Mediated Learning Experience Chapter 1: Notes 16/05/2022

Education 4A and 4B Topics

1. Mediated Learning- The Socio-Cultural approach to teaching and
learning
2. Learning Conversations
3. Learning Barriers
3.1 Identifying Learning Barriers
3.2 Addressing Barriers to Effective Learning.
4. Inclusion in Education
5. Establishing Communities of Practice.
6. Teaching and Learning in Diverse Contexts.
7. Pedagogical Issues and Strategies in the Classroom.
8. Assessment for Learning in Schools.
9. The Role of Effective Feedback in Scaffolding Learning.
10.Improving Learning Equity in Schools.
N.B. The above topics will be covered under Education 4A and Education 4B.

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Mediated Learning Experience Chapter 1: Notes 16/05/2022

Mediated Learning Experience (MLE)

Mediated Learning Experience (MLE) represents the quality of interactions,
between an individual (e.g. a learner) and the environment. Mediating agents
(e.g. educator) support the quality of these interactions by selecting a stimuli
that is most appropriate for the learner’s enhanced and effective functioning.
An example of mediated learning is when a teacher is asking children to explain
something in their own words; offering or asking for an analogy. It involves
posing questions that guide children to think logically; helping children to
organize, make deductions and think through their decisions.
Reuven Feuerstein’s theory of Structural Cognitive Modifiability (SCM) and
Mediated Learning Experience (MLE) demonstrate how learning and
adaptability of each individual may be considerably improved by producing
structured changes in the brain making the learner more modifiable, more able
to learn and benefit from direct exposure to the environment and new
experiences.
Feuerstein’s theory and methodology is aimed at improving learning and
teaching; increasing motivation and achievement, promoting inclusions and
equality, improving behaviour and discipline and equipping learners to “learn
how to learn and think”
During mediation a special quality of intention or intervention between a learner
and an experienced, active and intentioned person (the mediator) exists.
The mediator selects and organises the world of stimuli for the learner and
equips the learners with cognitive processes to succeed in learning.
Educator’s Role

Figure: 1

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Mediated Learning Experience Chapter 1: Notes 16/05/2022

The educator provides a suitable stimulus, such as homework, test and

assignment.
They observe the response of the response of the learner to the stimulus. Based
on the response, the educator then interacts with the learner by means of
criticism, praise, encouragement, grade or a new example.
This process is continued until the educator or the learner is satisfied or time
runs out.
Mediator’s Role

Figure: 2
During mediation the development of cognitive structures is more important
than the content.
The main focus in mediated learning is how knowledge and skills are acquired
is.
An affectionate human being intervenes in the process by placing himself/
herself (mediator) between the learner and the response.
Assumptions that MLE is based on:
i. Human beings have a distinctive ability to modify their cognitive
functioning and cognitive structures and the capacity to adapt to changing
demands in the environment.
ii. Cognitive modifiability is possible not withstanding barriers of age,
etiology, culture and severity of condition.
iii. MLE processes elucidate cognitive modifiability better than direct
unmediated experiences.

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N.B.
 Mediation is a teaching approach that focuses on intentional intervention,
but not directing.
Mediation will often “suggest”, but not “tell”.
Cognitive mediation is about assisting a learner, through purposeful
interactions, to construct a new level of understanding or meaning.
 Mentors, Educators, Parents and Peers can all act as mediators who help
learners to progressively acquire social construction of knowledge and
meaning by means of mediation.
 Mediation can take the forms of various actions.

Forms of Mediation
Mediation is an intentional effort to help learners organise and understand
information in gradually more effective ways.

Figure 3: Forms of Mediation

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Mediated Learning Experience Chapter 1: Notes 16/05/2022

The Importance of Mediation for Cognitive Development

The mediator (e.g. examiner) directs the learner to various aspects of a problem;
creates associations with previously known concepts; connects past events to
present experiences; emphasizes efficient and inefficient behavior patterns;
gives feedback on the solution process and quality of the answer and encourage
the learner to succeed during the mediation process.
By establishing pre-required behaviour, the mediator ensures self-regulation, the
possibility to apply rules; principles and strategies that could lead to more
learner independence.
Impulsivity is a universal characteristic of young learners in the age group 5 to
7 years and through a mediational teaching strategy, impulsivity can be
addressed.
Impulsivity can also be discouraged by enhancing the learner’s self-regulation
by emphasizing planned comparative and evaluative behavior, throughout the
execution of learning tasks.
The mediator can optimize reflective, insightful and analytic behaviour in a
learner by directing him/ her to relate between his own thinking processes and
consequential cognitive performance.
This can be done by presenting the learner with conflicts, contrasting
information, intentional vagueness and absurd situations which will cause a
need to close the cognitive gap.
A mediator strives to teach specific content that is related to task specific
context, such as concepts, terms and relations for the learner in order to aid
effective problem solving.
The importance of feedback on success or failure in the learning process
between the mediator and the learner (and vice versa) cannot emphasized
enough.
N.B. Mediated learning does not depend on language, culture, contexts, or
geographical location. Its advantages are immense.
Not only are learners encouraged to think systematically and objectively about
problem situations, but also change in thinking habits is inevitable.
MLE processes are internalized by the learner and gradually become an
integrated mechanism of change within the learner.

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Mediated Learning Experience Chapter 1: Notes 16/05/2022

This allows the learner to use the cognitive processes independently, to benefit
from learning experiences and to modify his/ her cognitive system.
Through mediation, learners’ impulsive, emotional reactions are reinstated by
logical, objective and more controlled responses.
Spontaneous correction of errors and reading of instructions will occur.
There will be a decrease in trial and error response, dependency, impulsivity,
physical aggression and absenteeism.
An increase could be expected to occur in the need for precision, spontaneous
use of vocabulary, concepts, learning aids, willingness to assist others and to
accept help, curiosity, self-monitoring and reflection, active participation,
tolerance, attention span, volunteering for extra tasks, engaging in higher order
problems, control, social sensitivity, self-pride, enthusiasm, competence, self-
image, quality of communication.
Learners will be more prepared to assume responsibility, utilize cognitive
functions and operate and immediately become involved in activities.
Learners who experience a MLE classroom climate will exhibit a decrease in
anxiety of failure and will be more able to develop strategies, search for
alternative answers (divergent thinking) and work in a systematic and planned
manner.
A lack of MLE will
i. Cause a lack of environmental opportunities for mediation.
ii. Restrain the learner from benefiting from available mediational
interactions.
iii. Render learners unable to perceive significant meaning of learning
experiences; and
iv. Inhibit learners from applying rules and strategies to everyday situations.

Competencies Required from a Mediator.

Competency on a Profession usually means having the knowledge, skill and
ability to perform the tasks and roles required.
Educators specifically focus on applied competence which includes making
informed decisions, utilizing relevant teaching strategies to address learners’
needs and disabilities while at the same time adjusting teaching strategies to the
developmental phase of the learners and their learning styles.

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Critical and creative thinking in the classroom are encouraged, as well as

learners’ questioning regarding societal stereotypes.
Foundational competencies involve the educator’s confidence in his/ her
knowledge of why he/ she is doing what he/ she is doing.
Realising the importance of language in a MLE classroom.
Be well informed regarding barriers to learning and reasons why learners are
not successful in the learning process.
Reflexive competencies involve the educator’s abilities to consider adjustments
concerning accomplishing the learning objectives, justifying the learning
mediation chosen, reflecting on the learning that takes place in the classroom,
considering possibilities to overcome barriers to learning and reflecting on the
ways in which to cope with critical issues, such as human rights.
N.B. These competencies should be applied in an integrated manner where the
mediator act as a go-between or intermediary between two parties or
individuals.

Figure 4: Roles of the Mediator

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Mediated Learning Experience Chapter 1: Notes 16/05/2022

N.B. The educator should realise that no longer is he/ she the conveyor of
knowledge, but the intervener between learners’ personal knowledge and skills
and new learning content, together with associated thinking and doing.
Learning opportunities should be created, learners’ progress monitored and
feedback given.
The educator should be aware of linguistic diversity, since language and
thinking and language and learning are intertwined.
Due to South Africa’s diverse community, educators should be aware of
learners’ background knowledge, degree of motivation, language proficiency,
abilities, and level of development, capacity, learning styles, learning
preferences, culture, talents, special educational needs and home background to
accommodate these differences through differential approach to learners.
An effective mediator will understand how learners learn and what factors may
influence the learning process.
The importance of prior knowledge when learning should not be ignored,
because it forms the basis for new knowledge, which the learner will construct.
Active involvement not only improves memory; cognitive skills are also
developed in various meaningful, interesting, realistic and achievable activities.
Many opportunities should be provided for learners to reason with one another,
discover facts and apply their newly discovered knowledge.
Activities which promote critical and creative thinking as well as problem
solving skills should be presented to learners.
Learning should take place in context by bringing the outside world and
everyday tasks, activities and situations into the classroom and relating their
background knowledge and real-life experiences to the learning content.
Humans are social creatures and for that reason learning is influenced by social
interaction, interpersonal relationships and communication with others.
Co-operative learning and group work enable learners to reflect on their
learning processes and to learn from one another. Imperative skills are learned
during co-operative learning, such as developing the own personality, abiding
by the rules, respecting one another and more.
Learners should be encouraged to explore and take on challenges and therefore
the educator should plan to present enjoyable and interesting activities.

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Meaningful learning can only take place if learners can transfer or apply their
learning in new learning situations. It is the responsibility of the educator to
ensure a positive and productive learning experience for all learners. This can
be achieved by focusing on learning and not teaching, getting the learners to
think, encouraging thinking by involving learners in appropriate activities
helping them to apply what they have learned in other subjects or outside world,
creating a positive environment that promotes curiosity, encouraging learners to
ask questions and assisting them to learn how to learn.

The development of Perspectives regarding Mediation.

The perspectives discussed are theoretical.
They refer to the important role of mediation in cognitive development, the
important role of intrinsic motivation during learning and shared activity for
enhancing cognitive development.
A low key role to the educator guiding learners to discover principles and solve
problems.
A focus on special needs children with significant intellectually related learning
barriers.
A focus on ethnically different children whose background put them at risk for
learning demands.
Feuerstein’s Perspective on Mediation
The belief that a child needs subjacent cognitive skills before he can benefit
from formal education.
These includes;
Observation; distinguishing between relevant and irrelevant information;
organizing stimuli; selecting information and distinguishing between
differences and similarities.
N.B. It is not necessary for children to learn these skills if they are involved in
thorough “mediated learning experiences”.
A lack of MLE can lead to cultural deprivation and an episodic grasp of the
world so that the past and present remain unconnected on a personal and social
level.

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Mediated Learning Experience Chapter 1: Notes 16/05/2022

Feuerstein’s theory inter alia links the failure of learning to succeed mainly on
adults, parents and educators. Not only on the child and on his/ her
circumstances.
His theory assists learners with knowing how to think and how to solve
problems.
He believes that the human brain holds unlimited potential and that it is a
network of thought actions, which should be developed and optimized by means
of direct experience and comprehensive guidance.
The role of the mediator in selecting; changing; increasing the number of
objects to work with; extending cognitive processes; explaining meaning and
stimulating generalization for the learner.
The individual learns through direct experience as well as MLE. The mediator’s
role becomes extremely important when opportunities for direct experience are
reduced or weakened due to internal factors, such as disability, or external
factors, such as cultural deprivation.

Approaches to learning
Feuerstein believes there are two approaches, namely;
i. Direct Approach
The learner interacts directly with stimuli in the surrounding world. Feuerstein
refers to it as incidental and may not always be effective learning.
ii. Mediated Approach
It is an intentional interaction where the mediator focuses the learner’s attention
on a particular object or situation and assists him to interpret and gain meaning
from the surrounding environment.

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Mediated Learning Experience Chapter 1: Notes 16/05/2022

Figure 5: Approaches to Learning

Human learning takes place through incidental direct learning experiences and
intentional mediated learning experiences.
In order to increase the cognitive modifiability, dynamic assessment should take
place during learning, which incorporates a test-intervene-retest format, as well
as a focus on learner modifiability and underlying cognitive and meta cognitive
processes that facilitate motivation during learning.
A mediated learning experience involves the mediator’s analysis of the task
components, while the task components determine the level and nature of
mediation required to execute a task.
N.B. Central to Feuerstein’s approach to learning and cognitive development
are the notions of cognitive modifiability, cultural deprivation and mediated
learning experience
1. Cognitive Modifiability
Feuerstein reasons include:

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i. When the learner has learnt how to select and focus relevant stimuli, he
becomes more responsive to direct stimuli and can benefit from it
independently, without the help of the mediator.
ii. Every individual can be changed and modified, which he calls “cognitive
modifiability”. Cognitive structure are modified or changed during an
interactive process of mediation. Educators should not only be concerned
with what they teach, but mainly how they teach it.
One of the central issues in the theory on cognitive modifiability is the nature
versus the nurture theory.
Nature theory refers to external or environmental influences in the young
learner’s life.
The nature view of intelligence claims that it is determined by genetics.
The nurture view of intelligence highlights the influence of the environment
(culture, school, community and family) on intelligence.
Most researchers hold the view that both theories influence intelligence, i.e.
everybody is born with a certain potential for intelligence.
Learners in stimulating environment which exposes them to enriched learning
experiences both in pre-school and in later schooling, score higher than learners
who are deprived of a stimulating environment.
2 Cultural
Feuerstein also hypothesize that impeded cognitive performance could result in
culturally deprived learners caused by a lack of MLE being provided in normal
parent/child relationships.
The learner does not acquire the adequate cognitive tools/skills needed to obtain
maximum benefit from learning experiences.
Culturally different learners – e.g. learners from different cultures.
Culturally deprived learners – e.g. learners not adequately exposed to their
culture at home.
3 Mediate Learning Experience
It is an interactional process in which the mediator (competent, skilled adult,
educator, facilitator and even a peer) intervenes between the learner and a set of
stimuli in order to modify them by changing their frequency, order, intensity
and context.

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Mediated Learning Experience Chapter 1: Notes 16/05/2022

MLE
i. Sensitizes the learner for learning through direct experience.
ii. Awakens him to a high level of curiosity, alertness and perpetual
sensitivity to the mediated stimuli, which enables him to create the
cognitive functions required for temporal, spatial and cause-effect
relationships between stimuli. This process makes information
meaningful and transcendent.
The goal is to make the learners to become critical thinkers.
When mediating a learning process, the mediator should take the diverse needs
of the learners into account, adapt teaching strategies, create a learner-friendly
environment and classroom climate and be an expert in his field.
N.B. In the field of education, mediation means that educators should strive not
to be transferors of knowledge (talk-and-chalk approach), but rather to teach
their learners that a problem does not necessarily have only one solution.
Learners should explore other possibilities and alternatives through
communication with others in order to reach mutual understanding and come to
a solution.
Effective and meaningful learning takes place when there is someone who can
act as a human mediator between learners and their environment.
The mediator should expand the learners’ environment by connecting it with
previous experiences and background and assisting them with interpreting what
they have experienced.
This can be done by asking questions or letting learners explain their thinking,
i.e. the mediator helps learners to understand a situation.
In addition to children learning through interacting with their environment. It is
suggested that intentional intervention (mediation) of various stakeholders
mediators) should be included. The stakeholders may include, their peers,
parents, educators and other mentors.
The main goal of MLE is to:
i. Transfer and generalize cognitive behaviors by means of meta-cognitive
insight; and
ii. Gradually shift from behaviors directed externally towards self-efficacy
and self-reflection.
The implications that MLE hold for classroom teaching and learning, are
summarized in the figure 6.
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Mediated Learning Experience Chapter 1: Notes 16/05/2022

Figure 6: Implications of Mediated Learning

Principles of a MLE
Incorporated by the educators in structuring of learning activities.
Feuerstein’s mediational approach is characterized by the application of twelve
principles during teaching.
N.B. The first three are referred to as universal principles, since they should
always be present during a MLE experience. The other 9 principles may
function according to the specific needs and circumstances of the learners’
specific situational and cultural needs and are necessary for sustained change.
1 Intentionality and Reciprocity
Awakening a shared desire to learn and purposefully engage learners’ attention
in the learning process.
Meta-cognitive skills, such as self-reflection, insight and articulation play an
important role.
The focus is on how and why actions are executed.

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Engaging learners by making eye contact; adjusting your tone of voice or

elaboration.
These principles deal with what, who, where, when and how of learning.
2 Transcendence
Involve going beyond the immediate learning experience.
Learners have to bridge, transfer or apply learning from current experiences to
new experiences and they have to know how and where learning can be applied
in other situations.
Transcendence also leads to self-reflection, which in turn help learners to
understand themselves better.
3 Mediation of meaning
The learners have to know the value and relevance of what they are learning.
Meaning is linked to cultural roots, which influence the nature of the values to
be transmitted.
Learners are encouraged to search for meaning and causation in the context of
their own situations.
This principle deals with the why and what of learning.
4 Mediation of competence
Feelings of competence are related to motivation. This can be achieved by
offering learners tasks they can master. Positive feedback on the performance of
their tasks imparts feelings of success.
5 Mediation of regulation and control of behavior
Assisting learners to monitor their own behaviour in order to develop meta-
cognitive behaviour; self-reflective functioning; and a need for controlled and
planned behavior.
This assists learners to reduce impulsiveness and encouraged them to think
before acting or speaking.
6 Mediation of sharing behavior
Encouraging the need for sharing behaviour and cooperative learning between
learners and promote participation with others, because this is a vital part of our
social existence and also because some problems are better solved through co-
operation.

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7 Mediation of individuation and psychological differentiation

Valuing and recognizing individual differences and opposing responses.
Encouraging autonomy, independence and creativity in the learners’ thinking.
8 Mediation of goal-seeking, goal setting and goal achieving behaviour.
Directing learners to plan, set and achieve goals. Goal-directed behaviour
towards personal and academic achievement is promoted, as this assist learners
in evaluating whether they achieved their goals and the goals were realistic.
9 Mediation of challenge: The search for novelty and complexity.
Learners are assisted to not be afraid of, but rather to meet challenges. For
example by providing activities that are difficult enough to present a challenge
to learners, but at the same time not too difficult so that learners become
discouraged.
The learners are assisted to develop the cognitive skills necessary to adapt
accordingly to increasing levels of difficulty.
10 Mediation of awareness of human being as a changing entity.
Encouraging learners how to assess themselves and become aware of their
progress.
11 Mediation of search for an optimistic alternative.
Striving to instill positive thinking and behaviour in learners which will
continue throughout life.
The mediator, as well as the learners, should always believe that something is
possible. This will encourage learners to search for various ways to solve a
problem.
12 Mediation of the feeling of belonging
Enabling learners to bond with other learners, to go beyond their own,
immediate needs and link their experiences with those of others.
The aim is to assist the learner in becoming the owner of his/ her own thoughts
and the independent manager of their own achievement.

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