Lev Vygotsky, a Russian psychologist and social constructivist, labeled the distance between what a learner can do independently and what the learner can do with adult or peer assistance as the zone of proximal development. The concept of scaffolding was developed by researchers as a way to apply Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development to educational situations.
In the zone of proximal development, learners receive teacher or peer assistance that builds on the learners’ current abilities and helps them go slightly beyond what they are able to do until they are able to complete the task independently. Without assistance, the learner would not be able to reach the same level of performance or understanding because it would be too difficult for the learner (Vygotsky, 1978). Carol Ann Tomlinson, a noted educator and consultant on differentiation, explains what happens to students when they are faced with a task beyond their capabilities. “When a task is far too difficult for a learner, the learner feels threatened and ‘downshifts' into a self-protection mode. A threatened learner will not persist with thinking or problem-solving” (Tomlinson, 1999). A goal of instructional design is to determine how to appropriately guide and assist learners to successfully attain the expected outcomes.
Scaffolding is a metaphor that describes the process of providing support by an adult or other peer when students need it and then removing the support structure when a learner no longer needs the support (Stone, 1998; Wells, 1999; Hammond, 2002; Daniels, 2001, as cited in Verenikina). Bernie Dodge, professor of educational technology at San Diego State University, defines scaffolding as “a temporary structure which provides help at specific points in the learning process. It allows learners to complete a challenging task which they would not be able to accomplish without help” (Scaffolding within WebQuests, p. 5).
References Tomlinson, C.A. (1999). The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners. Virginia: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Verenikina, I. Understanding Scaffolding and the ZPD in Educational Research. University of Wollongong, NSW, Australia. http://ro.uow.edu.au/edupapers/381/
Vygostky, L.S. (1978). Mind in Society. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.