This book is about children's learning and problem-solving behavior. Paul Light and Karen Littleton address, in both theoretical and empirical terms, the ways in which interactions between children influence learning outcomes. The authors describe a series of their own experiments conducted with groups of school children. Many of the studies involve computer-based learning and problem-solving, but the findings are of more general significance. In particular, they have implications both for classroom practice and the understanding of the learning process. This book is a valuable tool for psychologists and educationists.
Author(s): Paul Light, Karen Littleton
Series: Cambridge Studies in Cognitive and Perceptual Development
Edition: 1
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Year: 2000
Language: English
Pages: 140
Cover......Page 1
Half-title......Page 3
Series-title......Page 5
Title......Page 7
Copyright......Page 8
Dedication......Page 9
Contents......Page 11
Figures......Page 12
Preface......Page 15
Acknowledgements......Page 20
Modelling success: the social learning theory approach......Page 21
Construction of understanding through socio-cognitive conflict......Page 22
Reservations about socio-cognitive conflict......Page 25
Learning as the co-construction of understanding......Page 27
A socio-cultural approach to learning......Page 31
Piaget and Vygotsky: complementary constructions of collaboration......Page 32
The first Tower of Hanoi study......Page 34
The second Tower of Hanoi study......Page 36
The third Tower of Hanoi study......Page 38
The first Mastermind study......Page 40
The second Mastermind study......Page 41
Two balance beam studies......Page 42
Friendship and productivity in peer interaction......Page 44
Overview......Page 45
Computers and instruction......Page 47
Computers and construction......Page 49
Computers and collaboration......Page 50
Introduction......Page 52
The first King and Crown study......Page 53
The second King and Crown study......Page 60
The third King and Crown study......Page 62
The first Honeybears study......Page 63
The second Honeybears study......Page 69
Overview......Page 70
Boys, girls and computers......Page 72
Kings, Crowns, Honeybears and gender......Page 76
The software contrast studies......Page 80
Interaction and ‘coaction’ in mixed gender pairs......Page 84
Overview......Page 90
Social comparison and ‘social loafing’......Page 93
Social comparison and children’s learning......Page 97
Game versus test context......Page 104
Overview......Page 110
Talking and learning......Page 111
The cultural context of collaboration......Page 113
Artefacts and affordances......Page 116
Learning, identity and the social basis of development......Page 119
References......Page 121
Index......Page 136
