Reflections on Theory Implementation as assigned by Scott Warren PhD. LTEC 6220 Summer 23
Characteristic in the structure of academic discipline is the entanglement and dis-entanglement of knowledge in an evolutionary process in search of truth. In a never-ending cycle of thought and question, the scholar consumes facts and fancies, thoughts and ideas, theories, and practices, often aimlessly searching for the ultimate universal knowledge. Therefore, from the morass of literature and thought concerning the implementation of learning theory, Situated Learning Theory, presented by Lave and its implementation as suggested by Wenger, was chosen with purpose. The theory presented, and the practical application of the learning theory coincide with one’s interest in Creating, generally discussed as the pedagogical practice of Making specifically and represents a knowledge transfer process that is intuitive and representative of a natural process practiced inherently across every aspect of human development long before any theory of learning was proffered.
It may be obtuse to say, but everything I have learned, I learned from another person. Of course, I learned to find information myself, but another person taught me how to do that. I was taught how to write, read, and to count. Others culturally groomed me on how to act, speak, what to wear, how to sit, and what fork to use. The community may have been a family unit or a classroom full of peers, perhaps it was a gaggle of girls giggling about boys, or perhaps it was, as Hillary Clinton noted, “It takes a village to bring a book into the world, as everyone who has written one knows. So many people have helped me to complete this one, sometimes without even knowing it.”One can say unequivocally that for all I know and for all I am, I have been educated “without even knowing it.”
Situated Learning Theory conceptually subsumes that learning occurs authentically in a context, is cultural, and has intentional and unintentional activities promoting learning in collaborative groups based on the exchange of real-life experiences. A community of practice can be a complex social learning system of individuals with structure, identity, and cultural meaning, comprised of complex relationships within boundaries, or as simple as a club where groups of people share a concern or a passion for something they do, with each learning from one another through regular interaction. Examples such as book clubs, women’s organizations, and artist associations are all engaged as social activities; however, exchanging information and experiences from novice to mastery becomes the essential learning environment for what Lave and Wenger call “legitimate peripheral participation” (Lave and Wenger 1991).
One’s participation in implementation projects involving technology or pedagogy, specifically recognizing situated learning theory as the implementation of the theory as a community of practice, was experienced with creating artist instruction courses for the Rockport Art Association in Rockport, Texas. As a community of artists, the Rockport Center for the Arts annually organizes workshops, classes, and activities such as art shows, community displays of works, and competitive highlighting of juried talent. Each member of the art cooperative participated socially and collaboratively in group settings sharing techniques, procedures, and shared experiences throughout the years. In the truest sense, it was the theory of situated learning in practice. As a community, the Rockport Art Association and city and county participation have recently opened the newly constructed an eight million dollar center for the arts. Indeed, it took a village.
Publication bibliography
Instructional Engineering - A Journey of Discovery 