Scaffolding, Layering, and Learning

by John Bandler

Scaffolding and layering are some concepts to help your learning journey. We can think of it as climbing up, digging down, or digging out.

If you've seen my "Things to Know" pages (link below), here is more explanation on how that fits in. Those short Q&As and cannot be expected to capture all nuances of terms and concepts. They are a starting place for learning, not your final destination.

Analogy 1: Scaffolding up our learning

Let's explain scaffolding, and how you want to be able to navigate levels 1 and 2 easily. In this analogy, we build up, and climb up what we built.

Scaffold Level 1

To build our scaffold to reach and climb to Level 1, that may mean knowing the key terms for something. It means knowing them with just a little bit of thought.

To test this in a quiz, it might mean assessing whether the student can recite a list of terms.

For example, knowing that the three objectives of cybersecurity are "Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability", or knowing that the three branches of government are "Executive, Legislative, Judicial".

Scaffold Level 2

Level 2 means we reached Level 1, and can do that climb easily, plus have an even higher understanding. We can recall the Level 1 information more quickly, and even under stress of a quiz or being called on in class.

To build our scaffold to reach and climb to Level 2, that means knowing the key terms for something (Level 1) plus understanding what they mean, in basic, simple terms.

To test this in a quiz, it might mean seeing whether the student can recite each term plus briefly summarize what each term means.

Scaffold Level 3

Reaching Level 3 means we can easily climb through Level 1, then Level 2, quickly, plus have an even higher understanding.

To build our scaffold to reach and climb to Level 3, that could mean being able to quickly recite the key terms, quickly explain them simply, and also have an even higher understanding of each, and how they interact.

Scaffold Level ??

You should aim to reach a high level, do not be content with Level 1, or 2, or 3. That is because you need to "take" your education and realize it will not be handed to you.

Higher levels are harder to assess. But you know yourself (and what you know) better than any teacher can. Your goal is to actually learn (not fake it for the course or instructor).

My current focus is the lower scaffold levels, because I am realizing how many students are not getting even to Level 1. For example, students cannot possibly understand the complexities of cyberlaw or criminal law if they do not know the three branches of government.

Therefore I am focusing on motivating students to get to Levels 1 and 2, and assessing that they properly get there.

Analogy 2: Digging into deeper layers of learning

Another analogy I like is that of digging into deeper layers. The surface layer is easiest (e.g., like scaffold level 1) and we see what is there. Then we dig deeper into more detail, more complexity, more thought and nuance.

This is like peeling an onion, to see what is beneath the surface layer.

Or digging down to explore, perhaps we are on an archeological dig, carefully excavating to uncover more treasures, more clues, more facts. We want our knowledge to be deep and nuanced eventually, but we start with what is already on the surface.

Analogy 3: Digging out of a hole

In this final analogy, students find themselves in a hole, sometimes a deep hole.

Maybe they are unprepared for the course, and did not get the foundation expected in prior years of learning.

Or they are a month (or two, or more) into the semester and totally lost.

The teacher/professor says words, the textbook has words, but those words seem like they are in another language.

The student is lost, has no tools, and far behind. It seems hopeless to learn anything -- but it is not.

Every student can dig out. This time we are not building our scaffolding nor excavating. The principle is the same. We find simple facts and learn them well. We employ repetition. We dig a foothold and handhold and climb up a little, then dig another. We practice climbing and keep digging holds until we are out of our hole.

An analogy is just that

An analogy is not real life, just a way to think about something. No analogy is perfect. I like these three, even though they mix concepts (building up, digging down, digging out).

I know...

Yes, I know everyone learns differently. Some don't like learning or memorizing basic things. Einstein didn't like cluttering his mind with facts he could simply look up.

But we are not Einstein, and much learning needs to be about the basics. We need to get through courses and life.

In life and learning, and we need to get to know ourselves and find a way to learn and understand things, and to be able to communicate what we know. That means starting with the simple, mastering it, moving to the complex. It means being able to read, understand, retain, and then communicate what is in our brain. It means building to level one and then beyond. These analogies can help many.