Scaffolding, in education, refers to an assortment of teaching strategies (or instructional techniques) employed to progressively enable students in the learning process. The term (or notion) ‘scaffolding’ itself, serves as descriptive metaphor of the “successive levels of temporary support that help students reach higher levels of comprehension and skill acquisition” (Glossary of Educational Reform, 2015). Similar to physical scaffolding, supportive teaching strategies are either implemented or removed as circumstances require.
Differentiation, in contrast to scaffolding, refers to adaptations made to accommodate individuals with diverse learning needs, such as students with disabilities. Scaffolding and differentiation, although distinct, have similar teaching goals, namely learning progression, and might be blended together.
The opposite of scaffolding work-integrated learning (WIL) would be to expect students to find their own relevant place of experiential learning; to negotiate their own learning experiences; to seek their own mentoring; and to submit a specified portfolio of evidence; for assessment. Scaffolding with the intent to ensuring the quality of WIL may include:
- The university (or teaching institution) has relevant WIL ‘study’ guides, experiential learning provider (ELP) guidelines, and mentor guidelines in place
- Students are prepared for (briefed/readiness) their prerequisite WIL through provided 'study' guides
- The university (or teaching institution) having access to sufficient accredited experiential learning providers in order to facilitate to placement of students for prerequisite WIL
- Facilitation of the placement of students, including contracting of the learning, and the appointment of a suitably qualified mentor for each student
- In the event of students with disabilities, the placements would include reasonable accommodation cognisant of the nature of disability
- Follow-up monitoring of the learning progression of each student, and regular communication with the experiential learning providers concerned
- Appropriate intervention/s if such is deemed necessary, for example corrective action
- Assessment of each student’s attainment of specified learning outcomes by both the experiential learning provider and academic staff concerned
- Revision of the curriculum of the academic programme, which might include either or both academic subject/s and/or the WIL part/s, when perceived necessary
Scaffolding. 2015. The Glossary of Education Reform for journalists, parents and community members. Electronically accessible from https://www.edglossary.org/scaffolding/
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