenger, 1998) A common aspect of Situated Cognition is the use of apprenticeships. One of the reasons why apprenticeships are important is because it places the student in certain situations and creates certain challenges that cannot be learned in a classroom. The mentor will occasionally point out errors or make special demonstrations. In return, the apprentice will improve their techniques over time through the use of guidance and critical thinking skills. On the other hand, the effectiveness of apprenticeships varies on the experience of the learner. Some mentors may not be strong guides or may be misleading to their apprentice. The apprentice–turned-master may seem uneducated or naïve. They can even be deprived of that wide range of knowledge and those general problem-solving skills that formal educational institutions are thought to provide (Gardner, 1991) Situated Cognition does very well in engaging students in learning a practice or skill by using creative or hands on activities. Learners are able to make the connection of what they are learning to real-world scenarios. If they are ever to run into a situation where the skill is required or must be applied, the student has a much better chance of feeling confident to apply that skill they learned because it is familiar to them. Situated Cognition does not do well in ensuring that each student is learning the material to his or her full potential. Some learners prefer to learn in traditional classroom settings and isolate themselves from engaging activities.


 * __Head Councilman:__** Then tell us Albert, your personal understanding for the theory, why you chose to analyze it and what it means for you or your practice.


 * __Albert:__** If we truly want to understand something or get the full learning experience, it is important that we engage ourselves within that environment. One cannot learn strictly from books or traditional classroom settings. A learner needs to apply what they learn to a real-world setting. We are limited in resources and knowledge about humans on Earth. I knew that the only way to really learn about human behavior is to go where humans live and immerse myself within the culture. By joining a community of practice, I was able to learn how to effectively communicate with other humans and found value in myself providing knowledge that I have to other members of the group. I anchor my learning by watching movies, documentaries and television programs on DVD's so I know what kind of goal I am striving for to better communicate with the humans. Most importantly, I can take what I learned from Earth and educate our own community. My experiences on Earth should set an example for those on our planet that want to be educators themselves. If I do not return to Earth, then I am prevented from mastering the ways of human behavior.


 * __Head Councilman:__** You have made a strong argument about your case. The council will grant you privileges to return back to Earth on the condition that you continue to send us DVDs so the rest of us can learn about the culture of these humans as well.


 * __Albert:__** Thank You councilman. I will continue to send DVDs as promised and I hope that each of you will discover a community of practice that will engage you in a magnificent learning experience.

Deregowski, J.B. __In Search of Wider Perspective: Cross Cultural Studies__ London: Methen & Co. 1978 Driscoll, Marcy __Psychology of Learning for Instruction__ 3rd Ed. Boston: Pearson Education, 2005 Gardner, Howard __The Unschooled Mind__ New York: Basic Booksl, 1991 Neisser, Ulric __Cognitive Psychollogy__ New York: Centruy Crots, 1967 Wenger, E. Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning, and Identity New York: Cambridge University Press, 1998