Core Learning Principle #6: Every Learner Has a Zone of Proximal Development That Defines the Space That a
Learner is Ready to Develop into Useful Knowledge
Knowing the state of a learner's knowledge structure helps to identify a learner's zone of proximal development.
According to Vygotsky, a student's zone of proximal development (ZPD) is
. . . the distance between the actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of
potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance or in collaboration with more
capable peers. (1978, 86)
More succinctly, the ZPD defines the space that a learner is ready to develop into useful knowledge. This concept is
similar to the traditional readiness principle in pedagogical scholarship (Bruner 1963; Knowles et al. 1998), but it is
enhanced by its focus on the individual and encourages greater specificity regarding what sort of knowledge and
concepts a student might be ready to learn at any one time.
Vygotsky's concept of ZPD not only highlights the importance of preliminary assessments of student knowledge; it also
suggests that the window of learning opportunity for any individual student may be smaller than what we might expect.
When students say they are totally lost, they are probably expressing the feeling of being outside their zone. When
students sit back and obviously disengage, it means they have probably lost the link, the relationship of one idea to the
other. When this happens in a group situation or in a discussion board, the class culture needs to support the student
asking a question so that he or she can get "linked" back up again. Otherwise the time will probably be lost to the learner
and the learner may disengage even further.
The concept of this zone thus presents a significant challenge for faculty who want to maintain effective learning. How
do faculty maintain an accurate sense of a learner's ZPD throughout the duration of a course? What are the elements of
the learning community that allow the mentor to check in with each learner on a regular basis? What elements support a
student's comfort level in asking questions?
This ZPD principle emphasizes the need for faculty to be alert to their students' state of understanding and capabilities
on a continuing basis. This principle encourages embedding feedback and demonstrations from students earlier and more
consistently throughout a course experience. Student questions, comments, participation, and outputs are means of
determining more precisely the progress or state of concept development in students. Here, too, technology can play a
vital role in addressing this challenge, whether through student discussion forums that solicit such information, periodic
mentoring with individual students via chat, or more formalized online quizzes that assess student retention and
comprehension of course material at smaller intervals