For the planning aspects of our lesson plan our group remained cognitively aware of what

theories we were utilising and how those theories impacted the students we anticipated on
teaching. Our main approach to this project was to explore the notions of symbolic
interactionism within the classroom. We were able to draw upon our previous experience as
students in high school to identify several points of learning. This enabled us as a group to
identify the moments and techniques that assisted our personal learning in the past. Symbolic
interactionism encompasses concepts of learning through social exchange (Forte, 2010). The
symbols that emerge during social encounters with others assist in the learning of students.
Symbolic interactionism is known as a societal theory which focuses on the micro level. The
micro level focuses on the specific encounters which individuals face with others. In the
application of symbolic interactionism to our project we began to unpack the idea of the
presence of symbolic interactionism within the classroom. However, the classroom is very
clearly not the place where micro level learning occurs. Notwithstanding the classroom can
cater to multiple different learning systems and styles. Our group intended to build a learning
experience that utilised a micro theory in a meso level of learning.
The application of this societal theory became incrementally clear as we began to explore
what it would look like in the context of the classroom. The concepts of symbolic
interactionism place high emphasis on social interaction. Our project was not to provide a
social interaction time within the class, but to create a focused environment where learning
could occur through social interaction. Several forms of communication and socialising that
occur with students in our focus year group (year 9) occur through social media. This may be
through a video call, an audio call, a phone call, a short messaging service, a social media
website, or an opinion feed. Students are encouraged to socialise through focused digital
networks in the current state of society. Therefore, we found a strong link between our project
incorporating aspects of symbolic interactionism within our project. We believe there is
astronomical benefits in focused socialised learning. We found this theory also of symbolic
interaction to partner with a theory form Bandura. Banduras social learning theory describes
how one persons behaviour can influence others in a social situation and how a persons own
behaviour influences how other people interact with a specific person ("Bandura's Theory,"
2006). Bandura places a large emphasis on the social learning environment and correlates
the linkage between the human behaviours that suit appropriate environments. Both symbolic
interactionism and social learning theory place a large emphasis on the ideals of learning
through social experience.
Our project aims to incorporate the aspects of social learning, and symbolic interactionism
through supporting the notions of group work, and creating a focused learning environment
where students can remain on task. The two theories compliment each other, and have
influenced the group in our planning of this project.
Social constructivism is another theory we used throughout the planning stages of our project.
Piagets early thinking of social constructivism, was on how we process the world around us
through culture and previous experience ("Constructivism and: Social Constructivism," 2006).
We took the same thinking into the considerations of utilising the technology that is around us.
We had to consider if social constructivism as a well known education theory was still relevant
with students. Onyesolu, Nwasor, Ositanwosu, and Iwegbuna (2013) explored the social
constructivism through the concept of virtual realities to better understand how learners
respond to the virtual environments being rendered. The result showed that virtual
environments can produce a more effective outcome using virtual realities. This article
demonstrates the effectiveness of social constructivist approaches being applied to situations
through more traditional learning environments, but also the response to social constructivist
approaches through virtual environments.
The ideas of virtual environments, and virtual communities have been prevalent in our
planning. This is why our forward planning document has incorporated the virtual
environments which students are familiar with. Using media that students are familiar with can
make learners more comfortable in the classroom environment. We intend to compile a
combination of social experiences with students in familiar virtual environments in effort to
maximize the students learning opportunities. The use of Information Communication
Technology within our forward planning document and our lesson plan, intends to create a

place where students can bring their existing knowledge, and anticipate a building on that
existing knowledge. Through Vygotskys ("Constructivism and: Social Constructivism," 2006)
interpretations of social constructivism, he emphasised that the roles of language, zone of
proximal development and cultural tools play an important part in social constructivism.
Language: The instructions provided to students, and conversations from a teacher to student
level. This may include language which the Australia Curriculum requires a teacher to utilise
from teaching a particular learning area.
Zone of proximal development: The concept of understanding what a learner can do with help
and what a learner can do without help. However, within our project we seek to bridge any
zones of proximal development in effort to connect students through social interactions.
Cultural tools: The emphasis on cultural tools has been placed in recognising that all students
experience different childhood, and previous circumstances. This provides the concept of
cultural tools to be of incremental value within the classroom of today. The role of utilising
cultural tools, can assist a student in their learning, and create a deeper understanding of
mutual desired outcomes in the students mind, and also link the students desired outcomes
to the curriculum. This concept allows teachers to guide students into a place of
understanding and creates an authentic accepting environment to learn.
Our project has been constructed in such a way to allow space for the ideals of language,
greater social links in student experience and the utilisation of cultural tools. While the content
covered must remain specific to Australian governed learning, we intend to provide
understanding and support to students whose learning experience may significantly differ
from others.
References:
. Bandura's Theory. (2006)Elsevier's dictionary of psychological theories. Oxford, united
Kingdom:
Elsevier
Science
&
Technology.
Retrieved
from
http://ipacez.nd.edu.au/login?url=http://search.credoreference.com.ipacez.nd.edu.au/
content/entry/estpsyctheory/bandura_s_theory/0.
. Constructivism and: Social Constructivism. (2006)Key Concepts in Developmental
Psychology.
United
Kingdom:
Sage
UK.
Retrieved
from
http://ipacez.nd.edu.au/login?url=http://search.credoreference.com.ipacez.nd.edu.au/
content/entry/sageukdp/constructivism_and_social_constructivism/0.
Forte, J. A. (2010). Symbolic Interactionism, Naturalistic Inquiry, and Education International
Encyclopedia of Education (pp. 481-487).
Onyesolu, Moses O., Nwasor, Victor C., Ositanwosu, Obiajulu E., & Iwegbuna, Obinna N.
(2013). Pedagogy: Instructivism to Socio-Constructivism through Virtual Reality.
International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications, 4, 40-47.