Abstract:

In education, scaffolding is a form of support provided by teachers to help students develop complex knowledge and skills, which is gradually withdrawn as learners become more autonomous. Scaffolding guides teachers to design effective and inclusive learning environments through key principles: contingency, which involves adapting support to students’ needs and timing; intersubjectivity, referring to shared understanding that fosters collaboration and knowledge construction; and transfer of responsibility, whereby learners progressively take control of their own learning as teacher support decreases.

In detail, scaffolding in technology-enhanced learning can be implemented through integrated pedagogical strategies such as guided learning, just-in-time teaching, peer instruction, and cooperative learning. Guided learning structures complex tasks into sequenced activities supported by clear instructions and ongoing feedback, while just-in-time teaching uses pre-class activities to adapt instruction and provide timely feedback. Peer instruction, cooperative learning, and online communities of practice promote collaborative knowledge construction and deeper understanding. Active learning and formative assessment further support engagement and self-regulation through interactive tasks and continuous feedback. Inclusivity is addressed through Universal Design for Learning principles and the use of additional resources, while lecture capture technologies and artificial intelligence extend scaffolding by enabling flexible review, personalised feedback, and adaptive support in digital learning environments.

In connection to that, FLeD project, involving six European Universities, has developed scaffolding strategies and resources, based on the use of Learning Design Patterns, in order to help academics in creating flexible, self-regulated and inclusive learning environments. The project led to the creation of a digital teaching design platform (FLeD Tool) that integrates these scaffolding strategies both in its structure and in the design methods offered to teachers.

The contribution, starting from an in-depth literature review analysis concerning scaffolding in flexible learning environments, aims to promote a practical case study regarding the implementation of scaffolding in the FLeD Tool through Learning Design Patterns, offering a concrete example of how this approach can concretely be applied to support teachers in designing flipped learning scenarios with scaffolding practices for their students. In fact, through a simple registration process, teachers access the FLed Tool via a personalised link and select a design pattern to guide their instructional planning. The tool, based on Learning Design Patterns, supports reflection and problem-solving in recurring pedagogical situations. By providing structured guidance and critical information, the tool helps teachers’ decision-making and enhances planning quality in a personalised way.

References:
[1] Alebrahim, F., & Ku, H. Y. (2019). Faculty Members' Experiences with the Implementation of Flipped Classroom Environments in Higher Education. Journal of Educational Research and Innovation, 7(1), 2.
[2] Doo, M. Y., Bonk, C., & Heo, H. (2020). A meta-analysis of scaffolding effects in online learning in higher education. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 21(3), 60-80. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v21i3.4638

Keywords:

Scaffolding, Flipped Classroom, Flexible Learning, Instructional Design, Academic Teaching and Learning.