Human Development and Learning
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Human Development and Learning
The basic premise of cognitive development is that human beings develop over time the following abilities, language skills, personality, socioemotional, physical and cognitive. This development happens in stages. There are two primary issues in cognitive development. The first is nature versus nurture debate. The proponents of nature believe we are locked in at birth to develop a certain way based on genetic factors. The proponents of nuture believe our development is dependent on the environment we grow up in and experience in that environment.
The second issue is continuous versus discontinuous. In continuous theories it is believed that the changes in development occur in a smooth linear fashion. The changes are more dependent on nurture than nature. In discontinuous theories it is believed that the changes are abrupt and are more dependent on nature than nurture.
The two theorist we will examine are Piaget and Vygotsky. Piaget believed that development took place over four distinct stages and was the same for all children. Vygotsky also believed that development also took place over a sequence of stages that is the same for all children. They differed on how children reach these stages. Vygotsky believed that children develop intelligence through social interaction and receiving input from others. Piaget believed that children developed intelligence by acting constructively on their environment to assimilate and accommodate new information. Piaget believed that development preceded learning, Vygotsky believed that learning precedes development.
Piaget’s four stages are the sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational and formal operational. In the sensorimotor stage the child develops the concept of object permanence and progresses from reflexive to goal-directed behavior. This stage happens between birth and two years of age. In preoperational stage the child develops the ability to use symbols the...
The basic premise of cognitive development is that human beings develop over time the following abilities, language skills, personality, socioemotional, physical and cognitive. This development happens in stages. There are two primary issues in cognitive development. The first is nature versus nurture debate. The proponents of nature believe we are locked in at birth to develop a certain way based on genetic factors. The proponents of nuture believe our development is dependent on the environment we grow up in and experience in that environment.
The second issue is continuous versus discontinuous. In continuous theories it is believed that the changes in development occur in a smooth linear fashion. The changes are more dependent on nurture than nature. In discontinuous theories it is believed that the changes are abrupt and are more dependent on nature than nurture.
The two theorist we will examine are Piaget and Vygotsky. Piaget believed that development took place over four distinct stages and was the same for all children. Vygotsky also believed that development also took place over a sequence of stages that is the same for all children. They differed on how children reach these stages. Vygotsky believed that children develop intelligence through social interaction and receiving input from others. Piaget believed that children developed intelligence by acting constructively on their environment to assimilate and accommodate new information. Piaget believed that development preceded learning, Vygotsky believed that learning precedes development.
Piaget’s four stages are the sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational and formal operational. In the sensorimotor stage the child develops the concept of object permanence and progresses from reflexive to goal-directed behavior. This stage happens between birth and two years of age. In preoperational stage the child develops the ability to use symbols the...