Activity mastering vs. digitalized primitivization in education in the context of cultural-historical psychology / El dominio de la actividad frente a la primitivización digitalizada en la educación en el contexto de la psicología histórico-cultural

Abstract

The article analyses approaches to education where digitalization does not hinder the development of thinking, understanding and acting among teenagers. The article is based on the premise backed by the cultural-historical theory of Lev Vygotsky and the concept of mastering ways of thinking by Vasiliy Davydov that existing ways of digitalization decrease the developmental opportunities of teenagers. In the case of common sense digitalization communication processes between teenagers, teachers and different adults are reduced to scripts of interaction with monitors or digital devices according to the behaviouristic scheme ‘stimulus-reaction’. The author considers a different type of digitalization in education that gives an opportunity to master the ways of design activity, research activity and meta-game activity. The author proposes that conceptual instruments of the activity theory can be used as the new framework to design and to elaborate educational digital systems of the next generation that stimulate the development of intellectual abilities.