Learning With Our Friends: The Zone of Proximal Development

Understanding how and what we need to learn
by Alison Bonds Shapiro, M.B.A. in Healing Into Possibility
Originally published online by Psychology Today

The "zone of proximal development" is a concept introduced by a Russian psychologist and child development specialist named Lev Vygotsky. While the concept is usually applied to children and traditional educational settings, the idea is very useful when thinking about recovery from a sudden injury or major illness, particularly when that injury or illness significantly disrupts our ability to function.

To understand the idea of the zone of proximal development, we start with examining what we can do independently, what we already know. This is the boundary of the zone. We then look for the areas in which we can learn new skills through the assistance of another person. These areas of new learning with assistance constitute the zone of proximal development. As we progress through this zone, we increase our ability to work independently by first mastering tasks with help and then learning to do those tasks without help.

Read the original article...