Situated Learning theory (legitimate peripheral participation in communities of practice)¶

Theory · All theories
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

The review presents Situated Learning as the framework originating with Lave and Wenger in the early 1990s, in which learning occurs within authentic activities, contexts and cultures rather than isolated settings. Learning is a social process in which knowledge is co-constructed in communities of practitioners, and "learning occurs through legitimate peripheral participation as novices enter into the community and absorb the culture, language, and practices of expert members", becoming more competent as they move from periphery to center. Assessment is seamless and emerges from the task, not separate from it.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Authentic activities, contexts and cultures in which learners apply knowledge in real-world situations
• Communities of practitioners with expert members whose culture, language and practices novices absorb

Constraints¶

• The review notes varied interpretations of the concept in the published literature, which can complicate collaborative research and development in situated education

Target Learners¶

• novices entering communities of practice
• students across educational levels

Target Learning Objectives¶

• socially co-constructed knowledge
• skills applicable in real-world situations

Claims¶

Related Theories¶

• Community of practice with Wenger's five membership trajectories
• Situated Learning
• Situated cognition: context, authenticity, and activity as key dimensions
• Communities-of-Practice theory as a framework for understanding community membership and learning

Examples¶

• Authentic Audiences and Purposes
• Learning Communities
• Community Involvement
• Actively involve community members and study participants in the co-construction of research

Key Sources¶

• Vargas, E. G., Chiappe, A., & Durand, J. (2024). Reshaping education in the era of artificial intelligence: insights from Situated Learning related literature. Journal of Social Studies Education Research. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1445872