The group work, cultural artifact and mediator in the teaching-learning process in Higher Education

Abstract

The learning process, in Higher Education, requires the active engagement of students who build their own representations thanks to interactions with the context in which they work, implementing metacognitive skills necessary for managing their personal and professional future (Éducation 2030). In this regard, Vygotsky (1931/2014) reminds us that learning is socialized in the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) through meaningful relationships and it is mediated by cultural artefacts (Venet, Correa Molina, Saussez, 2016). With respect to these assumptions the contribution investigates in secondary analysis three studies to answer the following questions: is group work in Higher Education as cultural artifact, an effective mediator in the teaching learning process? What impact does it have on the ZPD, with what consequences? Through a qualitative analysis of the data it emerged that the training experience can be used in Higher Education because group work amplifies the metacognitive capacity of individuals (European Council, 2018).