Scaffolding Approach in Teaching

 Scaffolding Approach in Teaching

The scaffolding approach to teaching and learning is most effective at any level of education. At the Masters level, I believe there are a few ways student learning may be enhanced through the use of scaffolding:

1. Preparation material: Provide learners with the knowledge required for learning. This may include books, audio files, videos, etc...

2. Q/A venue: Provide learners with a discussion board or other means of receiving feedback from the instructor and fellow learners. Seminars are also an effective forum. 

3. Practice materials: Students should be provided the opportunity to practice what they should know, and will be assessed on before being assessed. Feedback is imperative during the practice phase.

4. Academic/Practitioner: A formative assessment that requires the student to relate academic research and discipline-based knowledge with practitioner based experiences, observations, and research. 

5. Authentic Assessments: This type of assessment is particularly important for students in a MBA program. In an authentic assessment, it is imperative that students are only required to demonstrate what they were expected to learn in all activities prior to the assessment. This type of assessment should be reality based and career oriented.

6. Traditional Assessments: This form of assessment is typically objective in nature, and may come in the form of an exam. This is typically a discipline-based assessment that tests the level and depth of knowledge. 

7. Reflection: Students should be able to reflect on what they have learned throughout a week or module. This may be in the form of a learning journal, a reflection essay, etc...

Over 11 years of experience, these are the best practices that I have used when teaching a course, whether online or on ground. One of my favorite approaches in facilitating a course is through the use of the Socratic method. I believe asking the right questions to help a student construct knowledge and skills are very effective. As students progress throughout a degree program, the level and context of learning should incrementally increase, and the business curriculum should be designed so students are exposed to the cross-functional dependency of discipline based topics. As the knowledge and skills compound over time and throughout the degree program, students should be prepared to perform a culminating project such as a dissertation.