Scaffolding
In my situation, the curriculum is set and I don't really have much chance to alter things in the course itself. The technology is provided by the institution as well. In other words, I don't get to build the course I am teaching. However, I do want to help students scaffold their learning. This is a great metaphor and I think it gives good direction for us as we work to help our students with their studies. But, lacking the ability to create the technology, what added suggestions do you have that can be helpful?
Nicole,
You bring up a good point. It is important for students to build off of their prior experiences in a total environment that increases their learning in some way. We typically think of scaffolding as building on content basically the building on past experiences. However, any prior experience that help them in the online learning environment would be appropriate as well.
Dr. Crews,
I guess I am not clear on what it means to scaffolding learning except that what is learned to today is the support for what is learned tomorrow. Is this an accurate statement? And if so isn't scaffolding also presenting information in a consistent manner of part of that? For example, the location of discussion questions or the format for assignment lists...would these things also be apart of the scaffolding process? As students recognize where things are going to be they can better get and use the information they need to learn.
So is scaffolding building on prior experiences whether related to objectives, the environment, method, media, etc.? Or am I way off base here? Please advise.
Thank you,
Nicole G.
Linda,
Right on. Students do need to connect their experiences to the learning environment.
Thanks for your input.
The scaffolding technique is a good one to use. Asking a student to use their experiences in life and apply it to what they are learning helps them relate textbook information to life situations.
Jingxi,
We have quite a bit if flexibility at my institution but we also author most of our courses ourselves.
Thanks for your input.
Dr. Tena B. Crews
Hi, James:
I think this is the case for most institutions. To be consistent, most online courses do not allow the instructor much freedom to change.
But I think we can still help the students here to use what they learned.
I always encourse students to use the concepts learned so far in the course to answer the current assignments.
Nitin,
It is essential that syllabus, learning outcomes, course content all support each other in the learning process no matter who has the control.
As James articulated so well in the initial post. I too dont have much say on the syllabus or how the course is created, but I do have a lot of control on they learn the course material, and how I can help 'build' onto their learning each week from the beginning to the end of the course.
The scaffolding process is key to how they learn esp in the online environment.
Donald,
Yes, building and building and continuing to build. Thanks for your input.
Is not the idea of scaffolding the building on previous knowledge. It seems to me best expressed by Sir Isaac Newton when he said that he stood on the shoulders of giants. I think that the idea is an old one, but the terminology is catchy to attract people's attention.
Donald L. Buresh
John,
Communication is the key. At the beginning, in the middle and at the end. Just keep it going. ;-)
Providing feedback to the appropriate individuals if a rubric is just not working is essential.
We again return to communications at all ends of the process.
Be awesome.
John
James,
When the curriculum is set, make sure rubrics that are designed really meet your needs and assess the learning outcomes. This many times is overlooked but is important in the scaffolding of learning. Also, you can assist students in building upon their learning as you facilitate the learning instead of "dumping knoweldge/content" on the students. Thanks!
