PRACCIS has also developed scaffolds to support other learning processes. These scaffolds fall generally into three categories. Motivational scaffolds are important for enhancing students’ interest and engagement in the inquiry units. Comprehension scaffolds are used heavily because PRACCIS units involve a great deal of purposeful reading (like real science), and we rely on scaffolds developed by researchers who specialize in reading comprehension to support students’ reading. Finally, we draw on the large literature on how to structure and support effective collaborative learning in our scaffolds for collaborative work.
Motivational Scaffolds
Our motivational scaffolds are designed to promote students’ interest, engagement, and self-efficacy.
Comprehension Scaffolds
To select a good model of a science phenomenon, students must be able to comprehend the evidence that is presented to them.
Collaboration Scaffolds
During collaborative activity, PRACCIS aims to promote a number of productive group processes that facilitate learning.