This was reproduced from the article I wrote for the website I am maintaining
Scaffolding as a teaching strategy is not new for teachers. More and more teachers have discovered its benefits not only in teaching but also in student learning.
Scaffolding originates from the sociocultural theory of Lev Vygotsky which states that learning or cognitive development is strongly influenced by social interaction. It also originates from his concept of zone of proximal development (ZPD).
ZPD is that area between what a learner can do alone or the mastery level and what can be accomplished with the assistance of a competent adult or the instructional level.
According to Bransford, Brown, and Cocking (2000), the scaffolds provided are activities and tasks that:
o Motivate or enlist the interest of the learner related to the task
o Simplify the task to make it more manageable and achievable for the learner
o Provide some direction in order to help the learner focus on achieving the goal
o Clearly indicate differences between the learner’s work and the standard or desired solution
o Reduce frustration and risk
o Model and clearly define the expectations of the activity to be performed
Likewise, this learning strategy provides a structure for student learning and a focus for student activities. According to Jamie McKenzie, author of Beyond Technology: Questioning, Research, and the Information Literate School Community, scaffolds have eight characteristics.
1. Scaffolds provide clear directions.
The students must be provided with step-by-step directions, explaining what they must do to meet the expectations or objectives of the particular activity. The directions should be user-friendly. Problems or uncertainties were anticipated and attended to minimize confusion.
2. Scaffolds must clarify purpose.
Scaffolding keeps the purpose and motivates the students all the time. This keeps the students focused on what they want to achieve. Through scaffolding, the students are engaged in the activity not only to accomplish a certain task like collecting and gathering. But with a purpose and plan, each time they act, they also care about their task and their target end result. It is in service to the thought process, the discovery of meaning, and the development of insight.
If old school requires only gathering and collection, scaffolding encourages the students to combine their previous knowledge with the current learning to develop a new one.
3. Scaffolds keep students on task.
Since scaffolding involves several activities, it keeps the students focused on the tasks even if they are working on their own. They are guided by the structure of the tasks. The students can make decisions on what path to choose or what things to explore along the path, but they can never wander off of the path.
4. Scaffolds offer assessment to clarify purpose.
Even at the start of a project, the students are aware of what grades to expect based on their end results. They are presented with rubrics or any performance assessment tool that define excellence. There are several points that are considered to have an excellent output, and all these are given a certain point in the assessment tool.
5. Scaffolds direct students to worthy sources.
Unlike with other activities where students are left on their own with few instructions to get them through, scaffolding provides students with worthy sources. In designing the activities, the teacher gathers the best possible sources and gives them to students. With these sources, the students are focused in completing their tasks rather than wasting their time looking for resources.
6. Scaffolds reduce uncertainty and disappointment.
Since the designer of the scaffolding activities tests all the steps in the lesson, there is an assurance that possible disappointments are eliminated. In doing so, the goal to maximize learning and efficiency is attained.
7. Scaffolds deliver efficiency.
Given all the efforts in preparing the activities, scaffold activities are focused, clear, and time-saving. The students are well-guided and directed. Thus, the end result is really a job well-done.
8. Scaffolds create momentum.
With the processes along the way and the end result in mind, scaffolds keep the students motivated. Since it is activity-driven, the students spend less time searching and more time on learning and discovering, resulting in quicker learning.
There are various educational resources available today that promote scaffolding, one of which is the WebQuest developed by Dr. Bernie Dodge of the San Diego State University. “A WebQuest,” according to Dr. Dodge, “is an inquiry-oriented activity in which most or all of the information used by learners is drawn from the Web. These are designed to use learners’ time well, to focus on using information rather than on looking for it, and to support learners’ thinking at the levels of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.”
A WebQuest consists of several sections:
o The Introduction orients students and captures their interest.
o The Task describes the activity’s end product.
o The Process explains strategies students should use to complete the task.
o The Resources are the websites students will use to complete the task.
o The Evaluation measures the results of the activity.
o The Conclusion sums up the activity and encourages students to reflect on its process and results.
The teacher designs the WebQuest and assigns it to the students. This WebQuest activity promotes independent and collaborative or cooperative learning, higher logical thinking, and the use of the Internet.
