Elite athletes like Simone Biles didn’t reach the Olympics overnight—it took years of disciplined training and incremental skill development, with every new gymnastic skill she practiced building on a previously mastered foundation. This progression highlights the significance of early scaffolding, where small, structured learning experiences accumulate into a broad mastery of complex skills. Without early-stage scaffolding, learners often struggle to develop the necessary foundation for long-term success.
Learning tactile skills, for example a musical instrument like the cello or violin, takes time to progress through the stages from beginner to proficiency. When learning a new tactile skill, like chess or soccer, muscle memory requires time to adapt and store information.
The same principle applies to other skills. Mastery of these skills does not happen overnight; instead, it results from a structured approach to training that allows the body and mind to develop familiarity and efficiency over time.
And since mastering a new skill involves progressing through stages, from beginner to proficiency, scaffolding is essential to structuring the necessary foundations for cognitive memory and processing.
The Cognitive Parallel: Scaffolding in Learning
Just as muscle memory is essential for physical skills, cognitive memory plays a crucial role in learning new academic and intellectual competencies. Ironically, the fastest way to learn is to start slowly. Many students rush through material in an attempt to absorb as much as possible in a short time, but this approach can lead to cognitive overload. When learners do not engage deeply with new information, they risk memorizing facts without truly internalizing concepts.
Scaffolding is a fundamental instructional strategy that facilitates deep learning by providing appropriate levels of support at different stages of the learning process. It involves breaking down complex information into manageable components and guiding students through progressively challenging tasks. When students first encounter a new concept, they benefit from structured guidance, but as their understanding grows, they become more capable of independent learning. Just as muscle memory is essential for physical skills, the brain depends on cognitive resources to build new competencies.
Analyzing Student Learning in Online Courses
In my experience analyzing student learning behaviors within learning management systems (LMS), students who complete coursework rapidly do not necessarily demonstrate better comprehension or mastery of the content. Instead, those who engage methodically with self-assessments and modules tend to perform at higher levels by the end of the course.
This observation supports the notion that deep learning requires deliberate practice and meaningful interaction with course material.
Faculty often express concerns about academic integrity, focusing on issues such as AI-generated answers and copy-pasting from online sources. However, the core issue is not simply the act of cheating; rather, it is the lack of meaningful engagement with the material. Many traditional assessments encourage passive learning—students click through multiple-choice questions without reflecting on the concepts being tested. To promote deeper learning, assessments should be redesigned to emphasize critical thinking and applied learning rather than simple content reproduction.
Strategies for Effective Scaffolding in Learning
To enhance early scaffolding and foster deeper engagement in the learning process, faculty can implement the following instructional strategies:
1) Increase scaffolding with process-based evaluations.
Process-based evaluations involve assessing student learning through drafts, reflections, and iterative improvements, rather than relying solely on final submissions. This method helps instructors track student thinking and progress over time. Some effective process-based evaluation strategies include:
Assigning incremental drafts with instructor feedback.
Requiring students to maintain reflection journals.
Using peer review systems for peers to critique and refine work.
By incorporating these strategies,
instructors provide necessary support early in the learning process while gradually encouraging students to develop independence.
2) Incorporate authentic assessments.
Authentic assessments require students to apply concepts in real-world scenarios, case studies, or projects that demand deeper engagement. Unlike multiple-choice tests, these assessments challenge students to synthesize information and demonstrate their understanding in practical ways. Examples include:
Developing a business proposal using course theories
Conducting an experiment and presenting findings
Writing a reflective analysis on a real-world issue using course concepts
By situating learning within real-world contexts, authentic assessments encourage students to think critically and apply knowledge rather than simply memorize information.
3) Increase problem-based learning with collaborative, agile thinking tasks.
Problem-based learning (PBL) engages students in real-world problem solving that requires critical thinking, agility, and interdisciplinary knowledge. Instructors can structure activities that involve:
Group projects where students from different fields work together to address complex issues
Case studies that require students to propose and defend solutions to realistic challenges
Research-based inquiries where students explore and present findings on emerging topics
By encouraging students to collaborate and apply their knowledge in authentic ways, PBL fosters engagement and deeper learning.
4) Encourage metacognition.
Metacognition—the ability to think about one’s own thinking—plays a crucial role in deep learning. Students who reflect on their reasoning processes, justify their choices, and analyze their learning strategies tend to develop stronger critical-thinking skills. Instructors can facilitate metacognition through:
Self-assessment checklists that require students to evaluate their own work
Reflection prompts that ask students to explain their reasoning
Think-aloud activities where students verbalize their thought processes
Encouraging metacognition helps students develop a deeper awareness of their learning and improves their ability to transfer knowledge across contexts.
5) Utilize oral or interactive components
Written assessments alone do not always provide a complete picture of student understanding. By incorporating oral or interactive components into the learning process, instructors can assess comprehension more effectively. Strategies include:
Live discussions where students articulate and debate course concepts
One-on-one explanations where students verbally walk through problem-solving steps
Interactive presentations where students demonstrate their learning through multimedia formats
These interactive methods provide opportunities for students to engage in higher-order thinking and articulate their knowledge beyond rote memorization.
Leveraging AI as a Tool
Educators can guide students in critically evaluating their own thought processes before submitting work. It can be useful when rewriting, comparing styles, or identifying gaps.
Educators can generate discussion prompts to not just “give me the answer” but to “quiz me and prompt me” to turn AI apps into tutors and coaches.
Instructors can use AI to encourage students in agile thinking, adaptation, and becoming problem solvers themselves.
By incorporating AI into the learning process in a way that promotes human intelligence, we all take learner agency and responsibility for our own learning methods in order to incorporate more meaningful learning.
The Takeaway: The Power of Early Scaffolding
Scaffolding is essential for helping learners build a strong foundation for long-term proficiency. Whether developing muscle memory for a physical skill or strengthening the cognitive memory for academic subjects, the key to effective learning is structured, incremental practice. By implementing strategies such as authentic assessments, process-based evaluation, problem-based learning, self-reflection, and interactive assessments, educators can create a learning environment that fosters deep engagement and lasting comprehension.
Early scaffolding not only enhances student learning outcomes but also empowers learners to become more independent and confident in their abilities. By emphasizing gradual skill development and meaningful engagement, educators can equip students with the tools they need to succeed both in and beyond the classroom—while reducing the temptation to cut and paste to foster meaningful learning.
References
Tutt, P. (2022). “Getting Fast Thinkers to Slow Down.” Edutopia. www.edutopia.org/article/getting-fast-thinkers-slow-down
Jennifer Parker innovates learning experiences with a focus on engaging and accessible course content for successful learning outcomes. Leveraging the latest in educational technology, she crafts dynamic and inclusive content for diverse learners. Her goal in higher education is to create transformational learning, using interactive and high-impact content.
She has presented at TESOL conferences and hosted workshops for teaching international students. She also has experience in auditing universities for accreditation for the Commission on English Language Accreditation. Past work-abroad experience includes teaching in Chile, Argentina, Spain, Canada, and Indonesia.