Cognitive Development Map

1. Piaget

1.1. Felt that the process of cognitive development was a structured process of self-discovery, and hitting milestones and benchmarks as we progress to the next stage of development.

1.1.1. Basic Skills

1.1.2. Basic Understanding

1.1.3. Beginning Mental Aquiity

1.1.4. Abstract Understanding , Reasoning and Thought

2. Simulation Specific Comparison

2.1. Grinding

2.1.1. Process of Leveling up a character. Through time consuming effort starting at Level 0 and working your way towards higher level skills.

2.2. Guided Learning

2.2.1. Guided tutorials or videos within a simulation or game explain a process and the player learns this process and adds it to their skill set.

3. Virtual Standardized Patients

3.1. Vygotsky’s apprenticeships are represented in the way the more experienced students help craft the simulated human beings that are used by their underclassmen. They themselves build the scaffolding for their peers based on their own experienced when they were at the same level.

3.2. Vygotsky’s notion of scaffolding is represented through this process as we provide the environment, guidelines, specifics and expectations to the students and they bring to the simulation the knowledge they have already and use it to practice their skills set and gain a better understanding of how it will be used in real world situations.

4. Joshua's Personal Definition

4.1. Cognitive development is the process by which through both self-discovery and guided learning we go from unformed and unknowing blank slate into a seasoned self-actualized human beings.

5. Vygotsky

5.1. Felt that the process of cognitive development came from a combination of culture and guided mentorship from adults who work with children to understand and gain experience.

5.1.1. Adult Guided Learning

5.1.2. Cultural Values

5.1.3. Zone of Proximal Development

6. From a gaming perspective Piaget’s model of character development is along the lines of Grinding, or the process of leveling up a character in a game, where the Vygotsky model is more akin to the teach and learn method. Examples would be games like World of Warcraft where you build up a characters strengths and skills over a long period vs. Lego Games where you learn skills and are given varying tasks at which you must use a combination of those skills and others you’ve learned to progress forward.