What scaffold means

Scaffolding is a kind of help or support that enables learner to “solve a problem, carry out a task or achieve a goal which would be beyond his unassisted efforts” (Wood, Bruner & Ross, 1976, p. 90). As such, scaffolding could be "activities that help students develop the right mindset, engage students with the problem, divide activities into manageable tasks, and direct students' attention to essential aspects of the learning goals" (Ngeow & Kong, as cited in March, 2007, p. 6). This is to say that scaffolding implies integration of enriched learning resources to encourage student motivation and facilitate advanced thinking (March, 2007).

According to MacGregor and Lou (2006), there are four types of scaffolding: (1) Conceptual scaffolding which is guidance about what knowledge to consider such as using outlines and concept maps that assist the learner in deciding what to consider or to prioritize what is important, (2) Metacognitive scaffolding which is guidance about how to think during learning such as using a simple reminder to reflect on the goal or a problem solving model to help learners assess what they know and what to do as they learn, (3) Procedural scaffolding which is guidance about how to utilize available resources and tools such as using procedures, site navigation maps, textual charts, and graphic representations, and (4) Strategic scaffolding which is guidance about alternative approaches that might assist decision making. Also, Saye and Brush (2002) provide two types of scaffolds: Hard scaffolds, “static supports that can be anticipated and planned in advance based on typical student difficulties with a task” (p. 81); and Soft scaffolding, which “requires teachers to continuously diagnose the understandings of learners and provide timely support based on student responses” (p. 82). 

Saye and Brush (2002) provide great examples of how technology may be used to scaffold learners. They expect students to develop critical reasoning about ill-structured social problems. In doing so, they embedded hypermedia resources and scaffolding in a multimedia learning environment. They made hyperlinks directly from terms in introductory essays to related documents in the database; each highlighted term connected the user to a pertinent primary document, video clip, or interactive essay. Also, they used storyboard template that corresponded to the six slides that groups were expected to include in their presentations; each page guided students through a step in the process of constructing a persuasive, dialectical argument. Also, March (2007) expects students to develop authentic personal learning. In doing so, he used WebQuest that could scaffold student use of Web 2.0 environments by using social bookmarking, RSS feeds, Blog, Wiki, and WordPress to provide rich resources to authentic web sites that provide opportunities to access fertile resources.

In my own classroom, I will use class wiki to maximize students’ role in the curriculum design/development to shift control to the learners and take ownership of their learning and take risks understanding and applying their knowledge.  I will ask students to develop a textbook about web 2.0 technologies based on their interests and experiences with web 2.0 technologies. I expect students to think critically about articles and websites about web 2.0 technologies and evaluate their peers’ entries. In doing so, I will use the following scaffolds:

I will make hyperlink to examples of class wikis and will ask students to spend time exploring them in order to understand the characteristics of successful wiki projects before working to create their own wiki.

I will make hyperlinks to some Web 2.0 technologies to give students, who are not familiar with web 2.0 tools, some insights about what these technologies are.

I will make hyperlinks to sites that explain how to use wiki, such as how to create wiki page, how to edit wiki, how to add link or images, and so on.

I will make template to what I expect in their wiki pages about web 2.0 tools, such as the history of the tool, how it can be used, some lesson plans explaining how to use the tool in teaching.

I will prepare assessment rubric explaining what I expect from them in the process and outcomes. 

  References:

MacGregor, S. & Lou, Y. (2006). Web-based learning: How task scaffolding and Web Site

design support knowledge acquisition. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, I-11.

March, T. (2007). Revisiting WebQuests in a Web 2 World: How developments in technology

and pedagogy combine to scaffold personal learning. Interactive Educational Multimedia, 15, 1-17

Saye, J. & Brush, T. (2002). Scaffolding critical reasoning about history and social issues in

multimedia-supported learning environments. ETR&D, 50(3), 77–96.

Wood, D., Bruner, J. & Ross, G. (1976). The role of tutoring in problem solving. Journal

Psychology Psychiatry, 17, 89-100.