{"id":1318,"date":"2021-03-03T22:40:21","date_gmt":"2021-03-03T22:40:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/educationaltechnology.net\/?p=1318"},"modified":"2022-08-27T18:01:51","modified_gmt":"2022-08-27T18:01:51","slug":"scaffolding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/educationaltechnology.net\/scaffolding\/","title":{"rendered":"Scaffolding in Education"},"content":{"rendered":"
What is Scaffolding?<\/strong><\/p>\n Scaffolding in instruction is when a teacher supports students throughout the learning process. The instructor gradually introduces new ideas, building on each prior step and knowledge. As students learn new skills, they are able to master the task by tackling each section at a time. This allows them to acquire new skills using only temporary supports.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Scaffolding is based on Vygotsky\u2019s zone of proximal development<\/a>, which first debuted in 1978. His concept centered around three ideas:<\/p>\n A simple example of scaffolding would be a child learning to walk. A new parent does not simply place a toddler on their feet and expect him to start walking right away. First, the parents would hold their child upright, allowing him to put barely any weight on his own legs. Then, he may begin to put more weight on his legs, until he gets the movement correct of one foot in front of the other. The child may then be able to take small steps and bear his own weight while holding onto a coffee table for stability. In time, he may take some unsteady steps with his parents close by, watching like a hawk, and finally, he will be able to walk on their own. Just as parents scaffold learning for their own children, teachers scaffold learning to ensure that their students are successful. After navigating through small, calculated steps, the student is ready to tackle a problem independently.<\/p>\n See also: Cognitive Apprenticeship<\/a><\/p>\n Scaffolding is beneficial because it promotes a positive learning environment. Students feel supported; they are able to ask questions, encourage their classmates, and offer their opinion on the activity. The instructor adopts more of a facilitator role \u2013 they guide the students through their learning journey. This encourages students to become more responsible for their own learning, and, in turn, they create their own goals and monitor their own levels of engagement.<\/p>\n Any task or activity with multiple steps could greatly benefit from scaffolding put in place. Learning strategies are highly dependent on the calculated support implemented by the instructor. Some teachers find that they naturally incorporate supports into their lessons, while others need to make a more conscious decision to do so. However, even with scaffolding in place, some students may never be able to achieve a specific task on their own.<\/p>\n This brings us to the topic of scaffolding and learning disabilities. Some students may engage in the task, and with supports, are able to complete the activity. Just because they are able to do the motions of the task does not mean that they are making the connection to the underlying idea. It is important that instructors closely monitor their students to ensure that they understand the reasoning behind each section. Teachers could have the students attempt to perform the activity on their own to see if learning has taken place.<\/p>\n See also: Situated Learning Theory<\/a><\/p>\n There are many ways to scaffold learning. Teachers may utilize different techniques based on the needs of their students or the type of task at hand. One way is not better than another, and each instructor will need to assess each situation as it comes. They will also need to reflect on their prior experiences and the support required for each student before committing to one strategy.<\/p>\n However, each scaffolding strategy does consist of two important elements:<\/p>\n The following table outlines an example of teaching both with and without scaffolding in place. While we generally discuss the idea of scaffolding in the traditional classroom, scaffolding is also implemented in everyday life. The example below demonstrates the scaffolding put in place by the parent, not the educator. You can see that both practice and modeling were key components in the example that used scaffolding.<\/p>\n See also: Social Learning Theory: Albert Bandura<\/a><\/p>\n\n
How do I scaffold instruction?<\/h2>\n
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