I have the great fortune of coming from a family of builders, so I got a lot of experience building as I grew up. I worked summers and school breaks through high school and college with my uncles and later with my brothers - painting, papering, remodeling, and building homes. I’ve gotten pretty handy in the process.
In every building project, you start at the bottom (or base) and work your way up or out. For a house, you build the foundation first and then add floors, walls, and a roof before paint and finish. For a wall, you build a frame before adding a wallboard and then plaster and paint. Building from the bottom up creates a solid foundation and a quality project. However, during this process, we sometimes need help. Sometimes, we need different tools or scaffolding to work on things that are out of our reach, or we need a specialist to do our plumbing or electrical work. This support helps us to build a better end product.
The same goes for learning.
Scaffolding is when various levels of support is provided to help learners achieve higher levels of comprehension and skill acquisition. Traditionally - it is seen as temporary, but scaffolding can also serve as a permanent resource, enhancing proficiency and efficiency in areas where mastery is complemented by supportive tools (ex. spellcheck or Grammarly).
Just as construction scaffolding provides access to areas beyond reach, educational scaffolding offers students access to learning experiences just beyond their current level of mastery. And just like in construction, not all scaffolds are the same (learn more about scaffolding tune in to Episode 26 of The Education Table Podcast with Katie Novak). In teaching, we use three main types of scaffolds to support student growth:
While traditional views on scaffolding emphasize its temporary nature, aimed at gradually reducing support as the student becomes more proficient, we also recognize that some forms of scaffolding may remain valuable throughout a learner's journey (Ex. many of us continue to rely on tools like spellcheck). This broader perspective acknowledges scaffolds not only bridge gaps during learning but can also become tools of empowerment, helping students develop learner agency.
As teachers, we can become architects of learning so that all students can achieve high levels of mastery. We know that every student is different and has their own set of skills and attributes as well as their own barriers to learning. As good craftspeople, we can support student learning by providing students with multiple opportunities to learn and share what they know, as well as strategies, tools, and supports to help them build their knowledge and skill set.
Scaffolding, rooted in educational theories like Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development, takes on a new dimension through the lens of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). In universally designed classrooms, we encourage students to analyze firm goals and then self-reflect on their learning so they can choose pathways that best accelerate their growth. This approach often includes the strategic use of linguistic, conceptual, and socio-cultural scaffolds to empower students to take ownership of their learning.
Scaffolding in education can be provided in multiple ways. We can:
With these scaffolds in mind, we can create a personalized, student-centered learning environment that respects individual differences and empowers students to take charge of their learning, fostering deeper engagement and understanding.
Continue Your Learning! Explore how to effectively instruct a diverse group of learners.
This post has been updated from it's original publishing date of March 2024.