◆Legitimate peripheral participation and scaffolding◆

 Legitimate peripheral participation (LPP) is a model that illustrates the learning process by "social participation in a community of practice," where such participation increases gradually in engagement. The Japanese translations of Lave and Wenger's Situated Learning have aroused active discussion in Japan. The theory of "legitimate peripheral participation" is formulated by observing that newcomers inherit skills from experts in an apprenticeship system established before schools were. In a community of practice, while a new comer is doing a lowly work, he/she learns by imitating more important works in which experts are engaged. Such a process is regarded as "learning," where a newcomer starts working in a "peripheral" position, and grows up to play a "central" role. A reason why the theory is called "legitimate peripheral participation" is that, in spite of being at the bottom of the community, he/she is a "legitimate member," and he/she moves from peripheral to full participation.

 J.S. Brown and others advocated Cognitive Apprenticeship, proposing that cognitive learning at school could introduce the merits of apprenticeship. An outline of their proposal is shown below. (1) As for learning objectives, make efforts to let learners know the causal relationship between what they learn now and what they can do in the future; (2) link what to learn with the knowledge learners already obtained or what they can do, so that they can easily see what to do next; (3) accustom learners to thinking, when they can do something, why they can do it by doing so, and what they will be able to do next instead of examining whether they can do it or not; and (4) give a helping hand when learners get into trouble over what they cannot do alone, allow them to become capable of doing it, and then guide them to do it alone for the next stage (Brown, et al., 1989).

 In Cognitive Apprenticeship, instruction follows these steps below. [1] Modeling: A master makes an apprentice observe his/her skills; [2] Coaching: A master lets an apprentice use the learned skills and observe how he/she does it to give advice; [3] Scaffolding & Fading: When the skill level is beyond what the apprentice could accomplish by him/herself, a master offers temporary assistance (scaffolding) and such support fades as the learner progresses (fading).

 As a premise of legitimate peripheral participation, the theory of "situated cognition" is set forth. It argues that the knowledge we use arises appropriately in the situation or context where they are used, and does not exist in isolation, contained solely within each learner. It is part of the system of relations among people and tools around us. Since the theory emphasizes that knowledge is not constructed simply in an individual's mind but developed "socially" within the relations with others, it is sometimes called a theory of "social constructivism" in order to be distinguished from "constructivism."

 "Zone of proximal development (ZPD)" is a concept proposed by Vygotsky, a Russian psychologist. It is the difference between the actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development which a learner could achieve with help. When people practice riding bicycles, for example, "training wheels" could help them ride it even though they can't at first. When people try repeatedly with "training wheels" attached, they can, at last, ride it without them. Such a "training-wheels-attached" zone is called zone of proximal development (ZPD). ZPD is the basis for an approach of situated cognition which argues that "people learn when surrounded by other people and goods, and interaction with them is indispensable to human learning. In other words, learning develops by relying on people and goods around learners as resources, and cannot be regarded as a mere activity in an individual's mind. Learning can happen by interacting with the surrounding environment."

Links for References

• Communities of Practice (An article by Mark K. Smith, infed)


• Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation, A Review (A Website by Derrel Fincher, Learning with Technology)


• What is Legitimate Peripheral Participation ? : A Case Study in the Workplace of Property Managers (An article by Annie Goudeaux & Kim Stroumza, ECER 2006)


• Jun Nakahara (1996) CSCL – "Computer supported Collaborative Learning – As Ideas"  [In Japanese]