Lev Vygotsky: Social Development Theory

Kyle WesselmanThomas StavelyMatt GordonErin Benson

ISTC 501

Major Contributions

The Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)Noted the importance of social interaction and culture to learning and development.The More Knowledgeable Other (MKO)Contributed to the development of constructivismDeveloped Social Development Theory

Zone of Proximal Development

What the student cannot do

What the student can do

Zone of Proximal Development

What the student can do with help

Two features of ZPD are scaffolding and subjectivity

Social Interaction and CultureVygotsky believed that social interaction was very important for cognitive development.

Vygotsky believed that social learning happens before development, which is the opposite of what was believed by Jean Piaget.

Culture is very influential on a child's thoughts and behaviors.

More Knowledgeable Other

The more knowledgeable other is a person that has more knowledge or ability than the learner does that can help the learner learn.

Who is Lev Vygotsky?

Weaknesses and Criticisms of Constructivism and Social

Development Theory

Weaknesses

Strengths of Constructivism and Social Development Theory

Strengths

Using Technology to Teach in a Vygotskian Style

There are a number of ways technology can be used to teach based on Vygotsky's learning theory.

The Zone of Proximal development and scaffolding are very easy to combine with technology.

Some forms of technology that use scaffolding to teach students are:Educational Video GamesTutoring SoftwareSmartboard Activities

Using Technology: Example

Dogs Cats

Four Legs

Fur

Whiskers

Barks

Meows

Plays fetch

Household pets Plays with string

Zone of Proximal Development

Behaviorism

Conditioning

More Knowledgeable other

Social Interaction

Stages of Development

Summary Activity

Constructivism

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Cognition and Development. Retrieved from http://psychology4a.com/develop7.htm.

(2004). Concept to Classroom. Retrieved from http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/constructivism/index.html.

(2012, June). Education, Child Development, and Learning. Retrieved from http://arhicks.wordpress.com/. (Picture of Vygotsky)

Gallagher, C. (1999, May). Lev Semyonovich Vygotsky. Retrieved from http://www.muskingum.edu/~psych/psycweb/history/vygotsky.htm.

McLeod, S. (2007). Lev Vygotsky. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/vygotsky.html#sthash.NfP23lbl.dpbs

(2013). Social Development Theory (Vygotsky). Retrieved from http://www.learning-theories.com/vygotskys-social-learning-theory.html.