The Zone of Proximal Development (AKA ZPD) is a cognitive theory posited by Lev Vygostky regarding the nature of student learning. Specifically, the ZPD is the "area" encompassing what a student can do, what they can do with help, and what they can't do. The idea is that there are things a student can do at their own skill level, and there are things that a student can do while assisted by a teacher or another student with a higher skill level. As the student becomes more accustomed to the task, their own skill level grows and the "zone" of what they can accomplish on their own and the "zone" of what they can accomplish with help gradually expands. The most common depiction of the ZPD is a small circle within a larger circle within a third and giant circle indicating the aforementioned zones.