Many theorists and scholars such as Jean Piaget and Vygotsky have come up with hypotheses which intend to explain the things that happen in the humankind environments. Indeed, the application of some of the principles of the explanations by the theorists above helps in the solution of some of the challenges that people face under various circumstances. One of the areas where the hypotheses developed by the scientists find its use is in the care of children in the society. Children are personalities who need utmost care so as to be valuable members of the community when they grow up. The developments in technology have prompted teachers and other educational officials to integrate the use of technology in the curriculum so as to leverage the ability of the learners to conform to the trends in the community. This research paper focuses on the analysis of the theories of Piaget and Vygotsky concerning the use of technology in enhancing learning.
In his theory, Piaget argues that children develop through four distinct stages (Woolfolk, 2004). However, there exist some situations where the developmental stages overlap to other years in the lifetime of a kid. Piaget states that the stages of development of the child entail the sensory motor stage, which occurs from birth to two years. During the sensory motor stage, the child is egocentric and tactile (Woolfolk, 2004). Piaget outlines the second level of development as the pre-occupational stage, which occurs between the age of 2-7 years and during the second stage, a child cannot view things from others’ perspectives (Mooney, 2013). Also, a child in the pre-occupational stage has an egocentric speech and focuses on one thing at a time. Piaget states that the third stage in the development of children is the concrete-operational stage, which takes place at the age of 7-11 years (Woolfolk, 2004). At the third stage, the child can think logically and in a well-structured manner. Besides, a child in the penultimate stage has an improved memory.
The ultimate stage is the formal operational stage, which occurs from the age of seven years and proceeds to adulthood. In the final stage, an individual can approach a task systematically, and reason verbally hence technology enhanced tool in learning should strengthen the ability of the learner to gain knowledge efficiently. Piaget further argues that the cognitive development of an individual result from schemas, which are the building blocks of education (Woolfolk, 2004). According to Piaget, the schemas in a kid increases as one grows and interacts with the things in one’s environment. Therefore, the introduction of technology enhanced learning such as email and the internet significantly helps learners to experience the stages of development efficiently. For instance, teachers use the internet to provide the students with the skills that assist in learning how to be significant to the society. Besides, learners interact through the web thereby building their confidence while enhancing their development process. Moreover, students assimilate and accommodate the information they receive through the Internet by communicating with their teachers and other children during the learning process.
Vygotsky also explains the development of personalities through a theory which focuses on the impact of the social interaction between individuals and cognitive growth (Woolfolk, 2004). Vygotsky argues that the social interaction between the child and others in the society exposes the children to the most knowledgeable others (MKO) who help the child to adopt new concepts. In the analysis of the use of the internet, one can observe the relevancy of Vygotsky’s theory, for example, in the previously mentioned technology, which improves the ability of the learner to interact with the professionals. For instance, students can inquire about some concepts that may be difficult to comprehend. Alternatively, the skilled individuals in the society can evaluate the behaviors of the students through the internet hence provide the latter with the appropriate ways of doing things in the society.
Caregivers can evaluate the learning process in an individual child by focusing on the latter’s zone of proximal development (ZOP) concerning the use of technology enhanced pieces of equipment. The ZOP is the difference in a person’s capacity to solve a problem as an individual concerning the manner in which social interaction aids a person in addressing a particular issue (Mooney, 2013). The incorporation of the internet in the learning process significantly helps the caregivers and teachers to evaluate the learning process and the intelligence quotient (IQ) of the students. As a result, tutors identify the capability and weaknesses of each student and thus institute efficient ways of improving the status of the students.
Both Piaget and Vygotsky argue that social factors play a significant role in the learning process of a kid (DeVries, 2000). For instance, the language of the learners develops when students use the internet. For example, while Piaget postulates that language is one of the avenues through which children learn scientific concepts, Piaget argues that children have the capacity to speak the same language as the adults but the former attach different meanings to the things that they say. Also, the theory by Piaget postulates that self-regulation is psychological since children systematically learn the use of new tools in their environments. However, the use of the Internet may significantly expose the learners to the contents that are not appropriate for their development. For instance, the internet may enable children to access pornographic materials which can inhibit the morality of the learners.
DeVries (2000) argues that Vygotsky emphasizes on the content of knowledge that one passes to the child. For instance, the information that one provides to the child concerning technologically enhanced tools should have the appropriate contents. Furthermore, the information should originate from the knowledgeable individuals in the society. However, it is critical to note that the use of internet exposes the learners to a myriad of information which the student can choose. Besides, tutors can modify the information they pass to their students through the web in a manner that the latter can efficiently understand.
In sum, the use of the theories of Piaget and Vygotsky plays a significant role in the learning process. Indeed, the ideas of the theorists above help in successful integration of the technology enhanced learning such as the use of the internet. As discussed in the essay above, the internet provides the students with a platform to interact with other learners from various regions thereby increasing the rate at which students share their experiences and knowledge. Besides, the use of internet learning leverages the capacities of students to access a myriad of information which is in a form that one can understand easily. The analysis of the use of internet also shows that technology enhanced learning promotes the ability of learners to interact with the MKOs who can provide the students with accurate information concerning different concepts for solving particular challenges people encounter.