Situated Learning
Educational Benefits
The situational approach to learning adds value to adult education classrooms as it demonstrates direct applicability of knowledge in real-life tasks. Couple with this, situational approaches to learning takes advantage of the fact that adults are rich and diverse sources of experiences and stories offering them the opportunity not only to bring their experiences in the classroom but also to build on them or to reflect upon them (Stein, 1998).
It has been noticed that in situated learning classrooms learners observe how instructors cope with problems and then based on these observations develop their own problem- solving techniques and further extend their knowledge and skills (Stein, 1998). The development of the solution path and the acquisition of new knowledge is the result often of collaborative interactions with the other members of the community (co- learners).
Apart from interactions among the learners, interactions among the learners and the environment are highly encouraged in situated learning environments; ‘in this way learners directly intervene in and change the processes that surround their lives at home, in the community, and at the workplace’ (Stein, 1998, n.p). Reasoning, arguing, critical reflection, collaboration and validation of the community’s perspective are the mechanisms usually employed to bring situated learning in the adult classrooms (Stein, 1998).However, delivering situated learning experiences in the adult classroom requires a certain degree of carefulness. It is of great importance to provide students with the necessary time to work on authentic tasks and to move from the periphery to the center of the community of practice. Tight deadlines and pressure affect negatively the educational dimension of the process and discourage the students’ enculturation in the community of practice.
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