Begin forwarded message:
From: "von Brevern Hansjoerg" <Hansjoerg.vonBrevern@iwi.unibe.ch>
Date: August 5, 2004 9:11:48 AM PDT
To: <xmca@weber.ucsd.edu>
Cc: <pbengel@ucsd.edu>
Subject: sociocultural theory
Dear all,
I have tried to send several messages to the group but it does not seem
that my messaged had been sent so that I am trying to send it again.
Elsewise, if my questions are inappropriate to the group, please feel
free to let me know. My apologies if you have received it:
I have been trying to read through a number of papers but have not been
successful so that I would like to ask for your views, opnions, and
consensus of the accuracy and validity of my reflections:
1. Individual learning in an e-Learning environment and sociocultural
theory
I would like to know how sociocultural theory looks at 'individual
learning'. Putting this question into a practical context, I made a
course last year through the ACM. So, although other people might have
taken the same course, I felt like I was studying by myself i.e.,
individually - yet using the internet, .pdf files, etc. and whenever I
had questions, I could send an email to a tutor. Now that I am in the
process of reading through sociocultural theory, I have come to
understand the central idea of the social learning process while at the
other hand, sociocultural theory does not look at the fact, like I did
in reality, that one could study by oneself - be it intentionally or
unintentionally (e.g., what about if there were no other fellow
students a course?). Hence, this leaves me to wonder about the
standpoint of sociocultural theory towards this aspect?
2. The role of e-Learning artefacts and e-Learning tools
Taken from here, I would like to continue my thoughts with regard to
more intelligent, pedagogically and psychologically valid e-Learning
artefacts such as ITS (intelligent tutoring systems) and AHS (adaptive
hypermedia systems). On the basis of and under the umbrella of
sociocultural theory, I am trying to understand how intelligent
e-Learning artefacts should or could be i.e., at this stage, at a
conceptual level while understanding the term intelligence under the
solid standpoints of neuroscience and cognitive science. Do you think
that this is a socioculturally valid research question and what work
does exist in this direction?
Or, alternatively, does sociocultural theory not look at the need of
intelligent e-Learning artefacts which would take on similar roles of
an instructor? What is the perspective of sociocultural theory towards
separating the roles and responsibilities of a system <-> learner <->
instructor?
3. Child learning versus adult learning processes in an e-Learning
environment
Furthermore, Vygotsky's theory mainly discusses issues in the context
of children. However, while reading on Vygotsky, I have observed and
compared my behaviour and preparedness in view of comparative learning
in a social context at the time that I was a child and contrasted this
behaviour with now being an adult. Now being a mature person, I feel
that I have become much more critical towards 'the world' and towards
that what I am being taught - simply because my net of internal
associations in my mind and percpetions towards to world are larger
than those of a child. Saying so, does this imply conflicts of learning
under sociocultural perspectives?
4. Sociocultural theory and course delivery in an e-Learning environment
Thinking of e-Learning course delivery, I am wondering about the
coherence between cognitive apprenticeship and sociocultural theory?
or, alternatively, could you possibly direct me towards which
'instructional design methods' cohere with sociocultural theory?
I would deeply appreciate your ideas, input, thoughts on the validity
of my questions due to my beginner's knowledge on sociocultural theory,
and discussions.
Best regards,
George
--------------------------------------
Hansjoerg (George) von Brevern
Institute of Information Systems
Research Group Information Engineering
Engehaldenstrasse 8
CH-3012 Bern
Switzerland
Tel.: +41.31.631-3914
http://www.ie.iwi.unibe.ch/
http://www.ie.iwi.unibe.ch/staff/vonbrevern/
email: mailto:Hansjoerg.vonBrevern@iwi.unibe.ch
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