Reflection on Situated Cognition and Cognitive Apprenticeship

What are your initial reactions to this theory/model? What are barriers to its use? What benefits might be expected for those who overcome the barriers?

When I heard the word “apprenticeship” I immediately thought of older students learning specific work skills- such as masonry or web design.  After watching the lecture and reading the articles, however, I was surprised to realize how broad these two theories are.  Out of all the models we learned about, these two- Situated Cognition and Cognitive Apprenticeships actually seem the closest to the type of teaching I do in fourth grade every day.   

The main barrier I see with this method is the amount of teacher planning and constant involvement (the “coaching” element) that is required.  For these methods to be effective, the instructor must spend a great deal of time preparing for teaching (deciding what levels students are at and where they need to be going, gathering appropriate materials, etc.) and must be available at all times to be modeling and guiding students.  Even though this causes a constant time struggle to fit it all in, I think this is what excellent elementary school teachers have been doing forever.  Students really benefit from careful planning, appropriate modeling, and directed guidance.  

Would you attempt to use this theory/model with the students you are currently teaching or hope to teach in the future? Why or why not? Could elements of the theory/model be modified so that it would work with your current/future students?

As I mentioned, we use these two models daily in elementary settings.  So much of reading and writing instruction is a cognitive apprenticeship, although I never have thought of it as that before.  I am constantly modeling how my students should read, write, and the types of questions they should ask themselves and others as part of their learning experience.  I meet with my students in small guided reading groups to allow discussion among students about what they are reading so they get to practice those skills.  The guided reading groups are also a scaffolding method as well, because students are reading text at a slightly higher reading level than they could on their own.  I, the teacher, act as the coach to help them through this more difficult text, and hopefully, by the end of the year, I will have “faded” to the point that that will be their new independent reading level.  

Our math program was definitely created using the Situated Cognition theory.  It is completely based around word problems that reflect real world situations and has students solve problems according to those parameters.  More emphasis is placed on the process of solving the problem and than the actual answer itself.  Students are often asked to find situations in their own lives that go along with the math skills we are working on in class.  

Since we're taking learning theories/models that were not necessarily created with the Web in mind and turning them into Web modules, what Web-based tools or resources could be leveraged to carry out this learning theory/model online?

It seems like it would be a little more difficult to replicate these two theories online than some of our previous methods.  An instructor could use YouTube, TeacherTube, or another video sharing site to post videos of skills and situations being modeled.  Subscription programs like SuccessMaker or Prescriptive Learning might provide the “coaching” piece that a teacher would in face-to-face instruction. 

Reflection on Problem Based Learning

What are your initial reactions to this theory/model? What are barriers to its use? What benefits might be expected for those who overcome the barriers?

When I first saw the title for this week's learning theory, I thought, "Did we just do that?!"  I was reminded immediately of the Guided Design model because in both situations, students are asked to solve a problems as part of the learning process.  The catch, however, with Problem Based Learning, is that students are not taught prerequisite skills or knowledge, but acquire them throughout the problem solving process.

My initial concern with this approach is the time that students would have to spend "re-inventing the wheel" each time they approached a problem.  Students at all levels do need practice researching and seeking out information but if a large chunk of their learning time is spent on this with every new problem, that could take any from the time actually spent with the content or solving the problem.  Also, since the teacher (or "tutor") doesn't offer real feedback until the end of the process, students might find and use faulty or incorrect information and have to "unlearn" this content later.  The Hung, Bailey, and Jonassen article also brings up the issue of Problem Based Learning not providing students with the breadth of the content, just depth in one particular area.

This model does however model the real world because individuals often have to seek out solutions without any guidance.  Students would gain practice with cooperating in a group, sharing information, researching, and presenting and defending a solution.  I can see how this would result in better student retention and motivation because students are engaged at all steps of this process.

Would you attempt to use this theory/model with the students you are currently teaching or hope to teach in the future? Why or why not? Could elements of the theory/model be modified so that it would work with your current/future students?


Honestly, I can't see myself doing this very often in an elementary setting.  I loved the Guided Design Approach, with the introduction of knowledge and skills first and the problem solving as practice with a set of resources available as help.  Problem Based Learning, however, just doesn't seem to have enough structure for younger learners.  There would be a LOT of floundering, confusion, and incorrect information to sort through. (I had a very difficult time convincing one of my fourth graders last week that Michelle Obama has NOT posed for Playboy.  "But, Mrs. Smith...I was doing research and I read it on the internet!  It was in an article!")


I could see using this strategy maybe once or twice a school year after students have had many Guided Design experiences to practice problem solving and research skills.  Unfortunately, with all the breadth of information that students are tested on at the end of the year, there is just not enough time to regularly let students solve open-ended problems without more guidance and direction.

Since we're taking learning theories/models that were not necessarily created with the Web in mind and turning them into Web modules, what Web-based tools or resources could be leveraged to carry out this learning theory/model online?

Week after week, many of the same programs seem relevant and appropriate, no matter which model we're discussing.  Again, Elluminate, Google Docs, Writeboard, and Second Life, Facebook, AIM, and Skype could all be formats for students to meet and share information online.  As far as presenting their solutions, students could use programs such as Prezi, Vcasmo, SlideRocket, or Knoodle.

Reflection on Cooperative Learning

What are your initial reactions to this theory/model? What are barriers to its use? What benefits might be expected for those who overcome the barriers?

This is a model that I know my way around.  There is a big push for this in elementary classrooms and it's an approach I use each and every day.  My students' desks are (almost always- I'll get to this later) arranged in groups of 4-5 so they can work together throughout their lessons.

As mentioned in the Johnson, Johnson, and Smith article, the first barrier to this method is that many students do not know how to cooperate in a group and must explicitly be taught these skills before being expected to work on additional content in a group setting.  This arguably, though it is not included in NC Standard Course of Study, may be one of the most important skill sets we teach children today, since whatever field they go into, they are probably going to be working in a group or team at some point. 

Students who overcome this barrier, however, are able to take their learning to a deeper level than they would working independently or relying just on teacher feedback.  In a traditional classroom, only one student at a time gets to speak, and they have to be confident enough in their knowledge to speak up over the whole room.  In cooperative learning, students are constantly engaged in their learning by talking with their classmates-analyzing and experimenting with the content.  Cooperative learning is especially beneficial for students who are shy, easily distracted during traditional lecture, or need learning support from a group. 



Would you attempt to use this theory/model with the students you are currently teaching or hope to teach in the future? Why or why not? Could elements of the theory/model be modified so that it would work with your current/future students?

As I mentioned, I use this strategy 180 days of the school year.  My students discuss questions, ideas, and problems throughout the day and I often use "Think, Pair, Share" to allow students to process information before I call on someone to share with the whole class.  They work on group projects and evaluate their final project as well as their

Like anything, however, too much of a good thing can sometimes have negative effects.  After having their desks arranged in cooperative groups (rearranged every few weeks to give students new classmates to work with, a different view of the room, and a fresh chance to practice their cooperative learning group set-up) all year long, I could tell by February, that some of my kids needed a little space.

Different students seem to need breaks from this approach for different reasons.  In his lecture, Dr.Oliver noted that higher level students sometimes do not benefit as much from cooperative learning.  For some of these students, cooperative learner is a great way for them to lead or help share their knowledge; for others, it's a lesson in frustration- feeling like they're held back by a group.  For students who are struggling, group learning helps them stay engaged and practice their knowledge and skills, but they also have the additional mental stress of being a good teammate.  All students, no matter how sweet and cooperative they are, get a little frustrated with their classmates after being stuck in a trailer with 25 of them over 100+ days. 

So, we have breaks.  Right now, my students' desks are arranged in rows.  They still are right next to one or two students and can work with a partner if necessary and we have literacy center time where they work in groups. 

Since we're taking learning theories/models that were not necessarily created with the Web in mind and turning them into Web modules, what Web-based tools or resources could be leveraged to carry out this learning theory/model online?


I see many of the same tools that were discussed last week for the Problem Solving approach to be applicable to this model: Elluminate, Google Docs, Writeboard, and Second Life.  Additional programs that allow students to discuss and share information like Facebook, AIM, and Skype could be useful as well.

Reflection on Guided Design

What are your initial reactions to this theory/model? What are barriers to its use? What benefits might be expected for those who overcome the barriers?

As, with PSI, my first thought was "Hey, that's we're doing!"  In this course, we gather pre-requisite knowledge through readings and lectures and then work in small groups to solve a real world problem (how to create effective instruction online) by applying what we've learned.  We'll get present our results (our modules) and receive feedback from our professor.  There's definitely some parallels at least.

As far as advantages and disadvantages, I think that Paul Wilson found the best analogy in his research- that group work can either be a "monster or a miracle."  For many, group problem solving helps student engage in their learning, work towards a goal, and retain information better.  (I have seen this "miracle" in my classroom many times!)  Working in groups can also be frustrating, time consuming, and distracting at times.  In elementary school, this "monster" sounds more like five groups of five children fussing over who gets to use the materials, whose turn is first, or whose sitting on whose notebook, while with adult learners the conflicts may be more about division of time or resources.  Wait, it's pretty much the same thing. : )

More than once, I've heard a school leader say that the common complaint about employers today is not that the students can't read or do math, it's that they don't know how to work and solve problems together.  I don't know the source of this data, but I could see how it could be true.  If students learn through guided design, I think they would be much more prepared for many different workplaces.

Would you attempt to use this theory/model with the students you are currently teaching or hope to teach in the future? Why or why not? Could elements of the theory/model be modified so that it would work with your current/future students?

I use elements of guided instruction on a regular basis in my classroom.  Since I teach elementary age students, self-instruction is not a big piece of the learning process.  Most of the pre-requestie knowledge is introduced and taught in a whole group or small group teacher guided setting.  My students do however work together in small cooperative groups every single school day.  Sometimes, their activities are more structured and do not include the problem solving compenent of the guided design approach, but include assigned roles within their group- like manager, note-taker, discussion leader, etc.  Other times, such as today in science when my students used circuit building materials to work as a group to make a bulb light up or in math when their groups created word problems using fractions, those little fourth graders were definitely using critical thinking skills to work together to transfer their knowledge to solve a real problem. 

Since we're taking learning theories/models that were not necessarily created with the Web in mind and turning them into Web modules, what Web-based tools or resources could be leveraged to carry out this learning theory/model online?

It seems a little trickier to plan guided design online than the past two theories, but it's very obviously possible, since many of the group projects I've worked on over my online graduate classes have been coordinated and completed across the virtual world.  Elluminate, as we all know, is a great way to communicate with group members synchronously with audio, text, document sharing, and/or video.  Tools such as Google Docs or Writeboard allow those working together to easily share work that can be edited by different team members. For those who want a little bit more of that interactive element, a program such as Second Life might be a way for group members to "meet" in a setting that they could discuss and plan solutions.  

References:
Casada, M. E., & DeShazer, J. A. (1995). Teaching professionalism, design, and communications to Engineering freshmen. In Proceedings of the American Society for Engineering Education, Biological and Agricultural Engineering Division (pp. 1381-1385). Anaheim, CA.

Trivette, C. M. (2005). Effectiveness of guided design learning strategy on the acquisition of adult problem-solving skills. Bridges 3(1).

Wilson, P. N. (2004). Mutual gains from team learning: A guided design classroom exercise. Cardon Research Papers in Agricultural and Resource Economics (No. 2004-07). Tucson, AZ: University of Arizona.