Scaffolding

According to Vygotsky, the centrality of social interactions between teachers and learners in cognition.

Process by which new knowledge is (almost literally) added to existing knowledge. Previous knowledge forms the base layer. Each successive piece of information is added 'on top' of that base like scaffolding being built up.

A more competent other assists the learner in constructing new meanings for themselves. (Driver, R., Asoko, H., Leach, J., Mortimer, E., & Scott, P. (1994). Constructing Scientific Knowledge in the Classroom. Educational Researcher, 5-12.)

Synonymous with the term mediation, in which a more able other assists a learner perform a given task that they are unable to perform unassisted.

//Below is taken from Learning Theories: An Education Perspective by Dale H. Shcunk//:

Scaffolding is an appliction of Vygotsky's zone of proximal development. Instructional scaffolding is analogous to the type of scaffolding used in construction projects. The teacher starts out completing most of the task, then the teacher removes some of their support to where the student and the teacher share the responsibility, the teacher gradually removes more of their support to where the learner has taken over 100% responsibility of the task (Schunk, 2008). "Instructional scaffolding has five funtions: 1. providing support 2. functioning as a tool 3. extending the range of the learner 4. permitting the attainment of tasks not otherwise possible 5. using selectively only as needed (Schunk, pg.247, 2008)."

Schunk, D. H. (2008). Learning Theories: An Educational Perspective. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, Inc.