The theory of situated learning: what is it and what does it propose in education?

A summary of the theory of situated learning and its contributions to the didactic process.

Pedagogy is a science that is constantly growing and studying new theories to better understand the processes underlying instruction.

Among them is the theory of situated learningassociated with a methodology that we are going to analyze in detail in these lines to know how it works, its main particularities and its differences with the methods that have traditionally been used.

What is situated learning theory?

The theory of situated learning proposes a different way of understanding the way in which we acquire knowledge. According to it, the key underlying this methodology would be the social environment in which the learning itself is taking place.. The opposite view would be the traditional one, which sees learning as a process in which an individual acquires knowledge in a propositional way.

In this sense, the key to this way of understanding pedagogy would be the sociocultural context, since it would be the engine that would move the teaching and would give meaning to the name of the theory of situated learning, since it literally places it in contexts known by the student, in his day-to-day environment, instead of just talking about teaching subjects in an abstract way or simply on paper.

Another of the keys to the theory of situated learning is the importance of cooperative workProjects are carried out by working as a team with a group of peers, thus facilitating learning from each other. This methodology favors collaborative work styles and improves relationships between project members.

The theory of situated learning was proposed by Etienne Wenger and Jean Lave in the context of communities of practice.. These authors saw this concept as the social procedure by which knowledge is constructed among different participants through their own practice in the context to which this knowledge belongs.

This is a vision that breaks with the classic scheme of master and apprentices. According to this new paradigm, students would be an active part in both the acquisition and the creation of knowledgeThis would be carried out through social practice, which is inseparable from this whole procedure. Lave and Wenger give the example of the new members of a community of practice and how they interact little by little, becoming part of the group, learning and teaching at the same time.

Components of situated learning theory

The author William Rankin affirms that in the learning theory there are a series of elements that are indispensable. Below we will look at each of them.

Knowledge content

Obviously, in any learning process there must be knowledge involved. The content of that knowledge would be the first fundamental factor. In this case it is not a theoretical content that the learner has to memorize in order to be evaluated later on, but must learn it in a way that is not only theoretical, but also practical.The content of this knowledge is not a theoretical content that the learner has to memorize and then be evaluated, but must learn it in a practical way, by means of its useful application.

2. Situational context

This application must take place in a specific situational context. It will be this environment that will facilitate the acquisition of knowledge according to the theory of situated learning. It is through the context that the learner will be able to have the necessary experience with respect to the learning in question..

3. Community of participants

The process of situated learning occurs within a community. Through it, the different learners will be able to elaborate their own experiences and learn from those of others, the different learners will be able to elaborate their own experiences and also learn from each other's experiences through a process of interaction among all of them.

4. Participation process

The last element that makes up the theory of situated learning is participation itself. It is through participation that students exchange their ideas and opinions and thus build knowledge among all of them..

The keys to this type of learning

If we want to get the most out of the theory of situated learning, we must take into account a series of tips that different authors have been providing. Let's review some of the most important ones.

1. Situating thinking in problems

The learning process begins at the very moment that individuals have encountered a problem and are trying to solve it.. As in situated learning, students face real problems, they will acquire knowledge through the whole solving process. This process is also social, it is carried out in the company of other people who also participate in it.

Authors such as Hung maintain that the potential of focusing students' thought processes on concrete and real problems should be taken into account, since this way we will achieve that they carry out elaborated cognitive processes that will lead to a better generation of knowledge.

2. Taking ICTs into account

Information and communication technologies are a fundamental part of our daily life and as such we must value them in the processes related to situated learning theory. The authors Collins and Halverson value these technologies to enhance the forms of interaction possible among the participants of the learning community. of the community involved in learning.

They even propose the usefulness of video games as tools for creating virtual learning environments that allow the learner to be exposed to very diverse contexts without having to leave the classroom.

3. Educated teachers in the digital age

But it is of little use to have all these technological means to improve the learning process if the teachers or people in charge of directing this process are not familiar with the devices or programs to be used. For this reason it is essential that teachers are aware of all these elements and integrate them appropriately into the curriculum..

The more realistic the digital environment that the teacher provides to the student, the more likely they are to transfer the acquired knowledge to day-to-day contexts, thus improving knowledge acquisition. This is a fantastic way to generate practice before facing the working world.

4. Constant learning

Another of the keys that accompany the theory of situated learning is that learning does not end when the training is completed, but must continue to be practiced.It must continue to be practiced with the aim of getting better and better. The more problems the learner faces, whether real or virtual, the more new ideas he or she will generate and the easier it will be in the future to find the solution to new challenges in this or similar fields.

5. Online teaching

In line with the use of ICTs, more and more schools are taking advantage of the benefits of teaching via the Internet. But However, we must not make the mistake of bombarding the student with isolated theoretical content, divided by subject.. Instead, the content should be presented as fully interrelated parts. They should not be seen as small activities with no apparent connection.

The range of training courses available on the Internet is becoming increasingly rich and accessible to everyone. But in order to be effective and to take advantage of the concepts of learning theory, it must meet the criteria described above.

6. The new labor paradigm

Some time ago, companies opted to acquire theoretical manuals developed by a third party in order to train employees in certain issues. On the contrary, today communities of practice are created and use is made of the theory of situated learning, generating knowledge among the workers themselves through their ideas and experiences and making this an active process shared by all.

In this way, instead of being bombarded with a huge amount of theoretical content, much of which they may not even use afterwards, they will learn in a real, practical context, they will learn in a real, practical contextIn this way, instead of being bombarded with an enormous amount of theoretical content, much of which they may not even use afterwards, they will learn in a real, practical context exactly the knowledge and skills they need to perform their job tasks efficiently.

7. The usefulness of blogs

Blogs and other digital tools can be powerful allies for learners in their construction of knowledge through situated learning theory. When they have to write about a topic, they must document themselves about it.The research process and learning how to use different tools is also very important. Moreover, if this process is done in a team, it is even more powerful.

8. Creation of projects

The creation of projects is another way to take full advantage of situated learning theory.. Through the projects we will get students to go a step further and put into practice all the knowledge acquired, bringing them closer to the real context that they would have in the work environment to which these teachings are destined.

Bibliographical references:

• Anderson, J.R., Reder, L.M, Simon, H.A. (1996). Situated learning and education. Educational researcher.
• Lave, J., Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge University Press.
• Niemeyer, B. (2006). Situated learning: an opportunity to escape the deficit approach. Journal of education.
• Sagástegui, D. (2004). A commitment to culture: situated learning. Sinéctica, Electronic Journal of Education.