How can you scaffold project tasks for all students?

The project goal is the ultimate result. Without it, nothing can be started. And if something is at all started, it wouldn't get very far. * What am I trying to achieve? * How do I get there? * How do I get others to join me as I go there? * How do I get others to keep the destination in mind as we journey towards the goal? Thoughts as these could help

Structuring project tasks ensure that all students, regardless of their prior knowledge or skills, can engage in meaningful learning experiences and successfully complete projects. Assess Prior Knowledge and Skills. Break Down the Project in a logical order. Explain the rationale. Encourage students to work in pairs or small groups, provide question prompts. Provide Feedback. Offer resources like reference materials , encourage students to reflect on what they learned. Lastly recognizing and celebrating small achievements can boost confidence and motivate students to take on more challenging tasks. As Students progress, the teacher's role shifts from being a guide and supporter to a facilitator of independent learning.

Every assignment is a project. Every course is a project. Teaching students to break down every assignment into smaller parts (tasks) is key to effective learning. As students complete tasks they keep accumulating grades and therefore feel confident as they go along. Every course and degree program I've ever designed and implemented had this design. My programs won international awards three years in a row from 2017-2019.

Education is the manifestation of perfection. Scaffolding helps in the reaching for perfection . Thus sharing the learning objectives and helping them reach them is necessary.

Educators view scaffolding as the bridge between what students already know and what they need to learn. By tailoring support to individual needs, educators empower students to navigate challenges, fostering a sense of accomplishment and confidence. It's not just about completing tasks; it's about nurturing lifelong learners.

If the practical or any learning outcome task sub devide in to further steps. It helps to the students for better understanding about the procedure, methodology, data collection , results etc.

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Same goes for projects. Break them down into smaller steps and tackle them one at a time.

As a PBL advocate, I don't believe that using "dessert" projects that only showcase the knowledge and skills learned at the end of a unit is most effective. I wanted my students to learn through the process and master learning targets during the project. Our projects would typically last for weeks, so scaffolding was key. I'd teach a mini lesson related to a certain piece of the project that we were going to tackle that day. Then, students would do group and independent practice with the concept. Halfway through the class period, students were working toward project goals either individually or in their group utilizing the skill we'd learned at the top of the class. Approaching projects this way makes scaffolding the focus.

Post task modeling, I have found it effective to break up the allotted work into mini-tasks. In KS1, where the movement breaks are appreciated, children gather on the carpet for whole-class modeling. Then, return to their tables to complete the task independently for a timed period. The class then reconvenes which allows for peer-to-peer and teacher scaffolding in a mini lesson. This process continues for the first few steps of a whole task. I can then effectively identify who requires continued support and who is ready to work independently. The ‘touch-base’ with all, enables bite-sized chunks to be delivered, SC check-ins, better information absorption and for misconceptions to be addressed timeously.

It's important to break down the task with the students, modeling your process out loud and in writing for students with different learning preferences. The more they are exposed to the process via modeling, the more likely they are to repeat it on their own (consciously or subconsciously).

A classic approach to modeling for educators to consider is “I do, We do, You do”, where the students experience guided practice and gradual release of responsibility and autonomy. It provides the initial space for modeling solution and/or approach, and it fosters a socio-constructivist style of learning when engaging with peers in the “we do” stage. Flipping this approach to “You do, We do, I do” can be an alternative for students to experience “productive struggle”, though it may be best to ensure students are still armed with a toolbox of approaches to choose from initially.

Modeling is such a powerful action. Even with adults, it’s beneficial to demonstrate the correct way something should be done. The space between guided instruction and collaborative learning is the “sweet spot”, where educators can identify which students will require more support. The key is first providing high quality instruction to all and that begins with modeling the problem or project task.

In collaborative projects, scaffolding serves as the backbone of teamwork. Each member, regardless of their expertise, can contribute meaningfully. Scaffolding encourages mutual support, enabling students to appreciate diverse talents and perspectives. It’s not just about dividing tasks; it’s about fostering a collaborative spirit.

Having an understanding of what the final project should look like can aid in goal setting, but to do so, one should also look at the individual stages of that project in isolation as well as together as a whole. Exemplar projects for students provide a model to work towards replicating but it’s also useful to give a scaffold of sentence starters or focus questions alongside the exemplar, so students can reverse construct the final product - seeing how the processes it went through to get to where it is now.

A classical approach to modelling is the use of simple language and step-by-step guidelines. visual aids, diagrams, or examples can be helpful in this scenario. This will help connect the dots.

Feedback had to be objective, constructive and actionable. Subjective feedback such as "Good job." or "Needs improvement" are not helpful. Students need to know what they will need to do in order to improve. As Chair, I always trained faculty and monitored classrooms in order to ensure quality of the program always remain top-notch.

Just as learning how to scaffold or break apart tasks into smaller pieces is learned skill, so is providing feedback. It's critical - if you incorporate opportunities for peer feedback- that you take time to collaboratively design a rubric, based on the learning objectives and other expectations, practice it with students, and have ultimate oversight of feedback quality. In short, scaffold the sharing of peer feedback.

A good way to collect feedback from learners is to organize personalized tutoring sessions in the form of discussions of about 15-30 mn with each of them, face-to-face or remotely, in order to check: 1) if the fundamental concepts have been understood 2) if the online course can be improved by complementary digital resources intended to facilitate the understanding of these concepts 3) if some learners encounter personal difficulties that hinder their learning. So that they express themselves freely, it must be made clear to learners that these tutoring sessions are not graded and do not intervene in their ranking. In this way, particularly useful information is gathered to enrich an existing curriculum and make it more flexible.

A good feedback is also informative. After a good feedback students know: 1. Where they are and, 2. What the next step is. Teachers should strongly avoid giving feedback that target students’ personally and convey hidden messages about permanent abilities.

Because feedback is an essential aspect of the scaffold, constructive and objective feedback is key to guiding students in improving their work. Create a timeline or schedule that outlines when each task should be completed. Make sure to allow for flexibility and adjustments. Provide feedback on completed tasks and assess them against predefined criteria.

All students need to be 'stretched' in order to get outside their comfort zone to learn new skills. Ensure that the tasks challenge but not overwhelm. Get students to rate via and emoji or traffic light system how the activity made them feel.

Scaffolding should be in line with the skills the teachers will assess. I emphasize on the skills they need to obtain for problem solving. Scaffolding help students to build confidence accordingly to their pace of learning. However, it is a teacher's job to identify the skills required from the easiest to the most challenging.

Monitor students' progress and adjust the scaffolding as necessary. Some students may require more support, while others may be ready for greater independence; some may thrive better in groups. Understanding that individuals differ would help the teacher to tailor solutions to meet specific and general needs.

Project Goals should be clear, it's like the big picture at the same time allowing students to focus on one part of this big picture at a time and get into micro-level details. teachers should take inspiration from Gamifications and TV serials where twists and turns can come at any stage. This helps to prepare students for an uncertain future. Real-life projects are more complex and the aim of education is to prepare the young generation for the future.

Mastery learning approach (ie. moving to the next concept once the previous one is mastered) creates the best learning outcomes.

Start with the end in mind. Students must understand what the goal is. They know themselves and their skillset. They can select tasks/responsibilities. They need to be guided/steered quietly, by the tutor. Set measures or progress and milestones to check progress and stay on task.

I always allowed students to work in teams and share insights with each other, since this is usually the case in the real world. Students were encouraged to provide constructive feedback themselves and decide whether or not to accept the suggestions from peer students. Students were also required to make presentations to the class and they all received extra points and lots of cheer for high quality presentations and work. When students know they have to present in front of peers, they are definitely more careful about higher quality.

Celebrating and showcasing outcomes is crucial when using scaffolding. I conducted a scaffolding exercise where students were presented with a struggling student scenario. We discussed potential solutions and developed a support plan. Students were asked to be the trusted advisor for the struggling student. This role-play exercise, followed by a debrief, allowed students to apply new skills and reflect on their learning. This exercise was significant as it was a practical application of leadership principles for undergraduates. At the end of the class it was great to see the confidence and the ah ha in some of the students as they began to understand and appreciate the learning and new skills they gained.

I always allowed multiple attempts at any project. The first draft was graded but it was not the final grade for the task. This removed the fear and students could concentrate on learning.

Students have varying levels of prior knowledge and abilities. So it is important to differentiate the instructions and resources to cater to these differences. Offering different project variation or choices that align with individual learning needs and preferences will help improve the outcome of scaffolding.

It’s also really important to allow students time to reflect in the project as a whole, from start to finish. Did they meet the goals they set themself from the start? Did they encounter the problems they predicted? Did their predetermined solutions work? Were there problems they didn’t predict? How did they find solutions? What would they do differently next time? These reflective questions enable the student to work out what learning took place, at each stage, but also allow students to determine what skills they have showcased and developed. This also provides the student with an understanding of how to apply these skills to future projects, assignments or tasks they face.

By applying scaffolding techniques, educators can tailor their support to suit individual needs, fostering an inclusive and equitable learning environment. It's about recognizing that every student is unique and may require different levels of assistance along their learning journey. Ultimately, scaffolding equips students with the skills, confidence, and independence they need to conquer complex tasks and thrive in the world of education.

In my experience with students I practice two things: 1. I demonstrate (use visual aides where necessary) that which is expected and allow for questions to clear up any misconceptions/misunderstandings. 2. Students do a draft to ensure that editing is done before submission.