When it comes to other learning areas, Social Development Theory is one that needs to be explored. Social Development Theory is the process of organizing human energies to achieve a higher level of success and therefore greater results. The idea is to achieve an increased amount of human potential.

Learning more about Social Development Theory is a good way to figure out how to use trial and error as well as experimentation to find which methods work best for certain people. Many countries throughout the world are not consistent in the development of social development theory, so the results of this learning style for both children and adults is not consistent. However, with more attention being paid to the concepts behind Social Development Theory, the advances in the theory can be attributed to more advancement in the way a human being is able to advance and live up to a higher standard of potential and success. The Social Development Theory was started in the early part of the 1900s. Social Development Theory originator Lev Vygotsky was a Russian psychologist who lived during the Russian Revolution. However, despite being around for decades, the actual published works of Vygotsky's Social Development Theory was unknown in the United States until it was published in 1962. 

Social Development Theory Basics:

  • Because social interaction plays such a vital role in the process of cognitive learning, it is clear where social development theory plays a huge part in the development of learning and increasing one's knowledge potential. Vygotsky believed that social learning actually precedes development. Vygotsky believed children will first begin learning from social development and then will follow with cognitive development. Essentially, social development is the building block for cognitive development and continued development throughout a person's life. 
  • When it comes to learning and development through the Social Development Theory, there are certain elements in the given situation that are necessary for progression. For example, some kind of teacher must be present. This can be in the form of a parent, educator, mentor, friend, sibling or even an inanimate object like a TV or computer. There must also be a specific distance between the student's ability to perform a specific task under that guidance and the student's ability to learn independently. Making the progression from guided learning to independent learning is where the real learning and understanding begins for many individuals under the Social Development Theory. 

Shared experiences are also another huge part of the Social Development Theory. Babies, children, teens and adults will all be able to begin the learning process at anytime and continue that learning as they grow and develop. This can be done successfully if there is an adequate teacher available to engage in the "social" aspect of Social Development Theory. Many schools will continue with this method of instruction through integration into the main stream, traditional method of teaching. This is best illustrated in types of learning where the students are actually engaging in the learning instead of just sitting there absorbing the information. Hands-on learning is an example of social development theory.

A great example of this is looking in a science class when the teacher will instruct the students to add vinegar to baking soda to see the chemical reaction. After the instructor visually demonstrates the experiment, the students will then repeat the process on their own. This is an example of Social Development Theory. Other examples of the learning theory occur when children and their peers are able to learn from one another. This can be during play or during a school-related activity. While many teachers will use Social Development Theory, there are some of the most traditional subjects in school like math and English that are taught via regular instruction. Many children are visuals learners and have a higher success rate in learning when it comes to Social Learning Development styles of learning. These traditional methods of learning are not always the best ways to use Social Development Theory to allow children an active role in the learning with their peers and the material. Social Development Theory is a great way for learning to become a reciprocal experience for both the students and the teacher. 

Sources: learning-theories.com, wikipedia.com