What Is Situated Learning?

Situational learning is a learning method proposed by Professor Jean Lave of the University of California, Berkeley and independent researcher Etienne Wenger around 1990.

Situational learning theory

Situational learning is developed by the University of California

The contextual learning theory holds that learning is not only a psychological process of individual meaning construction, but also a social, practical, and participatory process mediated by different resources. The meaning of knowledge, along with the consciousness and role of the learner,

It is worth mentioning here that the philosophical foundation on which the theory of situational learning relies should be a knowledge of "Situated rationality".

Adult Learning from the Perspective of Situational Learning Theory

The emergence of situational learning theory has spawned a new revolution in the field of contemporary learning theory. Foreign studies on adult situational learning have gradually increased since the 1990s. AL Wilson, CA Hansman and others have contributed a number of academic achievements. In contrast, domestic research on adult situational learning, whether it is energy input or outcome output, is slightly lagging behind, only infrequently in recent years. In fact, the contextual learning theory, which aims to reform the school education of young people, has more theoretical explanation value and practical guiding significance for adult learning. Based on this, based on the perspective of contextual learning theory, this article interprets adult learning from five aspects: motivation, nature, content, process, and evaluation.

Motivation to learn: from real situations

The formation of learning motivation is the basic field of the study of learning theory. International systematic research on adult learning motivation started in the 1960s. The decades of diligent explorations of several generations of scholars have left us fruitful research results, and it has also made us more and more clear that adult learning motivation comes from real situations.

Based on AH Maslow's hierarchy of needs, K. Lewin's field theory, and H. Gans's social class theory, H. Miller put forward the following views: adult participation The motivation of educational activities is closely related to the social structure and social forces of life; social structure and social forces not only affect the intensity of adult learning motivation, but also determine the level of adult learning motivation. The expected value model constructed by K. Rubenson believes that the adult's learning motivation is the result of the individual's perceptual interaction with the external environment. Moreover, when individuals participate in educational activities, the reference group will also greatly affect their level of learning motivation. (Gao Zhimin, 1997a) Research by MS Knowles shows that adults' learning motivation must be consistent with their role and requirements in society, and their learning needs must be related to their practical requirements such as work and life; As individuals become more mature, their learning motivations and learning needs are more closely related to their "social roles" and "development tasks." (MS Knowles, 1980) After all, balancing yourself with "developing society" and "changing tasks" is the most important source of adult learning motivation.

The data obtained by R. Boshier and others through the "Education Participation Scale" clearly reflects that the formation of adult learning motivation is based on the characteristics of social realities. These scenarios include: Career progress: improving vocational ability, mastering vocational skills, obtaining vocational qualifications, obtaining career advancement, and achieving career transition; external expectations: complying with the requirements of others, fulfilling external expectations, and following the advice of authoritative persons; social relationships Category: Make friends and seek friendship; Escape or stimulate: Evade troubles and pursue stimuli; Social welfare: Serve the society and the community; Cognitive interest: Acquire new knowledge, improve skills, enrich oneself, and improve oneself. (Gao Zhimin, 1997b)

The situational learning theory regards the individual as a component of the situation, which is one of the basic assumptions that the situational learning theory manifests its premise characteristics. The core meaning of this more innovative basic hypothesis is: (1) Any individual lives in a certain social situation and is an organic part of the situation in which he is living; Behaviour choices and implementations of certain plans and conventions occur every moment, and then affect the individual's thinking, words and deeds. (2) Any individual is not static and isolated outside the situation, but forms a simple subject-object relationship with the situation. In fact, the individual is an organic part of his situation and is in the process of continuous development; the development of the individual drives the change of the situation, and the change of the situation in turn puts forward new requirements for the development of the individual. This is the cause and effect of each other, cycle by cycle.

If this is linked to the problem of adult learning motivation, we can get:

First, the perspective of the contextual learning theory is in the same vein as the aforementioned assertion that adult learning motivation is formed, that is, adult learning motivation is closely related to the individual's situation.It is often born in situations that can induce, lead and support learning behaviors. Beginning, formed on the basis of the individual's analysis and judgment of its situation. This coherence, in turn, supports the basic assertion that adult learning motivations originate from real situations.

Secondly, the above viewpoints of contextual learning theory can bring a new breakthrough for people's understanding of the formation of adult learning motivation, and even maintenance and training. In other words, studying adult learning, from its initial concerns to its final destination, must be focused on achieving its own development and improvement from a single point of view, and expanding into the common progress of focusing on and promoting other factors in its context. That is, they should contribute wisdom and strength, and add meaning and value to the evolution or development of their social situation.

The Nature of Learning: Participating in Real Practice

What is the nature of learning? Situational learning theory believes that learning is an extremely complex concept that contains both a set of physical, psychological, and cognitive factors, and a series of social and physical factors.

First, learning often occurs in an activity or behavior in the social environment, that is, people often do not adjust their behavior according to the symbolic representation of the world in their hearts. On the contrary, it selects or determines itself through contact and interaction with the situation. the behavior of. Therefore, learning can only be given real meaning if it is embedded in the context it sustains.

Second, in context-based actions, tacit knowledge hidden in the individual's behavioral pattern or the depth of individual perception will play a role in its interaction with the context. In addition, learning is by no means just to acquire some factual knowledge.It is more important to cultivate thinking and actions with subjective consciousness, that is, learners are required to be in the specific context of knowledge generation and take a positive attitude Participate in the practical activities of real material culture and spiritual culture.

Based on the above thinking, the basic perspective of the contextual learning theory is: the nature of learning is the process of individuals participating in real situations and practices, interacting with others and the environment; it is a process of cultivating the ability to participate in practical activities and improving the level of socialization; Cultural adaptation and the process of gaining membership in a particular community of practice. (Yao Meilin, 2002)

It can be seen that "participation" is the core element of situational learning. The implication is that learning takes place in real practical activities through mutual dialogue and interaction with other members of the community. For the "real practice activity", the situational learning theory explains it: various related activities (to be) engaged in the real situation of problem solving. These real problem situations are actually problem situations of daily life; these activities that need to be engaged in are activities that strive to get rid of problem situations. In the view of contextual learning theorists, all these activities that seek to get rid of problematic situations are likely to be transformed into learning activities that have self-reflection, self-awareness, self-planning, point to certain goals, and require active participation. In the final analysis, real practical activities are often problem-based, and real learning activities cannot be disconnected from the real needs of daily life.

As the absolute protagonist of the inheritance and innovation of social civilization, adult individuals live in the real situation of society, community, profession, family, and interpersonal relationship every day, and play different roles and play different roles in it. They must expect that their learning activities can be more centered on solving practical problems in various life situations than centering on imparting traditional or classic subject knowledge.

The contextual learning theory also points out that in daily life, the boundary between learning and action (practice) is blurred, and learning has become a process based on social contexts that extends the life of an individual. From this theory, it is believed that in the changes of living situations, in the interaction between people and situations, in the practice of personal experience, adults are learning all the time, anytime, anywhere. Therefore, adults are "natural" learners, and learning is an indispensable part of their lives, and it is also a necessity of contemporary adult life, that is, the so-called life is learning, and learning is life. And all this is exactly as advocated by the concept of lifelong learning: "Knowledge is constantly improved in the course of human life, and human beings are essentially a time-based existence of learning activities in continuous exploration" (Gao Zhi Min, 2005).

But the problem is that for a long time, the understanding of the concept of "learning" in society, academia and even adult learners has been deeply trapped in a narrow quagmire, even to the point that "schools are only for learning"- The original, has been annihilated by a school; the true nature of human learning has been obscured by a classroom. Situational learning theory awakened us from a deep obsession with "hundred years of school" and "traditional education", and began to focus on practical learning and lifelong learning. Therefore, the entire society and even the individual adult learners need to be able to break through the traditional interpretation of the concept of "learning" as soon as possible, and firmly establish the following consciousness: try to solve the various realities in the life situation 100% through the school and classroom situations The problem is unreliable and unrealistic. Meaningful learning should be to participate in practical activities, and to participate in the life world, each item in the life journey, and every practical activity are regarded as learning actions that can develop and improve themselves, without having to deliberately seek those So-called "learning opportunities".

Learning content: distinctive features

The theory of situational learning divides knowledge into four categories, that is, "know what" knowledge-based on data and facts; "know why"-based on principles and rules; "know how to do it" Knowledge based on experience and ability; know who is based on specific social relationships. The first two types of knowledge are easy to write down and encode, and they belong to epistemic knowledge. Some people also call it "explicit knowledge". Learners can obtain it by querying data and reading materials. The latter two types of knowledge are difficult to carry out. Quantification, written records, and information coding are empirical knowledge. Some people also call it Tacit Knowledge. Learners need to obtain it through hands-on practice or interpersonal interaction.

The greater contribution of contextual learning theory to the interpretation of knowledge should be attributed to Juergen Habermas and others' in-depth observation and reflection on the characteristics of knowledge based on the "situational rationality" knowledge philosophy. The core idea of "situational rationality" is that knowledge is usually the representative of reason, but transcendent, abstract and universal rationality does not exist. In other words, human reason is always embedded in concrete and real situations, and changes with the situation. At the same time, each situation is the cognitive process and life experience of human beings in a specific time and space (Hu Qingfang, 2006). Therefore, the characteristics of knowledge or reason and the situation itself are: knowledge originates from the situation and changes from the situation; the situation contains cognition and reflects the experience. In the final analysis, knowledge and situation, situation and knowledge, reason and situation, situation and reason, are not only mutually inclusive, but also cause and effect each other.

If the content or knowledge of adults is further elaborated based on the social role and actual life of adults, the following characteristics will be presented more specifically and clearly, and the learning content provided for adults in the future can be reflected:

First, the contextual nature of knowledge. As with learning, knowledge is rooted in context. Knowledge is not the internal representation of the mind, but the product of the individual's connection with the situation and its changes. In other words, knowledge has the property of individual being connected with the situation. It is generated in the real situation and used in the activities of knowledge. There is no doubt that knowledge is also part of the situation, especially in the era of knowledge society.

Second, the dynamic nature of knowledge. "Knowledge" usually has two kinds of references: one is "Information", which is used as a noun and refers to "information" or "message"; the other is "Knowledge". Although it is a generic noun, it is full of "movement", and the meaning of the process of "know", "knowledge" or "mastery" is to be expressed. Situational theorists prefer the second kind of understanding, and believe that knowledge is not only abstract and static things, but also a living and dynamic fact based on social situations.

Third, the interactivity of knowledge. Knowledge is not only related to and constructed by individuals and situations, but also formed and developed in the process of interaction, restriction and interaction between individuals and situations. It can be said that it is precisely because of the interaction between individuals and situations, individuals and individuals, that a series of human behaviors are coordinated, all kinds of cognitions, experiences, and the knowledge and ability to adapt and improve, update and create the environment.

Fourth, the instrumentality of knowledge. Knowledge is like a tool in life, and it needs to be better understood, used, and inherited through the use of knowledge, especially in modern society.

Fifth, the dispersion of knowledge. Knowledge dispersal is in people's brains, not concentrated in the head of an expert or teacher. In addition, the nature, kind and quantity of knowledge held by people are not the same, and no one can master all the knowledge. Not only that, knowledge is also distributed in different stages of life, and any individual must learn in different stages of life in order to have corresponding knowledge.

Sixth, knowledge sharing. As mentioned earlier, learning is an interactive process. The knowledge scattered on the individual learners can communicate with each other, communicate with each other, realize mutual sharing, and transform personal knowledge into public knowledge.

Learning Process: Building a Community of Practice

Through the interpretation of the nature of learning and the characteristics of knowledge, one of the core ideas of the contextual learning theory is that learning is meaningless without the real situation. Only when the learning takes place in the interaction between the individual and the situation can its value be manifested. As Habermas said, only when the learners adopt an attitude of understanding each other to conduct sufficient dialogue and communication can the individual's "local knowledge of time and space" be continuously expanded. When people linked this idea with the learning process to carry out further thinking and design, they logically and naturally proposed the concept of "legal practice community with marginal participation."

"Communities of Practice" (Communities of Practice) is not a loose team temporarily made up for a certain project, but an informal organization that is formed spontaneously without restrictions on social roles. Its members have a common vision, a desire to learn, a willingness to share experiences, and a common cause. They can determine the common learning or common practice they need to conduct on the basis of clear goals and clear meaning. (Lave & Wenger, 1991) What "Legitimate Peripheral Participa2tion" means is that, in a real situation, community learning members start from the periphery or the periphery, then gradually enter the core area, and then continue to participate in the practice. Its characteristics are positive, positive, pluralistic and inclusive. What it elaborates is that in the "community of practice", as time goes by and the learner experience increases, learners can reasonably share and use relevant resources accumulated by the community, and the degree of sharing and utilization varies between learners or The level of interaction between individual and situation varies.

In short, from the perspective of situational learning theorists, the learning process should be designed as a team, gradually from outside and inside, from the surface to the inside, from far to near, from shallow to deep, interacting with each other, using resources legally, and sharing experience reasonably the process of. The learning process is so designed, which has been favored by many adult learning researchers, and based on this, a series of expansive interpretations have been developed. The reason is obviously that the prerequisites, goals, ideas, methods, etc. of the learning process are designed by the contextual learning theory, which is more suitable for adult learners who have already undertaken social responsibilities and deeply participated in social practice. Adult learning activities, but to use it in adult learning, the following points must be reiterated:

First, the initiative of adult learners should be fully respected. From the perspective of contextual learning theory, learners are active participants in the community of practice, not passive bystanders. In the community, this initiative is fully respected, and because of this, the interaction between each participant and its members can maintain sufficient tension, thereby helping all learners to achieve their meaning construction of knowledge. Strictly speaking, adult learners are more likely to "participate" in learning with an active attitude and show greater initiative in the learning process. In view of the huge role of "proactiveness" in constructing knowledge and meaning for adults, any project prepared for adult learning should respect their initiative, and the best action to reflect this is no more than the design of an adult learning project. At every link, pay close attention to the actual needs of learners.

Secondly, the experience of adult learners should be fully recognized and used. The contextual learning theory emphasizes the meaning and value of experience, and requires that the learner's experience be fully recognized and respected in all learning processes, especially when new knowledge is acquired and used. Because compared with minors, adults have rich and diverse experiences, and it is especially important that these experiences are not only close to real life and practical occupational needs, but also deeply integrated into their personality and personality. Adult learners participate in learning activities with these experiences. Therefore, experience is not only the basis for its learning, but also the resource for its in-depth learning; it is not only the prerequisite for understanding knowledge, but also the basis for its application of knowledge; it is the condition for sharing experience and the source of its knowledge innovation.

Third, we should fully understand and value the interaction between adult learners. Any member of the community of practice has their own interests and expertise. Through interactions such as group "negotiation" and group "dialogue" between members, the interests and strengths of each other are exchanged and shared, and a collective wisdom is gradually formed, and then a universally recognized "outer individual" model is established. Reach a deep understanding and mastery of knowledge, and promote the development of each member. Based on this, adult education, whether it is program design, curriculum planning, or teaching implementation, must take the promotion of positive interaction between adult learners as the criterion and purpose. Fourth, the role consciousness and behavior of adult educators should be completely changed. The members of the community of practice, such as learners and educators, are equal, cooperative, not competitive, and they all aim to achieve common goals. (Resnick, 1988) Therefore, it is important to point out that adult learners generally have a strong sense of self, independence, and self-esteem.Therefore, when they encounter difficulties in learning, they are often reluctant to educate them. "Authoritative figures" appeared, and they hope that they can act as "facilitators" to assist their learning. Therefore, adult educators must adapt to the new learning culture and change from the role of authoritative knowledge transmitters to the role of promoters, organizers, facilitators, encouragers, consultants and helpers of adult learning, etc., and establish partnerships with learners And willing to learn from learners.

Learning Evaluation: Constructing a New Evaluation Mechanism

The traditional evaluation mechanism often deviates from the real situation, and emphasizes the examination of the so-called final learning results, while ignoring the growth and development that the learners may get during the learning process. Specifically, the focus of traditional evaluation is to evaluate learners' memory of factual knowledge, while the level of understanding, thinking quality, action improvement and process shown by learners in practical situations are not enough or even not concerned. . In addition, the purpose of traditional evaluation is often not to promote the growth of learners' cognition and ability, but only to determine the external performance or superficial meaning of this growth. All these are inexplicable distortions and alienations in the view of situational learning theorists. The so-called learning achievements finally reflected by them are incomplete, incomplete, and sometimes even meaningless.

Unfortunately, in the field of adult learning, traditional evaluation mechanisms have not only been used for a long time, but they still dominate the city to this day. In this regard, it is necessary for people to reflect deeply. Adult learning evaluation should be based on the recognition that the traditional evaluation mechanism is partially effective, based on the logic of contextual learning theory, combined with the characteristics of adult learning, and fully embody the following principles to construct a more comprehensive and authentic, objective and effective, and promote New Evaluation Mechanism of Adult Learning with Value Formation:

First, adults and their learning are an integral part of their situation, and adult learning activities are more based on real situations.Therefore, the evaluation of adult learning should be placed in actual situations to accurately reflect adult learning Effect.

Second, the evaluation of adult learning should not be an isolated and ultimate activity performed after adult learning, but an activity that is embedded and extended throughout the entire learning process. In addition, the focus of evaluation should be on the level of understanding, quality of thinking, action improvement, and process of adult learners in the context of dynamic practical situations.

Third, the core of adult learning activities is not only a theoretical deduction, but also a practical reflection. In fact, adults' learning intentions are broad, the learning content is diverse, and the learning methods are changeable. More importantly, adults already have a sense of self-discipline and have accumulated a wealth of life experience. They may and have the ability to judge the choices, implementation and results of their learning behaviors. Therefore, evaluation activities should involve adult learners. Secondly, evaluation angles, indicators, standards, methods, etc. cannot be absolute or solidified, but should be established or selected more based on their unique learning goals, efforts, progress, and results achieved.

Fourth, the evaluation of adult learning, while paying attention to the individual growth and development of adult learners, must also observe its impact on the growth and development of learning partners, study guides, and the entire community of practice, and then further consider or evaluate accordingly The positive and negative significance of these effects, and the related breadth and depth.

Situational learning theory (3 photos)