Consider two definitions of learning from Moss (2003, p14):
| Psychometric Learning | Socio-cultural Learning |
|---|---|
| Psychometric characterizations of learning–which infer learning from observed changes in individuals’ performances over time–have been criticized for viewing learning only as something that takes place “inside the head of the learner” and typically up through a vertical hierarchy of increasingly generalized and abstract knowledge and skills. | From a sociocultural perspective, learning is perceived through changing relationships among the learner, the other human participants, and the tools (material and symbolic) available in a given context. Thus learning involves not only acquiring new knowledge and skill, but taking on a new identity and social position within a particular discourse or community of practice. As Wenger (1998) puts it, learning “changes who we are…by changing our ability to participate, to belong” and “to experience our life and the world as meaningful.” |
The implications of these two different definitions for classroom instruction and assessment are quite profound. I highly recommend Moss’s article:
Also check out her website. She’s doing some pretty fantastic work in the area of teacher education.
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