Learning & Teaching

Understanding processes that facilitate ‘Construction of Knowledge’

Prepared by: Dr. Neha Goyal

Experiential Learning and Reflection
 Experiential Learning is a process of learning through experience and is more
specifically defined as "learning through reflection on doing.
 Learning takes place through significant, meaningful experiences, which are not
easily forgotten
 Experiential learning addresses the needs and wants of the learner.
 Emphasized the inclusion of feelings and emotions in education.
 Believed that the highest levels of significant learning included personal involvement
at both the affective and cognitive level.
 All human beings have a natural propensity to learn.
 Role of the teacher is to facilitate such learning.
 Applies primarily to adult learners and has influenced other theories of adult
learning.

Prepared By: Dr. Neha Goyal

Social Mediation
 Social Mediation is the cardinal idea in Vygotsky's psychology of education, that
knowledge is constructed through mediation.
 He focuses on being aware of the learner’s needs, so that they can ‘construct’
their own learning experience and changes the focus of teaching towards
guidance and facilitation as learners are not so much ‘educated’ by teachers as
helped to construct their own learning.
 In the context of school learning, Vygotsky states that a child’s development
within a ZPD involves social interaction, dialogue, and mediated activity between
learners and with their teachers.

Prepared By: Dr. Neha Goyal

Negotiability
 It is an aspect of learning process that relies on collaboration with others and
respect for different perspectives.
 Many constructivists share Vygotsky’s belief that higher mental processes
develop through social negotiations and interactions, so collaboration in
learning is valued.
 A major goal of teaching is to develop student’s abilities to establish and
defend their own positions while respecting the positions of others and working
together to negotiate or co-construct meaning.
 To accomplish this exchange, students must listen and talk to each other.

Prepared By: Dr. Neha Goyal

Situated Learning
 According to the assumptions of situated learning, the acquisition of knowledge is
contextually tied to the learning situation.
 Situated cognition is a theory of instruction that suggests learning is naturally tied
to authentic activity, context, and culture (Brown, Collins, & Duguid, 1989).
 According to Situated Cognition (Lave, 1988) most learning occurs naturally
through activities, contexts, cultures. It is more difficult to learn from un-natural
activities.
 Situated examples include more “apprentice-like” situations, to understand
situated approach think how skills or trade was taught before there were
universities.
 Most likely, the skills were taught by way of apprentice-like situations.

Prepared By: Dr. Neha Goyal

Cognitive Apprenticeship
 Cognitive Apprenticeship is a relationship in which a less experienced learner
acquires knowledge and skills under the guidance of an expert, example:
mentoring.
 In Cognitive Apprenticeship:
 Students observe an expert
 Students get external support through coaching or tutoring (hints, models, feedback,
reminders)
 Students receive conceptual scaffolding
 Students continually articulate their knowledge- putting into words their understanding
of the processes and content being learned.
 Students reflect on their progress
 Students are required to explore new ways to apply what they are learning

Prepared By: Dr. Neha Goyal

 Meta-Cognition
 Metacognition describes the processes involved when learners plan, monitor, evaluate and
make changes to their own learning behaviors.
 It literally means cognition about cognition or knowledge about knowing and learning.
 Meta-cognitive knowledge is about our own cognitive processes and our understanding of
how to regulate those processes to maximize learning.
 This meta-cognitive knowledge is used to monitor and regulate cognitive processes such as
reasoning, comprehension, problem solving, learning, etc.
 Meta-cognition refers to a level of thinking that involves active control over the process of
thinking that is used in learning situations.
 Planning the way to approach a learning task, monitoring comprehension, and evaluating
the progress towards the completion of a task: these are skills that are meta-cognitive in
their nature.

Prepared By: Dr. Neha Goyal

 Meta-Cognition
 Metacognitive knowledge refers to what learners know about learning. This includes:
 Declarative knowledge: refers to knowledge about oneself as a learner and about what
factors can influence one's performance. Declarative knowledge can also be referred to as
"world knowledge". The factors that influence your learning and memory, and the skills,
strategies, and resources needed to perform a task. For example: the learner’s knowledge
of their own cognitive abilities (e.g. ‘I have trouble remembering dates in history’)
 Procedural knowledge: refers to knowledge about doing things – knowing what to do,
procedural knowledge or knowing how to use the strategies. A high degree of procedural
knowledge can allow individuals to perform tasks more automatically. This is achieved
through a large variety of strategies that can be accessed more efficiently. For example:
the learner’s knowledge of particular tasks (e.g. ‘The ideas in this chapter that I’m going to
read are complex’)
 Conditional knowledge: refers to knowing when and why to use declarative and procedural
knowledge. It allows students to decide when and why to apply the procedures and
strategies. This in turn allows the strategies to become more effective. For example: the
learner’s knowledge of different strategies that are available to them and when they are
appropriate to the task (e.g. ‘If I scan the text first it will help me to understand the
overall meaning')

Prepared By: Dr. Neha Goyal

 Meta-Cognition
 Meta-cognition is the strategic application of this declarative, procedural and conditional
knowledge to accomplish goals and solve problems.
 It is used to regulate thinking and learning.
 There are three essential skills that allow us to do this: planning, monitoring and
evaluating.
 Metacognition helps students to become independent learner.
 Metacognition has a positive impact on learning.
 Metacognition is useful across a range of ages and subjects.
 Metacognition is not expensive to implement.

Prepared By: Dr. Neha Goyal

THANK YOU