What is it about?
Lev Semonovich Vygotsky was born in Russia in 1896. He was a prominent scholar in several disciplines, but he is perhaps most noted for his theories on the development of the human mind. In VygotskyÕs theory, interactions with the minds of others are crucial for individual development. He also recognised that the mind is shaped by culture and the history of that culture, and that this is a uniquely human characteristic (Plotkin, 2003).
In an attempt to describe the mechanism and the potential effect of learning on the development of the mind, Vygotsky devised a model called the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). The ZPD represents the amount of learning possible with assistance from a more capable peer. In the ZPD, the teacher and the learner work on a task that the learner could not perform independently because of the difficulty level. At a later stage, the individual will then be able to perform this task independently (Doolittle, 1997).
A common application of the concept of the ZPD involves scaffolding. Scaffolding implies that given appropriate assistance, a learner can attain a goal or engage in a practice otherwise out of reach (Davis & Miyake, 2004). Through verbal or physical assistance, task elements that are beyond the learnersÕ capabilities are controlled. As the learner masters the features of the task that they can grasp quickly, the teacher gradually passes more and more control back to the learner (Meece & Daniels, 2008).
Why is it important?
This paper reports on the findings of a three year longitudinal study that investigated the development of critical thinking in undergraduate Zoology students from a Vygotskian perspective. We argue that a high degree of physical scaffolding, such as detailed course booklets, lecture notes on course management systems, prescriptive course requirements, and so forth, may promote a culture of dependence. Of more importance is to develop positive relationships of trust and respect with peers and teaching staff. Students are then more inclined to have the confidence to question and challenge ideas. With less physical scaffolding and more verbal assistance, students entered into a new relationship with their teachers where they felt that their opinions were valued and their attitude to learning was no longer focussed on grades but instead they developed a love of learning for its own sake.
How the session will be run
In the spirit of the TERNZ philosophy, where the contribution of all participants is important, this session will encourage attendants to reflect and share their experiences of scaffolding. We will explore notions such as; why do we scaffold? Is it for the learner, the teacher, or both? How do we scaffold? How do we know whether scaffolding has been effective? By the end of this session we hope to raise the awareness of scaffolding in the classroom and by sharing ideas of good practice, help ensure that we are scaffolding for the right reasons.
References
Davis, E. A., & Miyake, N. (2004). Explorations of Scaffolding in Complex Classroom Systems. Journal of the Learning Sciences, 13(3), 265-272.
Doolittle, P. (1997). Vygotsky's zone of proximal development as a theoretical foundation for cooperative learning. Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, 8, 83-102.
Meece, J., & Daniels, D. (2008). Child and adolescent development for educators (3rd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Plotkin, H. C. (2003). The imagined world made real : Towards a natural science of culture. New Brunswick, N.J: Rutgers University Press.
Rob Wass has
a background in the biological sciences (Zoology) and he has more than ten
years experience at running large first-year courses at the University of
Otago. After writing his master's thesis on the relationship between black
swans and macrophytes, Rob took up a teaching position in the Department of
Zoology. He has been a Senior Teaching Fellow since 2000 and is currently the
co-ordinator of the first-year Zoology paper.
His experiences of teaching sparked a passionate interest in education and the
process of learning itself. As a defining concept of a university education,
Rob is particularly interested in the developmental nature of critical
thinking, which forms the basis for his doctoral dissertation. He is currently
examining the educational experiences of Zoology students during their
undergraduate years. Specifically, looking at how critical thinking develops
over time and the decisions teachers, students, and others make to scaffold
this process