D-+Scaffolding+vs.+Shaping+&+Chaining

The Theory and Its Key Features
Definitions of the terms "scaffolding" "shaping" and "chaining" are required to further understand the theories behind them.

Scaffolding : used by Wood, Bruner and Ross and based on theory developed by Vygotsky to refer to the role a teacher plays in the student's learning process. In the process of learning, there is a point where the student does not have the skills or prerequisite knowledge necessary to understand the next concept. It is at that point that some sort of assistance, whether from a teacher or from a "more knowing other", is imperative to the ongoing success of the student. It is literally the use of the additional, external "framework" of some other source of information to help the student make the leap from one critical concept to another and avoid the dropoff in learning that occurs when the student is faced with a concept they are not equipped to assess and understand. Vgotsky referred to this area when assistance in some form will transition the student to a new level of mastery as the "Zone of Proximal Development." As mastery increases, the support of the scaffolding is withdrawn and the student continues to strengthen their understanding.

Shaping : is used as a tool to create a desired behavior when that behavior does not currently exist in the student's repertoire. When the student exemplifies some approximation of the desired behavior or understanding, that is reinforced with positive feedback. Each time the learner expresses a better understanding than previously stated, the positive feedback is presented. As the understanding increases and deepens, the positive feedback increases as well. The student begins to understand that there is reward in grasping the concept or behavior and strives to understand it fully. This process continues as the student begins to understand more and more of the components of the concept, ultimately resulting in the student reaching full understanding of that concept.

Chaining : is similar to shaping and the two are often joined as a single technique. There are differences between them, however. Chaining is used to break a desired task or understanding into dependent components that are then taught in succession. Something as simple as tieing a shoe or as difficult as brain surgery can be taught using the technique of chaining (though of course, brain surgery requires other requisite skills). A classic example of chaining is used to teach the English alphabet. Children are first taught about "A." When that concept is mastered, they are then taught about "A" and "B". The two letters are chained together and the subsequent letters are taught as components of the chain. We do not teach children to memorize the letter "B" without first giving them the reference point of "A."

Both Shaping and Chaining are behaviorist concepts in that learning is created through an antecedent, a behavior and a consequence. Scaffolding is a constructivist concept in that learning comes through collaboration with another to solve problems.

Theory Operation
Scaffolding is most popularly utilized during the learning process with novice learners, who do not have a wealth of previous learning experiences to build upon. These students, lacking the existing framework to create their own connections, will inevitably reach a point where their personal experience ceases to assist them in making new connections. At this point, a teacher will guide the student into thinking about the solution with open questions and suggestions that will enable the student to draw conclusions from the answers she develops.

Chaining is used in two different iterations: forward or backward chaining. **[|Forward chaining]** is a chaining procedure that begins with the first element in the chain and progresses to the last element (A to Z). In forward chaining, the teacher starts with the first task in the chain ("A"). Once the learner can perform that element satisfactorily, the teacher will ask the learner to now perform the first and second elements ("A" & "B") and reinforce that effort. Each letter is not taught separately but rather as a cohesive and growing unit: "the alphabet." They are not taught in isolation, hence the term 'chain'.

Backward chaining is an effective way to develop complex sequences of behavior. The teacher is teaching A to Z in forward chaining while in [|backward chaining], the teacher starts at the end of the chain and works backward. As an example, to teach a preschooler how to dress for school:


 * 1) starting with a fully-assembled ensemble, minus the finishing touch (a jacket). The teacher prompts the learner that the weather is cold today. What should she wear?
 * 2) during the next teaching session: the student is not given shoes and must remember to put those on, as well as a jacket.
 * 3) in the next session: the student will need to put on socks, shoes and a jacket.
 * 4) in the next session: in addition to the other items, the student will now select a shirt and pants.
 * 5) next, the student will select undergarments. In so doing, she has now learned how to dress herself from her undergarments to her jacket.

In either chaining process, the student benefits from being able to understand single bits of information from the context of those before and after it. In many ways, this is one of the most common ways of acquiring life experience, the simple process of understanding one aspect of a larger idea and then appending new information to that framework and creating a larger understanding.

Theory in Action
Examples of scaffolding are used throughout the literacy acquisition process with young children. In a gentle and simple way, teachers help the students understand a new concept by calling on existing skills and encouraging the student to apply those skills to resolve this problem. With a first grader, for example, it might be taking the rhyming sound "at" and spelling a new word "hat" by asking the student if she remembers what letter makes the "h" sound. The student would then sound out that word again, remembering to add the h-sound to the "at" and thereby spell the word. Once successful with that, the teacher would perhaps give several other "at" words and ask the student to spell those, reminding her to ask herself what letter makes the leading sound with each word (mat, bat, rat). As the student begins to consistently make the connections, the teacher steps out of the process and lets the student continue making new words and bringing in different sound groups.

Shaping and chaining are used, as earlier discussed, to transmit learning when the concepts are dependent on each other for successful understanding. A classic example is the traditional way we teach the English language alphabet in Western Culture. We establish the starting point ("A"), add the next letter to set up a series and then continue the series on through to "Z".

Theory's Application to Instruction
Scaffolding can and should be used after review of the learner's current skillset and the goals for instruction. It is especially effective when there is little pre-existing experience for the learner to draw on as she develops new knowledge. There are three main kinds of scaffolding that are used during instruction. The **conceptual scaffolds** assists the student in organizing her ideas and connecting them to related information. The **specific** **strategic scaffolds** are included to help the student ask more specific questions and the **procedural scaffolds** are useful to clarify specific tasks such as presentations. Examples of these types of embedded scaffolds include: interactive essays, recommended documents, student guides, student journal, and storyboard templates.

Shaping and chaining are used when the learner has some experience from which to draw as she increases her knowledge. It is best used when there is a clear starting point and little in the way of interpretation for the opening concepts to be understood.

Theory Analysis and Meaning
As with any theory or educational tool, an assessment of the challenges and benefits should be made before implementation.

With scaffolding, the challenges include:
 * 1) time management (this is labor intensive way to teach and learn)
 * 2) teaching resources (scaffolding is best done in single or small-group interaction to keep the "frame" relevant to the participants)
 * 3) finding the correct moment to introduce a new concept that stretched the learner's abilities (i.e. "zone of proximal development")
 * 4) teacher misjudging the learner's pre-existing skills or comfort level with the initial concept
 * 5) teacher must be comfortable "fading" as new information is mastered, thereby allowing the learner to again control the learning process

The benefits of an effectively implemented strategy of scaffolding include:
 * 1) possible early identifier of advanced capabilities
 * 2) highly individualized instruction
 * 3) feedback on learner's acquisition of new skill or knowledge more immediate
 * 4) efficiency in delivery and reception due to the amount of "pre-work" done to tailor the education to the learner prior to the learning session
 * 5) encourages a "habit of success" as the learner spends less time searching for correct answers and more time learning and discovering
 * 6) increases student motivation
 * 7) reduces the level of frustration for learner

Final Thoughts
The idea of contrasting these two specific methodologies (I consider shaping and chaining to be different aspects of the same methodology) attracted me because I understand the need to tailor instruction to the learners, or at the very least, offer alternative methods within the context of a lesson. Each of these theories addresses specific learning needs. Although they may require a fairly large amount of effort at the front-end, the positive results to the learner are apparent as she begins to make connections and transitions to larger and more complex concepts. My personal background is in adult learners in the tech world, where I've encountered the entire spectrum of experience levels and tried to tailor learning to meet the learners at their level. It's a balancing act but that's what things like scaffolding are all about, weighing the needs of the student against what can be delivered to them and trying to find that tipping point where she can make the connections.

See Also:
[|Jerome Bruner]

[|Leo Vygotsky]

[|Scaffolding in the Multimedia World]

**References**
1Wood, D., Bruner, J.S., & Ross, G. (1976). The role of tutoring in problem solving. //Journal of Psychology and Psychiatry//. 17.