Cognitive apprenticeship

Definition

Cognitive apprenticeship is the pedagogic strategy at the core of situated learning. Similarly to craft apprenticeship, "Cognitive apprenticeship supports learning in a domain by enabling students to acquire, develop, and use cognitive tools in authentic domain activity." (Brown, Collins and Duguid, 1989) Furthermore, "Cognitive apprenticeship methods try to enculturate students into authentic practices through activity and social interaction" (Brown et al.). Thus, it is important not only to solve problems in a learning environment that uses real-world contexts and immerses the learner in the culture of a particular practice, but also to allow learners to witness the practitioners of that culture solving problems and carrying out tasks.

Characteristics

Learning activities using the cognitive apprenticeship method should include the following key characteristics.

• Introductory tasks should be based in familiar activities to allow students to use their implicit or tacit knowledge (knowledge that cannot be articulated or defined but which is used to simplify and solve problems intuitively) upon which they can build during the activities to follow.
• The breakdown (decomposition)of the problem allowing for a variety of heuristic approaches that can be applied to the task.
• Intruduction of precise rules (algorithms) that are used by practioners to solve such a problem only after learners have been 'enculturated' making the algorithm meaningful. (Brown et al, 1989)

Cognitive apprenticeship and collaborative learning

With cognitive apprenticeship, the immersion into the culture of a practice can only be enhanced by social interaction with other learners and practitioners. The interactions of a learning group are key to learning. Brown et al. outline the key features of a learning group:

• Collective problem solving
• Displaying multiple roles
• Confronting ineffective strategies and misconceptions
• Providing collaborative work skills

References

• Brown, J.S., Collins, A. and Duguid, P. (1989). Situated cognition and the culture of learning. Educational Researcher, 18(1), 32-41. http://www.exploratorium.edu/IFI/resources/museumeducation/situated.html

• Herrington, J., Oliver, R. (1995)? Critical Characteristics of Situated Learning: Implications for the Instruction Design of Multimedia, paper presented at Australian Society for Computers in Learning In Tertiary Education Conference 1995, Melbourne, Australia, pdf