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Constructivism, the So-Called Semantic Learning Theories, and Situated Cognition versus the Psychological Learning Theories

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 April 2014

Juan José Aparicio  and
María Rodríguez Moneo
Juan José Aparicio*
Affiliation:
Universidad Complutense de Madrid
María Rodríguez Moneo
Affiliation:
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
*
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Juan José Aparicio, Departamento de Psicología Básica I, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Facultad de Psicología, Campus de Somosaguas, 28223 Madrid (Spain). Phone: 91-3943149 E-mail: jjapar@psi.ucm.es
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Abstract

In this paper, the perspective of situated cognition, which gave rise both to the pragmatic theories and the so-called semantic theories of learning and has probably become the most representative standpoint of constructivism, is examined. We consider the claim of situated cognition to provide alternative explanations of the learning phenomenon to those of psychology and, especially, to those of the symbolic perspective, currently predominant in cognitive psychology. The level of analysis of situated cognition (i.e., global interactive systems) is considered an inappropriate approach to the problem of learning. From our analysis, it is concluded that the pragmatic theories and the so-called semantic theories of learning which originated in situated cognition can hardly be considered alternatives to the psychological learning theories, and they are unlikely to add anything of interest to the learning theory or to contribute to the improvement of our knowledge about the learning phenomenon.

En este artículo se examina el punto de vista de la cognición situada, que da origen tanto a las teorías pragmáticas como a las llamadas teorías semánticas del aprendizaje y que se ha convertido, probablemente, en la posición más representativa del constructivismo. Nuestro análisis intenta profundizar en la pretensión de la cognición situada de proporcionar explicaciones al fenómeno del aprendizaje alternativas a las de la psicología y, especialmente, a las que se dan desde una perspectiva simbólica, dominante en la psicología cognitiva. Se constata, también, que el nivel de análisis de la cognición situada, el de los sistemas globales interactivos, es inapropiado para abordar el problema del aprendizaje. De nuestro análisis se desprende que las teorías pragmáticas y las llamadas teorías semánticas del aprendizaje derivadas de la cognición situada difícilmente pueden constituirse en una alternativa a las teorías del aprendizaje desarrolladas en la psicología e, incluso, se pone en duda que puedan aportar algo de interés a la teoría del aprendizaje y contribuir, así, al desarrollo de nuestros conocimientos sobre el fenómeno del aprendizaje.

Keywords

constructivismcognitive theories of learningsymbolic theoriespragmatic theoriessituated cognitionsituated learningconstructivismoteorías cognitivas del aprendizajeteorías simbólicasteorías pragmáticascognición situadaaprendizaje situado
Type
Articles
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 8 , Issue 2 , November 2005 , pp. 180 - 198
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2005

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