Social Development Theory and Internet-based Applications

Vygotsky’s Social Development Theory is a general theory of cognitive development. The major focus of Vygotsky’s theory is the belief that cognition is developed as a result of critical social interactions. Every person’s cognitive activity originates from relationships with other individuals. Vygotsky’s conceptualization of social development affects many aspects of an individual’s existence: social roles, interactions between people, and interactions within each individual’s brain. Vygotsky claimed that these interactions build cognitive abilities in the critical areas of voluntary attention, logical memory, and formation of concepts. The most fundamental aspect of Vygotsky’s theory is that social interactions underlie all cognitive development.

In addition to the importance of social interactions, Vygotsky’s theory addresses another component of cognition. Vygotsky’s theory states that cognitive development must occur within an individual’s zone of proximal development (ZPD). This theoretical zone refers to learning within a particular range – content is neither too easy nor too challenging for the learner. However, learning oriented toward an individual’s ZPD will not be fully attained without full social interactions. Learning within one’s ZPD requires interaction, either with an adult/expert or with peers. The ZPD describes a range of learning in which maximum potential can be reached, if adequate social interactions occur. Cognitive tasks must be within one’s ZPD in order for learning to occur.

To summarize, Vygotsky’s Theory of Social Development hinges upon two principles. First, cognitive development requires social interaction. In addition, learning potential at any age is limited to cognitive tasks within an individual’s ZPD. Cognitive tasks are considered below one’s ZPD if they are so easy that an individual could complete them independently (i.e. without any social interactions). Cognitive tasks are considered above one’s ZPD if they are so challenging that an individual is unable to complete the activity, even with maximum social interactions. Between these two extremes lies one’s zone of proximal development. When cognitive tasks fall within this range – AND proper social interactions take place – cognitive development can successfully occur.

Educators can apply this theory to instruction that incorporates Internet-based applications. One way would be for a science teacher to promote learning using some type of online collaboration tool. Many teachers currently have students use science journals to document questions, experiments, and findings. This links science with writing and literacy, which is an important component for learning in our society. I believe that allowing students to “publish” some of this work in a class wiki or blog would be highly motivating for students. It would furthermore allow for greater social interactions. It would give them the sense of actually DOING science, instead of just filling out worksheets or reading a textbook. In the real world, success in science is based upon discovering something and then sharing it with the world. Internet-based tools could give students a chance to do this within the classroom. Thus the increased social interactions would help students build the cognitive connections that constitute scientific learning.

Another way educators may apply this theory would be within instruction in a foreign language. Traditionally, second language instruction is done by one instructor (fluent in both languages) to a group of about 20 students (fluent in only one language, with the goal of becoming at least proficient in another language). This set-up is not conducive to cognitive development, according to Vygotsky’s theory. Within this situation, adequate social interaction cannot be provided. Each individual cannot receive enough interactions with the proficient adult to develop the cognitive abilities required for language acquisition; interactions with peers may increase other areas of cognitive abilities, but would not likely contribute to learning the foreign language. Perhaps a more social approach to teaching foreign languages could be accomplished using Internet-based applications. One web application (www.livemocha.com) is free and provides opportunities to practice speaking, reading, writing, and listening to another language. All of these features allow students to socially interact with real people who are native language speakers. Another web application that could be used is a Virtual Reality site such as Second Life, in which avatars can “visit” other cultures and interact with native speakers in several ways. This may be an even more immersive approach (and thus may result in greater learning) than the Web 2.0 site mentioned above. However, using either of these applications to teach a second language would allow for greater social interactions than are available in the traditional classroom setting. According to Vygotsky’s theory, this would allow true learning to take place.

Both of the aforementioned possibilities for using Vygotsky’s theory in an Internet-based learning environment involve increasing the social interactions that precede cognition. Instructors would still be responsible for ensuring these interactions took place in sufficient amount and in appropriate manners. Educators would also need to ensure that learning was taking place within an individual’s zone of proximal development. Perhaps this could even be accomplished more easily using the Internet tools described. For instance, students could be assigned certain scientific experiments and write-ups in ways that require collaboration with peers to achieve. A foreign language teacher could ensure that student tasks assigned on the web (either a Web 2.0 or Virtual Reality site) are within an individual’s ZPD. These two examples demonstrate that cognitive development can occur within the major tenets of Vygotsky’s theory using Internet-based applications in the classroom.

Source for theory description: http://tip.psychology.org/vygotsky.html