Situated Learning

In this important theoretical treatist, the authors push forward the notion of situated learning - that learning is fundamentally a social process.

In this important theoretical treatist, Jean Lave, anthropologist, and Etienne Wenger, computer scientist, push forward the notion of situated learning - that learning is fundamentally a social process. The authors maintain that learning viewed as situated activity has as its central defining characteristic a process they call legitimate peripheral participation (LPP). Learners participate in communities of practitioners, moving toward full participation in the sociocultural practices of a community. LPP provides a way to speak about crucial relations between newcomers and old-timers and about their activities, identities, artefacts, knowledge and practice. The communities discussed in the book are midwives, tailors, quartermasters, butchers, and recovering alcoholics, however, the process by which participants in those communities learn can be generalised to other social groups.

This innovative brief provides guidance on promoting reflection in situated learning by incorporating mindfulness strategies, tapping into a surge of research interest in exploring mindfulness as an instructional strategy associated with positive learning outcomes. It illustrates the benefits of continuous reflection within situated learning and how mindfulness can be incorporated before, during, and after the learning experience to enhance the reflective experience. Critically, the authors present a new conceptual model that synthesizes theories and methods from three different areas of study—mindfulness, situated learning, and reflection— to provide a new perspective and instructional approach that has great potential to positively impact outcomes in situated learning. Among the other topics covered: • Strategies for reflection in situated learning. • Strategies for reflection-in-action in situated learning. • Mindfulness strategies for situated learning. • A conceptual model incorporating mindfulness to enhance reflection. Enhancing Reflection within Situated Learning is an exciting and pioneering resource that offers practical guidance to educators and instructional designers interested in incorporating methods and approaches for integrating mindfulness and reflection across instructional environments.

This book provides a theoretical and pragmatic guide to the use of situated learning within structured interpreting programs. Proponents of situated learning theory believe that meaningful learning occurs when students interact with others in the social contexts in which they will be working. With such interactions, students have the opportunity to apply their theoretical knowledge to authentic contexts that they will encounter throughout their professional lives. While a limited number of research articles exist about the use of situated learning in interpreter education, this is the first full book to provide the foundations for situated learning theory, show how to implement situated learning in interpreter education, and offer practical applications for maximizing authenticity in interpreting classrooms.

Situated Learning is generally understood as a context-dependent approach to translator and interpreter training under which learners are exposed to real-life and/or highly simulated collaborative work environments and tasks, both inside and outside the classroom. Ultimately, Situated Learning seeks to enhance learners’ capacity to think and act like professionals. This book sets out to gauge the extent to which different factors influence the implementation of Situated Learning models in various teaching and learning contexts. It presents an understanding of Situated Learning that goes beyond previous interpretations of this notion, traditionally dominated by the discussion of pedagogical practices in authentic, i.e. real-world, or semi-authentic professional settings. This wider remit of Situated Learning encompasses previously underrepresented contextual factors pertaining to translation traditions, historical trends, community beliefs and customs, socio-economic constraints, market conditions, institutional practices, budgetary issues, or resource availability. The pedagogical considerations of these key aspects make this book particularly useful for both novice and seasoned teachers of translation and interpreting with an interest in informed practical advice on how to implement the principles of Situated Learning in collaborative teaching and learning environments that seek to promote translators’ and/or interpreters’ professional competence. This book was originally published as a special issue of The Interpreter and Translator Trainer.

In Situated Learning, Lave and Wenger argued that learning is 'situated' because it is largely a product of the environment in which it occurs and takes place most effectively through participation with experts and peers in a 'community of practice.'

This book functions as a research monograph about people. Specifically why and how do people help others? What do they do, how and why do they get involved, who do they learn from, and teach, also what do they learn and share? Restating this research question in academic English: What motivates individuals to join and take part in social enterpriseÕs and other organizations, what behaviours do they exhibit, do they join or form groups that can be labelled as Òcommunities of practiceÓ, and do they undertake and deliver situated learning, as part of their knowledge transfer processes? The topic has been studied qualitatively via interpretative phenomenological analysis and related methodologies. Over 30 interviews, from disparate groups in the UK and Poland have been analysed in depth. The outcome has been to identify common factors in individuals behaviours, motivations and interactions.