Scaffolding Online Student Learning

Scaffolding generally can be thought of as a method of sequencing instructional content so that learners acquire knowledge that will help them approach the next learning materials in the sequence. Scaffolding is a concept closely related to chunking of learning content. Teaching basic concepts before complex ones or familiar ideas before unfamiliar ones is an obvious application of this principle. As we decide which content must be understood before moving to the next content, we make divisions in the learning material. Dividing the material in this way is a first step in chunking the content.

Plan in Advance for Online Classes

In online learning, scaffolding (and chunking and sequencing) content requires advance planning. For example, online instructors may not be able to easily use the chunking devices already present in textbooks, such as questions or activities that separate topics in a given chapter. In a face-to-face class, the instructor can set aside class time at the beginning, middle, or end of any class session to have students perform an impromptu reflection writing, to discuss questions from the text, and so on. In an online class, the teacher does not control the learner's progress through the content or digestion of the content so directly. But there are ways to enforce sequencing, such as by setting an adaptive release condition in Blackboard. For example, students can be required to attempt a quiz before the lesson contents open for them. Or sections of a given lesson can be released only when certain actions are completed, such as taking a quiz, passing a quiz, submitting a discussion post, and so on. But as useful as adaptive release conditions can be in some situations, their overuse is sure to frustrate students. So adaptive release alone should not be relied on to "control" students' learning path.

More Scaffolding Techniques

Beyond chunking and sequencing, scaffolding can include techniques like these, all of which can be adapted to the online setting:

• teach vocabulary in advance of the lesson reading materials
• use visual aids to support learning of new concepts
• tap into existing knowledge and activate existing schema
• use pre-quizzes to cue students into what they will be learning
• use reflections, journals, or other tools to poll students' expectations of the upcoming lesson contents

Your Custom Course Design

To develop scaffolding solutions that are tailored to your online course, speak with one of the instructional designers in Online Learning. We can help you leverage Blackboard's capabilities and settings as well as guide you to specific pedagogical strategies.

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