Scaffolding
Scaffolds provide a temporary and adjustable support to a building under construction or maintenance. When we
extend the idea of scaffolds to learning, they can be thought as the support given by a knowledgeable other to the
learners. Using appropriate scaffolds, the learner can perform a task that is more complex than he/she could have
done alone. An important point in developing scaffolds is to gradually remove the support over time so that
learners will be independent (Reiser & Tabak, 2014).
Hogan & Presley (1997) identified 8 essential elements of scaffolding, which do not have to occur in sequence:
Know your curriculum and your students – Consider the learning outcomes and your student’s needs
to select appropriate learning task
Establish a shared goal – Students who have a shared interest in the learning will be more motivated in
the learning process. This can be promoted by positive interdependence and ensuring individual
accountability.
Actively diagnose student needs and understandings – Be sensitive to the students level of cognition
(e.g., aware of the student’s background knowledge and preconceptions) to determine if they are making
progress and adjust the scaffold accordingly
Provide tailored assistance – Adjust the way assistance is provided to your students depending on their
needs such as cueing, prompting, questioning, modelling etc. Scaffolds can involve other students and
does not necessarily need you.
Maintain the pursuit of learning outcomes –Provide encouragement and develop appropriate learning
activities to help students remain focused on the learning outcomes
Provide feedback – Feedback will help your students monitor their progress by raising their awareness
of strengths and areas for improvement, and identifying actions that can be taken to improve
performance
Control for frustration and risk – You can create an environment where your students feel free to take
risk with learning by encouraging them to try alternatives
Assist internalization, independence and generalization to other contexts –The scaffold should be
gradually removed so that your student will be less dependent on you to complete the task. This would
mean also providing students with a chance to practice the task in a variety of context.
Scaffolding is not merely just providing instructions or hints to your students. For example, a novice researcher is
systematically guided through the research process with questions and worked examples. They are also given
opportunities to practice and receive feedback. Eventually they will be expected to undertake research
independently.
Larkin (2002) suggest several points to keep in mind when scaffolding:-
Use scaffolding when appropriate – not all students require scaffolding for all task. Provide scaffolding
only to those student who need it only when they need it
Know your curriculum – Be aware and conscious of where your students may face difficulty in the
curriculum. This will enable you to develop scaffolds for the areas where your students may need them
Practice generating prompts – Use open-ended prompts to help guide your students in their thinking
process. Your prompts may not always work the first time and you may have to develop different
strategies in your prompt
Be positive and use different scaffold strategies – Your students may not always respond or be
successful as a result of your initial scaffold. Try different approaches. Your students sometimes learn
better through their peers. You could incorporate peer learning as a scaffolding strategy.
References
Hogan, K., & Pressley, M. (Eds.). (1997). Scaffolding student learning: Instructional approaches and issues.
Cambridge, MA: Brookline Books
Larkin, M. (2002). Using Scaffolded Instruction To Optimize Learning. ERIC Digest.
Reiser, B., & Tabak, I. (2014). Scaffolding. In R. Sawyer (Ed.), The Cambridge Handbook of the Learning
Sciences. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CBO9781139519526.005
