Why scaffolding should sometimes make tasks more difficult for learners

ABSTRACT There has been much interest in using software tools to scaffold learners in complex tasks, that is, to provide supports that enable students to deal with more complex content and skill demands than they could otherwise handle. Many different approaches to scaffolding techniques have been presented in a broad range of software tools. We discuss two mechanisms to explain how software tools can scaffold learners. Software tools can help structure the learning task, guiding learners through key components and supporting their planning and performance. In addition, tools can shape students’ performance and understanding of the task in terms of key disciplinary content and strategies, thereby problematizing this important content. While making the task more difficult in the short term, by forcing learners to address these ideas, such scaffolded tools make this work more productive opportunities for learning.