Scaffolding as a way to learn

Learning process is an activity that takes a long time. People learn continually and differently. There is nobody how learns exactly as do another person. So, this process requires time, due to the things that are taught need to be developed depending on the ages, the cognitive capacity, the things that must be learned… that students must know in a certain time. Education must take in account the capacities that each person presents and to be adapted his or her circumstances.

Students learn in many ways and build their knowledge based on prior experiences and knowledge that need to be supported in their learning. Scaffolding refers to one of those varieties of institutional techniques in education. This method moves students progressively toward stronger understanding and, ultimately, greater independence in the learning process. It is a way to gradually shift the responsibility from teacher to the students until they become more independent.

This video shows how the learning process goes and how the scaffolding turns into a useful tool for the teacher and the students. It goes with the main idea that learning always proceeds from the known to the new, so good teaching recognizes and builds on it through scaffolding. This building will be made by seeing the learners as individual and group students.

To make sure that this technique works correctly, children need a right support to participate in their learning, complete a challenging task and learn a new concept. Moreover, it is necessary to encourage students to continually grow and develop to a level that is just above their current level. So, the main goal is to build on the understanding, on what students can do (individually or in group) keeping in mind their strengths and needs. The things that must be carried out are:

·         Give a tailored assistance that is adjusted on an as-needed basis.

·         Build learner confidence fostering feedback in the class. Students understand what they are doing right and how to they can do better.

·         Let them participate actively in their learning and move.

For that reason, the learning challenge need to follow questions like: what the student currently knows and what can they do, what do they need to know and be able to do, how big is the learning gap. Once the teacher has thought about this, the next step is to model the background knowledge and give a guided practice. Briefly, the goal is to design learning environment that supports the success of every student.

It can be summed up as this technique tries to build a learning where the previous knowledge will be the starting point. Combining the capacities of each students and their background knowledge, the learning process will success effectively. It is just to go from the general to specific, like when a house is being building and goes to the bottom to the top. It can only work if the child is considered and is presented as an actively part of his or her learning, since students are going to be the key to answer teachers’ educational questions and to create an adapted learning. Having all this in mind, the scaffolding can only be effective if students’ environment:

1.      Knows their strengths and weakness.

2.      Gets effective feedback.

3.      Gives a tailored assistance.

4.      Controls frustrations and builds on competences.

Cristina Francisco