Jean Lave Situated Learning Theory

THE SITUATED LEARNING
THEORY
Intended Learning outcomes:
◦ Explain the Key Features Of Situated Learning
◦ Analyze the advantages and disadvantages of using SLT in
the classroom
Description Situated Learning Theory was initially
proposed by Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger in the late
1980s. The concept of Situated Learning Theory is
that learning occurs within authentic context,
culture, and activity and that it is widely
unintentional.
In contrast with most classroom learning activities
that involve abstract knowledge which is and out of
context, Lave argues that learning is situated; that is,
as it normally occurs, learning is embedded within
activity, context and culture. It is also usually
unintentional rather than deliberate. Lave and Wenger
call this a process of “legitimate peripheral
participation”[2]
◦ Knowledge needs to be presented in authentic contexts —
settings and situations that would normally involve that
knowledge. Social interaction and collaboration are essential
components of situated learning — learners become involved in a
“community of practice” which embodies certain beliefs and
behaviors to be acquired. As the beginner or novice moves from
the periphery of a community to its center, he or she becomes
more active and engaged within the culture and eventually
assumes the role of an expert.
A community of practice (CoP) is a group of people who share a common concern, a set of problems, or an interest in a
topic and who come together to fulfill both individual and group goals. Communities of practice often focus on sharing
best practices and creating new knowledge to advance a domain of professional practice.
Key Features Of Situated Learning
◦ 1. It Is Based On Sociocultural Theory

◦ Situated learning theory embraces a
sociocultural view of learning. It sees knowledge
as being defined and agreed upon by a society
or community.
◦ 2. Learning Should Take Place In Communities Of Practice
Because knowledge is socially co-constructed by a community,
the only way to learn is to learn from others. Talking and listening
to others can help you learn what information is important to
society and how society views certain topics!
Community of Practice: A collection of people who share the
same set of knowledge, ways of speaking and ways of thinking
about topics. They collectively define knowledge in a similar way,
and often define who is and is not a member of their community.
Examples include professions as CoPs (medicine, legal,
education, engineering), and cultural or religious groups as
CoPs (Christians, Hindus, Pacific Islanders, etc.).
Some examples of communities of practice are:
• Lawyers: Lawyers will know how to navigate legal issues, what things to
say in the court of law, how to initiate and settle court cases, etc. This is
knowledge shared by their community of practice.
• Carpenters: Carpenters will know what tools to use in which situations,
which woods are best for which purposes, strategies for accurately cutting
wood to size, etc. This is knowledge shared by their community of practice
and would need to be learned from that CoP via an apprenticeship.
• Educators: As an educator, this is my community of practice. Things we
know about include pedagogy, identifying learning disabilities, how to get
the best out of students, and how to develop a curriculum.
◦ 3. Learners Start Out As Legitimate Peripheral
Participants
Lave and Wegner argue that learning should

take place through an apprenticeship model.
In their teaching method, students are embedded
in real-world contexts. They follow actual
practitioners around to observe their practice and
learn from them through ‘guided practice’ or what
Barbara Rogoff calls ‘cognitive apprenticeships’.
◦ 4. Learners Slowly Become Full Members Of The
Community Of Practice
Each community of practice has its own rules or structures for
progressing from peripheral to full participation.
◦ In a traditional apprentice-mentor relationship, it is the mentor
who has control over the gradual release of responsibility to
the apprentice. The mentor controls the level of participation
and the pace of progression.
◦ In more formal contexts, progression may be structured
through formal testing, accumulation of time such as number
of hours practicing, or age.
◦ Legitimate Peripheral Participant: The act of
being an apprentice member of a community of
practice who participates in low-risk
introductory activities within the CoP. The
apprentice’s participation increases as they
gain competence with the knowledge and
vocabulary of the CoP.
Benefits And Limitations
Benefits (Advantages)
◦ A focus on social learning: SLT has at its core the belief that learning must be social. An
educator who uses SLT in the classroom will therefore bring community members into the
classroom, have students learning in groups, provide opportunities for communication, and set
up the classroom layout in table groups rather than rows.
• Links learning to life: Students are shown how the knowledge they’re learning is relevant to
their real lives. When assessed, the assessment is more authentic because it takes place in a
situated setting rather than on a standardized test.
• Learning must be active: Students learn through active approaches such as project-based
learning. This allows students to make important neural connections and develop their
knowledge through trial-and-error
◦ Prepares students for the 21st Century: Students learn skills required in the workforce, and
in particular, are prepared for 21st Century workforces which require strong collaboration and
communication skills.
Criticisms (Disadvantages)
◦ Failure to Acknowledge Objectivity: Unlike cognitive constructivism, SLT
does not acknowledge that people can learn objective knowledge through
independent study. Clearly people can learn without social interaction, so this
theory does not fully account for how learning happens.
◦ Failure to Acknowledge Creative Individuality: Creativity requires thinking
in ways that are new and not normal within social groups, whereas SLT
encourages learning socially agreed upon information and processes.
Creativity and individuality are driving forces behind social progress. Creative
people come up with alternative ways of completing tasks or new technologies
that make life more efficient and prosperous.
◦ Impractical for Western Education Systems: Western education is designed
around learning in classrooms rather than in situated contexts. It seems almost
impossible to implement SLT in a large scale in western education systems.
Some ways educators can use SLT
include:
◦ School Excursions: Encouraging students to take internships or
mentorship roles in the local community to make the most of
experiential learning contexts. Students should be given opportunities
to shadow practitioners as they complete their daily tasks.
◦ School Incursions: Having community members come into the
classroom to share how they do things and vocabulary from their
profession.
◦ Learning through Doing: Focus on project or phenomenon based
learning where students learn by doing real-world problem solving tasks
rather than learning from books.
Some ways educators can use SLT
include:
◦ Act as Mentors: Educators can take on a mentorship role in
which the students become apprentices in their practice. For
example, students can come along to attend adult meetings
and listen in on how the meetings are conducted and
decisions are made. Here, the students become ‘legitimate
peripheral participants’.
SUMMARY
Situated learning theory makes us reflect on the importance of
learning in authentic contexts. It argues that learning should be
social, interactive, and involve building relationships with more
proficient practitioners
While SLT is best applied in adult learning and workplace learning
contexts, it also has some value to classroom teachers. Classroom
educators might use this theory to justify bringing experts into the
classroom and encouraging students to go out into their community
to learn in authentic environments.
Situated Learning Theory (Lave & Wegner) - Pros & Cons (202
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THE SITUATED LEARNING

◦ 1. It Is Based On Sociocultural Theory

Lave and Wegner argue that learning should

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