More Knowledgeable Other

Vygotsky gives recognition to the existence of the More Knowledgeable Other (MKO) in his theory of Social Development. The MKO is someone or something who is perceived to have better skill or understanding of a task, process, or concept. This person could be a peer, a parent, a teacher/tutor, or another person (McLeod, 2007).

In some instances, the MKO might even be a child. Consider for a moment, if you will, how many times you have seen a grandchild helping a grandparent with a task such as programming a phone number in a cell phone. In this case, the MKO is the grandchild. What if you wanted to learn about the latest dance craze or rap group? The MKO in this case might be a local teenager.

Pictured to the left is my favorite (only) granddaughter, Miss Averi.  She is learning through play with her older cousin, Hayden. Hayden would be a MKO in this case.











Looks like she learned from watching Hayden and experiencing the swing that it was great fun! I look forward to teaching her as many new things as I can over the coming years, but in light of Vygotsky's definition of the MKO I wonder what things she has in store to teach me in the future!



Sometimes, the MKO is an electronic device. Have you ever been led through a procedure with voice prompts? As a health professional, I am reminded of the voice activated AED that is commonly placed in shopping malls and other public places.  This is a device that can automatically offer electronic defibrillation to an individual whose heart has stopped. There are simple diagrams to explain its application and voice prompts to direct its use. These devices have been credited with saving lives in a variety of community settings (Simcik, 2009).