CTL1218H
This course explores the fundamentally cultural nature of all learning, but specifically learning of mathematics, science, and technology disciplines. The course is roughly split into three major sections. We begin with a brief overview of cultural-historical approaches to understanding learning and cognition. These theoretical frameworks begin with the assumption that cognition is fundamentally social and cultural, always grounded in activity, practices and communities. Secondly, we will focus on empirical research on mathematical, scientific and technological thinking in various contexts, ranging from elementary school mathematics classes to grocery shopping to carpet laying to theoretical physics. Finally, using the theoretical and empirical work as a foundation, we will study approaches to instruction based on the assumption that all learning is cultural.