SocioCultural Theory

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Socio-Cultural Theory

• Social Cultural Influences on Cognitive
  Development

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Lev Vygotsky

• Russian Psychologist
• Lived during the Bolshevik revolution of 1918
• Professors were considered dangerous by the State
• Died relatively young, 38 (Very difficult life in
  Soviet Union)
• Always seemed to have a gaggle of students with
  him
• Raging debates around the kitchen table
• Answered student questions with another question

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Socio-Cultural Theory

• Social Interaction causes Cog. Development
• Co-Constructed Knowledge
• New knowledge created first between people, then
  internalized
• Culture influences Cog. Development
• Cannot be separated from the individual
• Values, Tools, Resources,
• Language Shapes Cog. Development

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Socio-Cultural Theory

• Private Speech
• Talking to yourself
• Functions of Self Talk
• Self-Regulate Ooh, ooh, not too close.
• Self-Evaluate I cant BELIEVE I did that!
• Self-Instruct Okay, now the next step is
• Characteristics of Self-Talk
• 3-5 yrs audible moving to inaudible later
• Presents most often in high stress situations

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Socio-Cultural Theory

• Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)
• Inner-Layer
• KSA that the learner has complete control over
• Outermost-Layer
• KSA that the learner cannot control or learn
• Middle Layer
• KSA that the learner can acquire with assistance
• Zone of Proximal Development
• Potential for learning
• Large ZPD ?

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Socio-Cultural Theory

• Assisted Learning
• Professional Social Interaction
• Scaffolding
• Cuing
• Modeling
• ½ done examples
• Thinking out loud
• Reciprocal teaching
• Checklists