Four Learning Dimensions

Children in Europe published a Vygotsky issue in 2007.  In this issue, Leif Strandberg offered this description of Vygotsky's four dimensions to children's learning activities:

Social dimension:  The child's individual competence has its origin in different forms of interaction with others.  Learning occurs twice: first together, then alone.  The child is simply borrowing competence from a friend.

Tool dimension:  An active child always uses tools and signs containing stored knowledge, which children make use of in activities.  The word is an especially important tool as it influences and transforms the way we think.

Contextual dimension:  The child's learning activities always take place in specific situations and cultural contexts.  These contexts contain competence — the child borrows from the competence in the room.  Some rooms help, others obstruct learning.

Creative dimension:  Children do not only use relations, tools, and situations.  They also recreate them.  Children are not only tool-users, they are also tool-makers.  It is important, therefore, that children feel free to do things their way."

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