Epistemology: Cognitivism: Situated Cognition

Situated Cognition

• Overview:  Learning and knowing are integrally and inherently situated in the everyday world of human activity. It is situated in the context in which it is taught. In other words, the context is which something is learned is very important. The activity in which the learner is engaged in at the time of learning is also important. If the goal of a learner is to solve day-to-day life experiences, they must engage in such opportunities. 

In order to understand and gain knowledge, learning theories stress the importance of creating a relationship between all pieces of information, the learner, and the environment. If students can develop a relationship for the "underlying reasons for "how" and "why" to use specific procedures, they will be able to store this information as part of their knowledge network and develop links with other pieces of information. On the contrary, if learners learn facts of information that are isolated from a meaningful context, their understanding is often incomplete and meaningless.

Situated Cognition is a way to address difficulties students have in retention and generalization. It is a method in which learners use generalizations to help transfer knowledge from one situation to another. Situated learning environments allow learners the ability to retrieve relevant information when needed. It gives meaning to learning and promotes transfer of knowledge to day-to-day real life situations. It enriches the learning process by providing practical experiences of real situations.

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