Scaffolding


Scaffolding

In instructional/learning design we often use the term scaffolding. But what is it?
Scaffolding is when we break up the learning or a concept into smaller chunks and support it with various activities that help in understanding and embedding what is being learned. Scaffolding also involves usage of different instructional techniques to gradually enhance learner understanding.

The main aim of scaffolding is to make the learner comfortable with what they are learning. So, it should not be viewed as something that needs to be done out of compulsion or convention. Rather, it should be looked upon as the support that is provided to the learner that will make the learning process easier and more effective for them and enable them to apply the learning independently.

But how is scaffolding done?
Scaffolding is done every time the learner is provided with a tool or information that supports their learning. This may be a:
  •        Clearly provided direction on how to do a certain activity
  •          Providing them with an activity that supports what they are learning
  •          Giving them avenues to exchange and discuss ideas about the learning concept
  •          Providing them with articles and additional learning that expounds upon the learning
  •          Breaking a concept in smaller chunks to facilitate learning
  •          Behaviour modeling and explanation by teacher/trainer
  •          Show learners a video or demonstrate how a problem can be solved
  •          Triggering their prior knowledge about the subject/concept
  •          Provide visual aids and graphics to facilitate understanding


The above list is by no means exhaustive and there could be a number of other strategies and tools to provide the required level of scaffolding. Scaffolding is indeed very effective in making the learner get comfortable and confident with their learning. Used effectively it can be the difference in the learner getting motivated and actually learning something or not really embedding the learning.

Hope that was useful and thanks for reading.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Learning Hook

Can you recall a class that you took or a learning course that you had to go through that instantly grabbed your attention? What was it about the course that grabbed your attention like that? That was a learning Hook! What is a learning hook? A learning Hook is something that grabs the learner’s attention. Something that would make them instantly engage with the learning. So how can we go about developing a learning hook? Well, a learning hook can come from a number of areas. It could be talking about a current event. It could be talking about an ethical or moral dilemma. It could be talking about something that may have directly impacted the learner. It could even be a curious fact, or a mystery or an interesting story. For example, I was once teaching a sales and marketing course and prior to starting any course I usually try to   know my cohort as in, what would they like to do what is it that they find interesting and so on and so forth. So, during
Keep reading

Change Managemnt

In this post I want to talk about Change Management. I am seeing an increasing convergence between learning projects and change management almost to the point where they seem part of the same process. A bit like two sides of a coin. So what is Change Management? Change management is the process of helping an organization adjust its strategies and structures to better meet its goals. It's a broad term that can be used in many different contexts and refers to a process for managing organizational changes and focusses on how individuals respond to change and managing their concerns and resistance to the proposed change. The goal of change management is to make sure that the changes you're making to your business or organization are as smooth as possible. You don't want people to feel like they're being forced into something they don't want, or that they don't understand why they're doing it. You also want to make sure that when you do make these changes, you ca
Keep reading