Cognitive Apprenticeship
Learning through observation, coaching, and guided practice - making expert thinking visible.
Also known as: Situated learning, Apprenticeship model
Category: Methods
Tags: learning, education, mentorship, skill-building, teaching
Explanation
Cognitive apprenticeship is a learning framework that applies traditional apprenticeship methods (observation, scaffolding, practice) to cognitive skills. Unlike physical crafts where the expert's work is visible, cognitive work happens inside the head. Cognitive apprenticeship makes this thinking visible through: modeling (expert demonstrates while thinking aloud), coaching (guided practice with feedback), scaffolding (temporary support gradually removed), articulation (learners explain their thinking), reflection (comparing to expert process), and exploration (independent problem-solving). Developed by Collins, Brown, and Newman, it addresses how traditional schooling often fails to teach authentic thinking skills. For knowledge workers, this suggests: seeking mentors who share their reasoning, thinking aloud when teaching others, requesting feedback on process not just output, and gradually taking on more independence. It's especially valuable for complex skills that can't be learned from textbooks alone.
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