Instructional scaffolding is the support given during the learning process which is tailored to the needs of the student promote deeper learning and help them achieve their learning goals.
Instructional scaffolding provides sufficient support to promote learning when concepts and skills are being first introduced to students.
The results of this study not only suggest that verbal scaffolding aids children'scognitive development, but that the quality of the scaffolding is also importantfor learning and development.
In contrast with contingent or soft scaffolding, embedded or hard scaffolding isplanned in advance to help students with a learning task that is known inadvance to be difficult.
Scaffolding involves presenting learners with proper guidance that moves themtowards their learning goals.
Instructional scaffolding can be thought of as the strategies that a teacher usesto help learners bridge a cognitive gap or progress in their learning to a levelthey were previously unable to accomplish.
As the research in this area progresses, studies are showing that when students learn about complex topics with computer-based learning environments without scaffolding they demonstrated poor ability to regulate their learning, and failure to gain a conceptual understanding of the topic.
References
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instructional_scaffolding d
- educational scaffolding, edglossary.org