Vygotsky and Memory Techniques with collaboration - PowerPoint Presentation

Vygotsky and Memory Techniques with collaboration By: Mary Leaver

Lev Vygotsky: Life Born November 17, 1896 in Orsha – a city in the Western region of the Russian Empire Known as the “little professor” – he liked to debate and lead discussions with his friends; he enjoyed reading history, literature, and poetry Attended the University of Moscow – got in by chance in the lottery system and graduated with a degree in law in 1917 Studied a variety of topics in school, not just law After he earned his degree, he taught literature in secondary school and psychology at the local teachers college Worked on his doctoral dissertation on psychology of art Contracted tuberculosis Delivered lecture in Leningrad in 1924 and gave an amazing lecture which earned him a position at the Moscow institute of Psychology Finished his dissertation and received his doctorate Became a popular lecturer Died at age 38 on June 11, 1934 Criticized for use of intelligence tests, in 1936 the Soviet government banned his work because the communist party condemned his work, which lasted until 1956

Zone of Proximal Development Theoretical “formula” Collaborative Learning Memory Types Vygotsky’s Theory

Theory - ZPD Human development is relational Zone of proximal development : “the distance between the actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance or in collaboration with more capable peers” (Crain, 244) Basically – the level of development attained when children engage in social behavior Potential for cognitive development depends on this zone of proximal development

Theoretical “Formula” Based on many interlocking concepts Human higher mental processes are functions of mediated activity Higher mental processes: verbal thought, logical memory, and selective attention From action to thought: a function of socially meaningful activity; “higher mental function is created through activity, it is an objectivation of action” (Kozulin) Mediation: the source of this is “either in a material tool, in a system of symbols, or in the behavior of another human being” (Kozulin) Internalization: “What first appears as an external sign-mediator or an interpersonal communication later becomes an internal psychological process” (Kozulin) “Primitive” processes: intermediate forms; they testify that symbolic operations emerge from behavior which initially is not symbolic

Collaboration The meaning of context and content wouldn’t exist without social interaction In order to fully learn, one must learn context with others Collaboration serves as a powerful vehicle of socialization in human psychological development Collaborative learning has a positive effect on their cognitive development SPEECH: Language is used not only as communication, but a tool for mediating thinking Speech enables us to reflect on the past and plan for the future Children can use speech to interact with each other and communicate about their thoughts Language and learning is centered on social interaction

Collaborative Groups ZPD …If a child is at the level where he can do something independently or with someone at a higher level than them, children’s cognition can benefit from the interaction of the more experienced member of their group C o llaborative group : “group of students with different abilities working together to solve a problem or complete a project...there will be an opportunity for a more capable child to assist a child who is academically less able” (Vygotsky 1962) For this to work, the children must have the same academic goal to succeed They learn social skills by working together in groups – which contributes to their cognitive AND social development

Memory Types Visual Memory: “Whenever a person is most likely to make use of his own visual reactions or recollections” (Vygotsky, L.S., & Davydov , V.V.) Able to point out on what corner of the page where particular words are Auditory Memory: Ability to listen to the information to remember it best, they would be able to listen to “the inner sound of a word and will recall the intonation with which it had been uttered, the timber of the voice, and so on” (Vygotsky, L.S., & Davydov , V.V.) Motor Memory: “Involving muscular and kinesthesia sensations” (Vygotsky, L.S., & Davydov, V.V.)W hen trying to remember something, they will “produce motor speech reactions, and the very act of recollection will occur at the very tip of their tongue or right on their lips” (Vygotsky, L.S., & Davydov , V.V.) Usually mixed forms of these The teacher should be aware of these and use activities to accommodate all students

Overview of Theory “Human activities take place in cultural contexts, are mediated by language and other symbol systems, and can be best understood when investigated in their historical development” (John-Steiner, V., & Mahn, H.) “Collaborative contexts can promote academic engagement as well as provide a supportive structure for the development of specific problem-solving skills” (Wentzel, K. R., & Watkins, D. E.) quoted from Vygotsky Role of a child’s social partner is critical to the learning process Theory of collaboration has significance for teaching and learning – surpasses Piaget and Skinner because it extends education beyond individual learning and controlled experiments

Collaborative study techniques Memory Types My Study

Purpose and Questions The purpose of this research study is to investigate whether there is a correlation between memory techniques and the preference to either study alone or in groups. The research study will be based on Lev Vygotsky’s theories about memory techniques and collaborative study. In particular, it seeks to answer the following questions: Do students who prefer to work in groups prefer to use more, less, or the same number of memory techniques compared to students who prefer to study alone? What memory type do students who prefer to work alone like to use? Are they different from students who prefer to work in groups? Do students who study in groups succeed in school more than those who study alone, just as Vygotsky theorizes?

Hypothesis Students who prefer to study in groups use more and different memory techniques than those who prefer to study alone Students who prefer to work alone probably have visual and maybe motor memory. Students who prefer to work in groups probably have auditory and motor memory. Students who prefer to study alone will succeed more in class and receive higher grades (Non-Vygotskian)

Setting of Study/Participants Online survey University of Dallas UD students All anonymous Aimed to get 30-40 responses, received 33

Survey Questions Given a scenario Imagine you are studying for a History exam that covers people, places, events, and dates. There are different techniques that you can use to study for an exam. Read descriptions of possible studying techniques and choose ALL that appeal to you. Asked to give average grade in history class (a class that dates, facts, names, etc. have to be memorized for) 6 questions Each question was coded with a memory type and whether it was a group setting or situation where the student would be alone Each question paired with either auditory, visual, or motor memory type 3 questions in a group setting and 3 questions in an individual setting

Examples: I like to study in a group where my friends and I quiz each other out loud. Listening to the information out loud passed among people helps me learn the information. Group setting, auditory memory I like to study my own notes multiple times, using my notes as a study guide from which I can visualize information to remember for the test. Studying with other people and using their notes would only be a distraction to me. Individual setting, visual memory

My Results

Overall Most Popular Responses “ …individual types of memory is incountered only very rarely in pure form, for the most part the various types occur in mixed form, with no one type of memory causing another type to cease functioning” (Vygotsky, 140) Group preference Individual preference

Answer to Question #1 & 2 Preference to study alone Preference to study in groups Auditory Visual Motor 17 20 16 Auditory Visual Motor 14 5 3 Students who prefer to work alone mostly have visual memory and use those techniques Students who prefer to work in groups mostly have auditory memory and use those techniques Different preferences More variety in memory types in students who prefer to study alone Do students who prefer to work in groups prefer to use more, less, or the same number of memory techniques compared to students who prefer to study alone? What memory type do students who prefer to work alone like to use? Are they different from students who prefer to work in groups?

Graphs for Question #3 More prefer individual study settings For the ratio of each study preference, group study results in higher grades However, more variety among individual study preference Do students who study in groups succeed in school more than those who study alone, just as Vygotsky theorizes?

Conclusions I was wrong …for the most part, students who study in groups tend to better in school – but a lot of missing factors Vygotsky was probably right – group study is beneficial to the student’s educational and pyschological growth There is more variety in study techniques among those who prefer to study alone Students who prefer to work alone DO have visual memory types more than the others Students who prefer to work in groups DO have auditory types more than others

Personal Limitations At first, hard to get responses Selected grade could be skewed Didn’t code answers, and many layers to my answers, so it took a while to make analysis and graphs

Implications and New Questions More students and teachers should try Vygotskian techniques for learning – seems to be successful If teachers were to be surveyed, I wonder how many would be in favor of Vygotsky and his learning theories? How do people get these certain types of memory and why do they end up preferring one over the other?

Nature/Nurture Line Vygotsky Nature Nurture “ …the educational process reduces essentially to the formation and accumulation of conditional reactions on the basis of innate reactions, and the development of forms of behavior that are useful in terms of adaptation to the social environment. In other words, education may bedefined as the adaptation of the inherited experience to the given social environment” (Vygotsky, 57) “...the child posesses a collection of social abilities, and from this set the most highly diverse personalities may develop” (Vygotsky, 58) “In real life, people sustain their existence by adapting nature to their needs in the course of labor. Human industry is collective in nature, and always requires a certain degree of organization of social forces, as a preliminary moment for its appearance” (Vygotsky, 210)

THE END

Bibliography https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7e/Lev_Vygotsky.jpg Crain, W.C. (2016). Theories of Development: Concepts and Applications. London: Routledge , Taylor & Francis Group. Dixon-Krauss, L. (1996). Vygotsky in the Classroom: Mediated Literacy Instruction and Assessment. White Plains, NY: Longman. John-Steiner, V., & Mahn, H. (2001). Sociocultural Approaches to Learning and Development: A Vygotskian Framework. Educational Psychologist . Retrieved from http://webpages.charter.net/schmolze1/vygotsky/ Kozulin, A. (1999). Vygotsky’s Psychology: A Biography of Ideas. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Vygotsky, L.S., & Davydov , V.V. (1997). Educational Psychology (R. Silverman, Trans.). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press LLC Wentzel, K. R., & Watkins, D. E. (2002). Peer Relationships and Collaborative Learning as Contexts for Academic Enablers. School Psychology Review, 31(3) , 366. Retrieved from ebscohost.com https://www.surveymonkey.com/analyze/LfwwmCwxSuJjvTZCBsEjX0kc26dNqhOqfpALkCoBwd4_3D (Survey)