During Week 5 we heard Jaye Darby speak about Vygotsky's sociocultural theory, and we discussed the importance of the key elements of the theory: social interaction and culture. Vygotsky's theory proposes that the best environment for learning is one in which "experts" can teach others by building upon their students' foundational knowledge, always working in the zone of proximal development. We also discussed the importance of cultural exchange as well as understanding that each student brings his/her own perspective to the learning environment. As tutors, it's our job to help our learners achieve their academic potential by always recognizing each learner's zone of proximal developmentso that we do not overwhelm our learners. How can we as tutors utilize Vygotsky's sociocultural theory to better serve our learners?
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