Vygotsky Meets Technology: A Reinvention of Collaboration in

the Early Childhood Mathematics Classroom

Article by Megan CicconiFrom the Early Childhood Education

Journal Jan2014 Vol. 42 Issue 1

“Collaboration is a powerful tool that aids in deliberate decisions and forms effective strategies. It is so powerful

that Vygotsky’s theory of learning necessitates social activity”

Collaboration through Web 2.0

In the pre-twenty-first century classroom the MKOs (more knowledgeable other) were

most often teachers or advanced classmates.

Benefits of using virtual

worlds as collaborative

learning environments

The virtual world allows students to complete tasks that would

otherwise be impossible due to realistic constraints, including

money and time

The virtual world’s persistence and constant accessibility which increases social

interactions and therefore provides more opportunities for collaborative learning

The virtual worlds are new and adaptive. There are many activities online that

demonstrate high cognitive functioning including creating, analyzing, and

evaluating.

Three Major Barriers to Integrating Technology:

(1) Inadequate resources

(2) Lack of institutional support

(3) Content area issues

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