FIVE LENSES INTO THE WORK OF

LEV SEMENOVICH VYGOTSKYA Group Project, Presented by

Stefan CarreteroCasey CummingsKim Csapo-EbertPaul GruhnJonathan Lake

March 2017 - EDLD 813 – Theory in Education Research

About

(1896 – 1934)

Soviet psychologist

His works published after his death, suppressed in 1936

Not known to the West until 1958

More: https://www.marxists.org/archive/vygotsky/

His Works

(The methods of reflexological and psychological investigation, based on his January 1924 presentation to the 2nd All-Russian Congress on Psychoneurology. The Psychology of Art, (written 1917) 1925Consciousness as a problem in the Psychology of Behavior, 1925Educational Psychology, 1926Historical meaning of the crisis in Psychology, 1927The Problem of the Cultural Development of the Child, 1929The Fundamental Problems of Defectology, 1929Primitive Man and his Behavior, c. 1930The Socialist alteration of Man, 1930The Instrumental Method in Psychology, 1930Mind, Consciousness. the Unconscious, 1930Adolescent Pedagogy, 1931Research Method, 1931Analysis of the Higher Mental Functions, 1931Structure of the Higher Mental Functions, 1931Genesis of Higher the Mental Functions, 1931Conclusion to Higher the Mental Functions, 1931The Development of Speech, 1931Tool and symbol in child development, 1930sOn the Problem of the Psychology of the Actor’s Creative Work, 1932Play and its role in the Mental development of the Child, 1933Thinking and Speech, 1934The problem of the environment, 1934The Problem of Consciousness, 1934The Problem of Age, 1934

Social Class, Race, Identity and Perception Stefan Carretero

Vygotsky was a firm believer in Socialism and Marxism

▪Socialism could improve people

▪Classless society to eliminate social conflict and exploitation

▪Revolution is necessary to change: social relationships, educational opportunities, cognitive, psychological functions, and reduce prejudice, conflict and aggression.

French Revolution

Haitian Revolution

Cuban Revolution

slavery, racism, oppression

Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development

(ZPD) is defined as what the learner can do: 1. independently, 2) with guidance, 3) what they cannot do independently.

Two Processes Lower Processes: natural reflexes, instincts, and hormones

Higher Processes: Social experiences that can replace some of the lower processes, also known as “cultural reconstruction”.

An infant does not truly perceive or think about the world, he or she is submerged in it (Vygotsky, 1930).

Perception

▪In Vygotsky’s early stages, perception is associated with concrete complex thought, later in adolescence perception processes merge with abstract, conceptual thought forming higher forms of categorical perceptions. ▪Perception of distance, size, weight, color and motion also depend on cues whose

significance is socially constructed. Example: Luria (1976) found that Uzbekistani peasants perceived certain colors as dissimilar, whereas teachers and administrators perceived those colors as similar. Example: My interviews of Puerto Rican participants on race revealed that some considered race to be a social construct while others considered it to be the literal color of skin.

Zone of Proximal Development and Scaffolding

Children whose parents socialize them regarding racial history and values report more positive self-concept than those who lacked intervention.

Cognitive lower process▪Ages 3-4 children are able to categorize based on color. Example: red, pink,

brown. Scaffold: include story books with diverse characters of all shapes and colors. ▪Ages 5-7 children can identify racial label based on socially constructed skin color

identifiers. Scaffold: Students read Cinderella from around the world.

Zone of Proximal Development and Scaffolding

Cognitive higher processes ▪Ages 8,9 children understand racial classification beyond physical features.

Scaffold: read nonfiction books about diverse families from various socially-economic perspectives ▪Ages 10 children can recognize social stereotypes associated with race. Impact of

racial attitudes and self-esteem. Scaffold: Read and report on various diverse famous achievers of different races, genders etc.

VYGOTSKY’S VIEWS ON LANGUAGE

Casey Cummings

Language is Our Greatest Tool Language is a crucial mean for communicating with the outside world. The way in which we develop language is equally important to the role it plays in our intellectual lives.Language Development

Language develops from social interactions for communication purposes.Language development leads to cognitive development.

Role of LanguageLanguage plays two critical roles in cognitive development:

▪Language is the means by which adults transmit information to children.

▪Language is a tool of intellectual adaptation.

Three Forms of LanguageSocial SpeechExternal communication used to talk to others

Private Speech Communication directed to self and serves an intellectual function

*Vygotzky was the first psychologist to document the importance of private speech

Inner Speech

Language and thought unite internally to prepare for social speech

Language Leads to Thinking and Understanding

Language development facilitates cognitive processes such as:

▪Problem Solving

▪Imaginary Thinking

▪Awareness of Self and Others

▪Planning

▪Emotional Expression

These are all key functions, therefore, language development is an “accelerator” to thought processes and understanding.

Exposure and practice of language will strengthen cognitive functions.

Vygotzy’s Studies in the Field of Language

Hypothesis: Private speech is a product of an individual’s social environment.

There are positive correlations between high rates of social interaction and private speech.

Children raised in linguistically stimulating environments internalize private speech at a faster rate. Children raised in environments with low verbal rates and social interaction typically have delays in all types of language development.Language is a social concept that is developed by verbal interactions.

Words act as signals that represent objects and ideas. Language acquisition is about fluency in addition to the growth of thought through verbal expression.

Current Implications30,000 Words TheoryA recent study shows that exposure to verbal communication has an impact on children’s academic achievement by third grade. By age three, children from less talkative families accumulate 4 million words while children from more talkative families accumulate more than 12 million words.

Vgotzky’s Theory of Reciprocal TeachingTeachers and students begin the learning process through equivalent collaboration. Interaction involves summarizing, questioning, clarifying, and predicting. Students learn when the teacher models these skills. Teachers gradually encourage the student to work more independently.

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Current Implications continued

Collaborative Learning in the ClassroomStudents work in groups with peers of varying ability in order to gain exposure to different levels of language and thinking

Application to Second Language LearnersThe role of private speech is only developed by exposure and application of language. Learning a second language through drill and practice does not allow for practice of social or private speech.

The Zone of Proximal Development and Cooperative LearningKim Csapo-Ebert

Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development

Investigation of Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development with the instructional methods of Cooperative learning creates a basis for explaining five tenets of Cooperative Learning.

1. Positive Interdependence2. Face-to-Face Interaction3. Individual Accountability4. Small-Group and Interpersonal Skills5. Group Self-Evaluation

1. Positive Interdependence in Cooperative Learning

The recognition that group cooperation helps fulfill the need for personal attainment of goals, other group members attainment of goals, and the entire group's attainment of goals.

2. Face-to-Face Interaction

This involves individual group members’ encouraging and guiding other group members to complete tasks in order to achieve the overall group goals. The actions include students assisting each other, exchanging resources, and offering feedback.

These actions are in line with Vygotsky's framework involving social interaction with others.

3. Individual Accountability

The third element of cooperative learning involves holding each other accountable for mastering material by completing one’s task within the group and supporting the work of the other members of the group.

Individual accountability encourages all members to divide equally the workload; therefore, encouraging each member to be responsible for developing within their own zone of proximal development. The goal is to help people develop beyond simple task completion.

4. Small Group and Interpersonal Skills

Cooperative learning involves teaching students how to maximize their learning in small group settings. Student are also taught interpersonal skills in order to enable them to interact competently with other students. Vygotsky's goals were to help students use sociocultural signs (words and images) to mediate and influence their interactions with others. He saw students development of tools (money and computers) as a part of the “zone of proximal development” which were necessary for human development.

5. Group Self Evaluation

The purpose of cooperative learning self evaluation is to provide opportunities for group members to gain higher productivity toward the achievement of the group’s goals. In group self evaluation the teacher, the students, and the students in the group can monitor how each are engaged in the learning process.

They can also monitor how the instruction is affecting each student's zone of proximal development. Those activities below the zone will bore students, and those activities highest on the zone may go beyond the student’s capacity.

The Best Ways to Use Cooperative Learning

Vygotsky's theory of zone of proximal development provides the groundwork for explaining learning instruction. Below are suggestions from Vygotsky for making the most of cooperative education.

Use whole and authentic activities; create a need for what is learned; use teaching activities that favor social interaction; favor opportunities for verbal interactions; observe and track student progress; use instruction that precedes student development; use scaffolding during instructional activities -meaning students must seek assistance in order to complete the task, but not so difficult that the student becomes discouraged and does not bother asking for help.

References

Doolittle, P.E. (1997). Vygotsky's zone of proximal development as a theoretical foundation for cooperative learning. Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, 8 (1), Pp. 83-103

ZONE OF PROXIMAL DEVELOPMENT (ZPD)FOR THE ONLINE ADULT LEARNERPaul Gruhn

Vygotsky - Hypothesis based Theory

Vygotsky’s Theory of Learning (1974, 1978) Theory: Cognitive development is strongly linked to input from other people.

Hypothesis: Tutoring by more able peers will have a positive effect on the learning at-risk students.

Social Constructivism is born.

Knowledge is internalization of social activity

Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)

What a child could accomplish with an adult helper (MKO) was more expert than what a child could do alone.

ZPD → is the difference between these proficienciesMKO → More Knowledgeable Other

Became the basis for the school of “socially situated” learning

→ learning is more of a social process…

→ it becomes less of learning math, and more about becoming a mathematician.

ZPD - Visual Models

Vygotsky - Development is not just biological

… biology only accounts for basic elements of human development,

… the social environment accounts almost entirely for higher-level cognitive processes: language, memory, and abstract thinking.development mechanism NOT development stagesAges and stages of development are replaced with the process of learning (at any age), influenced by the social environment.

Vygotsky - Role of the Teacher

▪A necessary mediator of cognitive development

▪To present learning which is in advance of current development

▪social partner, teacher, more skilled peer

▪Provides scaffolding, a supportive tool

▪provides support

▪functions as a tool

▪Allows learner to accomplish tasks otherwise impossible

▪extends the range of a learner

▪Is used selectively when needed

Community of Practice

Lev Vygotsky’s three major themesand its application to mathematical problem solving Jonathan Lake

Lev Vygotsky’s Three Major Themes

Social InteractionThe More Knowledgeable Other (MKO)Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)

Vygotsky- Social Interaction

Vygotsky believed that social interaction is a fundamental process in cognitive development.

Social Interaction and mathematical problem solving: Vygotsky emphasized the importance of language as a cultural tool (Vygotsky, 1978). He noted the more complex the task at hand, the greater the importance speech played in whole. Students collaborating together on complex math problems promotes mathematical linguistics and intellectual development.

Vygotsky- The More Knowledgeable Other (MKO)

The More Knowledgeable Other (MKO) refers to the person who has a better understanding or higher ability than the learner (e.g., teacher, coach, student).

The MKO and solving complex mathematical problems: An important aspect to solving complex mathematical problems would be to consider the significance of the facilitator, the teacher, and qualified students that could serve as the MKO. Teachers play an instrumental role in providing support and guidance to their students, and students peers play a meaningful role in understanding complex math word problems.

Vygotsky- Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)

The ZPD examines the distance between the students ability to perform a task under adult and/or peer collaboration, and the ability to solve a problem independently. According to Vygotsky, learning occurs in this zone. The ZPD and solving complex mathematical problems: children learn how to solve complex math problems by collaborating with one another to address their various needs. Vygotsky would claim that they learn to solve complex tasks through speech and writing which serve as a social function to communicate their findings (Vygotsky, 1978).

References:

Vygotsky, L.S. (1978). Mind in society. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press. Retrieved from http://www.cles.mlc.edu.tw/~cerntcu/099-curriculum/Edu_Psy/EP_03_New.pdf