Situated Learning

Building on the work of prior constructivist learning theorists, Lave and Wenger continued the emphasis on social engagement and contributed a unique focus on the dynamic nature of learning within authentic contexts and communities of practice. Lave and Wenger’s book entitled Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation challenges traditional classroom teaching in favor of learning through active participation in a real-world context. Situated learning theory shifts the focus from the “individual as learner to learning as participation in the social world and from the concept of cognitive process to the more-encompassing view of social practice”. In this way, learning is not the primary objective but a byproduct of participating in a complex community of practice.