Situated Cognition

Knowing how to apply what is being learned in the classroom to the real world is essential for college students. Situated cognition can help instructors approach their classrooms as communities of practice (CoP) and see their students as apprentices in new fields of learning.

Gathering knowledge is one thing, but being able to apply it in the real world is another. The primary objective of any eLearning course is to give learners the skills and information they need to achieve personal and professional goals. This is why situated cognition is a perfect fit in eLearning strategies. In this article, I will discuss the impact situated cognition has upon online education.

The Situated Cognition Theory, outlined by Brown, Collins, and Duguid in 1989, is centered around the idea that knowing is “inseparable” from actually doing and highlights the importance of learning within context. In the same year, Brown, Collins, and Newman also developed the Cognitive Apprenticeship Model, in which they identified several teaching methods for learning within context. In this article, I’ll briefly explain the basic principles of both the Situated Cognition Theory and the Cognitive Apprenticeship Model and I’ll give you some tips concerning the practical application of each in eLearning course design.