Situated Cognition

Situated cognition is “the notion of learning knowledge and skills in contexts that reflect the way they will be used in real life” (Brown, Collins, & Duguid, 1989). A close relative of cognitive apprenticeship and constructivism, this concept encourages educators to construct an environment that mimics as closely as possible the setting in which their instruction will actually be put to use. Whereas cognition and the situation it was learned in had historically been considered separate entities, they are now thought to be indivisible from one anther. When students get feedback from within their learning setting, an improved learning experience occurs. When provided the opportunity and framework for feedback and revision, the understanding that a student achieves is deeper and more meaningful. Further, technologies which promote such a dynamic communicative situation for a student will produce a more learned one.

Learning is described as generative; that is, as an act of creation or co-creation, as social, or occurring in partnership with others, and as occurring in the “lived-in world”, which means that it takes place in settings that make what is learned more relevant, useful, and transferable (Brill, 2001). Therefore, the activity during which knowledge is acquired is now considered to be inexorably linked to the learning itself. It is not considered supplementary, secondary or in addition to learning. Rather, the situation is part of the cognition. A recognized leader in the situated cognition movement, Allan Collins identified four benefits of using situated cognition as a learning model. First, students learn about the conditions for applying knowledge. Second, students are more likely to engage in invention and...

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