Complete thesis - Murdoch University

use knowledge as opposed to passively receiving it, and learn the varying conditions in whichthe knowledge can be used.Duncan (1996, p 67) suggests Cognitive Apprenticeship learning utilises scaffolding and verbalmodelling/coaching as:the most complete description possible of [the instructor’s] cognitive activities andstrategies, while providing organizational scaffolds for the studentsUsing Bruner (1986)’s spiral approach, the ultimate goal is for students to become selfsufficientthrough increased expertise and experience. As a development from the work ofBrown et al (1989) and Collins et al (1989), Lave and Wenger (1991) describe a CognitiveApprenticeship model that decentralises the importance of the ‘master’. No longer is theimplicit core the master teaching the apprentice, rather apprentices, legitimate peripheralparticipants in a social context, begin to assume responsibilities within that environment,testing their ability to assume roles. The full cultural context, artefacts as well as experts,afford the learner scaffolding, with little direct teaching between master and apprentice occurring.What is required is access within the learning environment, to the community ofpractice, and the tools to support the learner in the assumption of a role in that practice(Duffy and Cunningham, 1996).3.4 Formal learning of RECompetence in any domain requires in addition to domain knowledge, both physical andcognitive skills. Physical skills constitute physical expertise of the procedural tasks, includingappropriate tool use, while cognitive skills are concerned with the cognitive processes ofanalysis, interpretation and decision-making required for the carrying out of procedural tasks.Physical skills, due to their external visibility, are seen as relatively easier to acquire: cognitiveskills require more sophisticated learning process. Therefore, through a process of learning,robust domain competence is facilitated (Collins, 1990):• basic domain knowledge is acquired and subsequently used as a base to integrate knowledgegained from specific situations• basic domain knowledge is applied in abstract and contextual scenarios to generalisethe knowledge and skills to be able to apply them in real world situations.Conceptual domains (eg, philosophy, economics) emphasise domain knowledge, while skillsbasedcompetence is crucial for task-oriented domains (eg medicine, engineering) (Patel et al,146