The Social Nature of Learning

1788 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Conclusion on strategies to enhance classroom management

Thinking about my growth during this course, it became obvious to me the difference between how people learn and how we can adjust teaching to impact how people learn. It was evident in my first submission of a personal learning theory that I was reflecting upon and applying our readings and discussions as a teacher, not as a learner. It is the intent of this project to illustrate how my experiences, personally and professionally, coupled with what I have learned during this course, have shaped my personal theory of learning. The framework of my theory espouses the following components:

• the social nature of learning

• the importance of scaffolding

• relevant content

The Social Nature of Learning

Learning is a social phenomenon. There is the relational aspect of this phenomenon, as positive relationships amongst learners, or between learner and tutor, enhance the learning process. Learners are more comfortable taking risks when they are in a positive relationship, and risks are necessary for growth to happen. Once relationships are established in a learning environment, two key aspects of learning that Salomon and Perkins (1998) describe are salient features of my personal theory of learning: an individual’s learning is facilitated by others, and through social interactions meaning can be constructed.

Dewey also emphasized the importance of learning through social interactions. “Purposeful activity in social settings [is] key to genuine learning…” (Phillips & Soltis, p. 56). Furthermore, according to Dewey, a teacher (and not limited to a teacher in a school situation) helps a learner build new cognitive structures based on the cognitive structur...

... middle of paper ...

...ced students learning, and unfortunately students not able to learn. It is through the intensive exploration of learning theorists, both through the texts provided in the course and others I have discovered, to help me develop my unique theory of learning. I used the draft of my theory as a touchstone for my work with teachers and students over the past few weeks to evaluate if the three key tenets of it applied to how the teachers and students were learning, and I believe they do. Learning is a social phenomenon in which the new content is appropriately scaffolded. Within the social context of learning, supportive environments enhance learning, whether it is a community of practice, or a traditional learner-teacher relationship. Lastly, relevant content enables the learner to make connections to existing schema to develop new and more complex understandings.

Show More
Related

  • Horace Mann And John Dewey: Movers And Shakers Of Education

    920 Words  | 2 Pages

    Dewey had a holistic child in mind as he developed his theory. Dewey encouraged teachers to involve students within their learning environment (Webb, Metha, Jordan 2013). Dewey wanted each child to learn through experiential means. This meant the task at hand for teachers was to change their teaching methods and to encourage their students to play a part in their learning. This changed education by allowing students to ask questions and to learn by trying direct experiences. John Dewey wanted teachers to take on a whole new thinking process when approaching education in their classrooms. This approach was meant to get rid of the scientific approach and to embrace a new child-centered approach (Schrag 2009). A large area that Dewey influenced and continues to today is within the early education classrooms. Although Dewey helped teachers to make advancements, the Cold War brought up a new challenge; the Science and Math Education

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Jose Torres 'Essay' A View From The Bridge

    1028 Words  | 3 Pages

    Learning is important for countless reasons, the most important reason being that it molds a person into who he or she is. What people choose to learn, and also what they choose not to, create the core of their opinions as individuals. Though people do not admit it or openly declare it, it is fair to say almost everyone is self centered. Because of this, and the fact that learning dramatically affects a person, learning is not only thrilling, but also expressive. Furthermore, since learning is expressive, its meaning varies from person to person, therefore making each person’s experiences with learning unique and life changing.

    Read More

  • Theories of Teaching and Learning

    1940 Words  | 4 Pages

    Teaching theories are as much part of the classroom as the student and the teacher. The effect individual theories have on an environment depends how they are incorporated within the classroom in addition to the influence they have had on the curriculum construction. This essay will briefly look at how motivation theory, cognitive and social cognitive theory along with constructivism have impacted on education and the classroom.

    Read More

  • Learning Style for Student Nurses

    1509 Words  | 4 Pages

    Learning is defined as a permanent change in attitude or behaviour that occurs as a result of repeated experience (Sims & Sims, 1995). Understanding one’s learning style has many advantages as it can help one to identify the learning method or activities that can help to optimise the learning experience. It has been suggested that the importance of one’s learning style has been identified through studies and research on how one can maximise the potential for success and further learning development (Honey & Mumford, 2006). Learning styles are unique to each individual and are developed in childhood (Chase, 2001). We all have different personalities; therefore we all have preferred learning styles that suit us best. The way one learns depends on preference. Some learn by observing, listening and imitating others and draw conclusions from their experience. There are several factors that affect our learning style; for example, background, culture, religion and environment can have a major influence on one’s learning.

    Read More

  • Constructivism in the classroom

    1043 Words  | 3 Pages

    Teachers continually learn about ways people learn – the processes of learning and how individuals learn best. They learn about their students and individuals, and learn with as well as from their students when they seek knowledge together. (Principles of effective learning and teaching, 1994). Through continually discovering new and exciting ways to help mould a constructivist classroom, the students will be able to achieve their outcomes with great ease and learn to enjoy education.

    Read More

  • Lee Vygotsky's Theory of Learning

    672 Words  | 2 Pages

    The emphasis on social interaction influencing cognitive development impacts on how students are taught. Class room environments need to allow social interaction as a key part of learning activities. This social interaction permits students to learn from both the teacher and their peers through collaborative activities. Teachers that encourage discussion will lead students to think critically and this will assist in providing meaning to new information. (Powell & Kalina, 2009 p245)

    Read More

  • Learning Styles and the Accounting Profession

    1076 Words  | 3 Pages

    Novin, A., Arjomand, L. and Jourdan, L. Teaching & Learning, Fall 2003, Volume 18, Number 1, pp. 24-31. Available from : http://www.und.nodak.edu/dept/ehd/journal/Fall2003/novin.pdf [ Accessed 2nd December

    Read More

  • Social Cognitive Theory of Learning

    1656 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...of teaching and learning. Modeling is a good way to promote learning. The teachers can use modeling to promote desired behavior. Teachers can enhance self-efficacy among students by teaching basic knowledge and then skills to mastery. Teacher can assure students that they can be successful and point other successful students like them who have been successful by using the techniques provided by the teacher (Ormrod, 2011). Teachers can promote self-regulated learning by encouraging students to set goals and performing self-evaluation. To conclude social cognitive theory describes learning as an internal phenomenon that may or may not be reflected in behavior and people’s observation of those around them affect their behavior and cognitive processes (Ormrod, 2011).

    Read More

  • John Dewey Democracy And Education Analysis

    852 Words  | 2 Pages

    Dewey's educational theories were presented in his book ‘Democracy and Education’ (1916). Dewey’s thesis is that “education and learning are social and interactive processes, and thus the school itself is a social institution through which social reform can and should take place” (Field, 2001. p.3). In addition, he believed that students bloom in an environment where they are allowed to experience and interact with the curriculum, and where all

    Read More

  • Effective Teaching Essay

    3013 Words  | 7 Pages

    In a social constructivist view on learning the brain is a complex, flexible, ever changing organism that reshapes itself in response to challenge (Abbott & Ryan, 2001). Constructivism view is that knowledge is obtained and understood through a student’s mental framework (Abbott & Ryan, 2001). Learning is not a passive process but it is a deliberate and progressive process that deepens meaning (Abbott & Ryan, 2001). The student does not only reply on a teachers lectures but also on their interactions with the environment around them (Abbott & Ryan, 2001). In this view it is important that the teacher sees the student as the centre of teaching endeavours, by assisting them to obtain information they can integrate into their already known knowledge. There are many ways that a teacher can assist their students, one example is Scaffolding. Scaffolding is where a teacher provides students with just enough help in order to complete the tasks themselves, then over time decreasing the amount of help so that a student can master this themselves.

    Read More

  • The Social Learning Theory And Social Cognitive Theory

    968 Words  | 2 Pages

    Theories play a vital part in our life. Thus, the Social Learning Theory and Social Cognitive Theory has a significant impact on our lives. Both of these theories emphasis on the developmental aspect of life. Social learning theory focuses on learning come from observation. Whereas, Social Cognitive Theory is more comprehensive and emphasizes on the process of triangulate reciprocal determinism: behavior, personal factors and environment. Additionally, "self-efficacy" is the core factor precise in the triangulate mechanism. These theories has implication in current life scenarios. A basic principle of Social Learning Theory is that people learn not only through their own experiences, but also by observing the actions of others

    Read More

  • Social Cognitive Learning Theory

    1631 Words  | 4 Pages

    How do people learn? A question of interest for both students and teachers. People are different so it should be obvious that there are different methods of learning and teaching. This paper will focus on the Social Cognitive Learning Theory (SCLT), the Constructivist Learning Theory (CLT) and their connection to practice. How each theory can be used to guide and plan educational programs will be discussed with examples to demonstrate how learning outcomes can vary with theory application.

    Read More

  • Piaget's Cognitive Constructivism Theory

    970 Words  | 2 Pages

    This mentions that learning is likely to occur in an internal process isolated from the social environment. Nevertheless, it is prevalently seen that in PBL learners frequently employ the power of collaborative learning skills in groups to culminate the projects or partake in social interactions with others for mutual learning discussions, so PBL also lend some characteristics of social-constructivism of Lev Vygotsky (1980). The salient point of social constructivism is the significance of social interactions that influence on the individual cognitive development and the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) as well as the role of scaffolding (Barge, 2010). He valued social interaction as an integral role in one’s cognitive development and argued that learning is not merely through assimilation and accommodation processes of new knowledge of learners, but it should be integrated or combined in a social community where learners can interact (Harmer, 2014). In other words, based on Vygotsky’s arguments, one’ s world knowledge is bound to his/her individual experiences while mediated by social interplay with

    Read More

  • Teaching Methods Reflection

    1225 Words  | 3 Pages

    In this course I experienced an important change in my beliefs about teaching; I came to understand that there are many different theories and methods that can be tailored to suit the teacher and the needs of the student. The readings, especially those from Lyons, G., Ford, M., & Arthur-Kelly, M. (2011), Groundwater-Smith, S., Ewing, R., & Le Cornu, R. (2007), and Whitton, D., Barker, K., Nosworthy, M., Sinclair, C., Nanlohy, P. (2010), have helped me to understand this in particular. In composing my essay about teaching methods and other themes, my learning was solidified, my knowledge deepened by my research and my writing skills honed.

    Read More

  • The Portrait of a Professional Teacher

    2304 Words  | 5 Pages

    Whitton, D., Barker, K., Nosworthy, Sinclair, C., Nanlohy, P. (2010). Learning for teaching: Teaching for learning. South Melbourne: Cengage Learning

    Read More

More about The Social Nature of Learning

Open Document