Zone Proximal Development
The Zone of Proximal Development is the distance between what the learner understands within an assigned task (can do by themselves without assistance) and the next level of learning that they can complete independently through a higher conceptual level of understanding .
The term "Zone of Proximal Development" was originally created by Vygotsky who defined scaffolding instruction as the “role of teachers and others in This type of learning strategy implies that the role of the facilitator in the connected classroom must ensure both the exactness of learning and provide support for the student to become an independent and self-regulating learner and problem solver. The key to a successful learning experience is not at the stand alone knowledge level which in many cases classrooms of today formulate through mastery of concepts and to a lesser degree on the idea of scaffolding for reasoning.
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In accordance to Vygotsky the external supporting scaffolds can be removed once the learner has developed a more sophisticated cognitive system. Related to fields of learning (levels of knowledge) Vygotsky definition of scaffolding may not have equated the conceptual levels needed by the learner in becoming an independent problem solver. This may mean that scaffolding within the connected classroom always exist in some form of questioning to check for student understanding or levels of reasoning.
This becomes our first paradigm shift in comparison of today's classrooms to that of the connected classroom. Conceptual levels of understanding content or knowledge level assessment in today's classrooms may totally rely on the students ability to master chunked levels of content. These chunked levels learner expectations known as standards of learning may not facilitate the learners ability to reason within the content. This method of learning becomes problematic in the 21st Century since content can be generated instantaneously.
This becomes our first paradigm shift in comparison of today's classrooms to that of the connected classroom. Conceptual levels of understanding content or knowledge level assessment in today's classrooms may totally rely on the students ability to master chunked levels of content. These chunked levels learner expectations known as standards of learning may not facilitate the learners ability to reason within the content. This method of learning becomes problematic in the 21st Century since content can be generated instantaneously.