What is Situated Learning

The main objective of this manuscript is to propose a methodology called the Three Contexts Methodology based in the situated learning paradigm. It attempts to integrate three contexts related to the process of learning: 1) the context of the community of professional practice that created the content; 2) the school classroom; and 3) the context in which what is learned is going to be applied. Through this the 3CM strives to improve learning transfer and the integration of technology. To give a theoretical base to the 3CM, first an analysis of how human cognition is naturally intertwined with our social activity is done and how, in this way, professional communities of practice are generated. Then, these ideas are contrasted with the type of cognition that the traditional school promotes and some learning problems are identified. Using these antecedents as a base, the Three Contexts Methodology is described and finally, a set of results are described and analyzed when this methodology was applied to a group of students from a local junior high school.