ANNOUNCEMENT

A topic of particular importance for the learning sciences community is that of scaffolding: What is it, and how should we provide it for learners? This special issue will work toward refining our understanding of a construct that has had a name for nearly 30 years and has been used by educators of all stripes for centuries. We want to encourage the community to think more systemically about scaffolding. In particular, we encourage studies that look at systems of scaffolding in which scaffolds are acknowledged to work in conjunction with each other, at the ways those systems need to change over time as their users become more competent, at the long-term effects of scaffolding on an individual or community, and at the long-term use of scaffolded environments and the ways that users adapt them to their needs We want to encourage papers focused on real learning, considering how the learning that takes place is influenced by the system of scaffolding.

In addition to providing a definition of scaffolding and scaffolds, papers in this special issue might address questions such as the following:

How does the definition of scaffolding differ in different communities with different contexts and goals? For example, is scaffolding inherently different when technology is a major component of a learning environment? When a human tutor is working one-on-one with a student? When the "organism" being supported is a community of learners rather than an individual or small group of learners? When the goal of the scaffold is not the development of individual capabilities but rather the development of a culture with particular characteristics?

Within those community-specific definitions, how do scaffolds meet traditional defining characteristics of scaffolds? For example, how do scaffolds fade in technology-rich learning environments? Is fading just one of several ways to accomplish calibration or adaptation? How do we manage adaptation in different learning scenarios? Should scaffolds be designed such that they must be used in the same way by all learners, or can learner choice be a productive part of the adaptation of scaffolds?

What are different kinds of scaffolds found in technology-rich learning environments, and why are these scaffolds needed by learners? How do the scaffolds provided by computers, artifacts, teachers, tutors, mentors, and peers differ? How do their effects differ? What are the implications of these differences? How can we organize systems of these different kinds of scaffolds, and how are those systems adaptable? How can we best design software-realized scaffolds to be used in these complex systems, in conjunction with these other forms of scaffolding?

How can we effectively study scaffolds in complex learning settings? How can we-or can we-disentangle empirically and theoretically the effects of individual scaffolds, when they are implemented in conjunction with many other scaffolds? Similarly, how can we capture and characterize the learning over time and with repeated use that we know occurs with some scaffolds? How can we identify-and articulate-outcomes or findings that both acknowledge the context-specificity of the findings and are still useful for researchers and designers working in other contexts?

Because of the nature of the questions to be addressed, conceptual or theoretical contributions are especially welcomed. Empirical contributions should have a very strong conceptual or theoretical slant, to help us make progress on questions like the ones listed here. Betsy Davis and Naomi Miyake will co-edit this special issue. Papers are due for this special issue on July 15, 2002 and will be reviewed by November. Reviews might include advice about additional research or analysis that needs to be done before the study is ready for publication. If several papers fall into this category, we will accept revised studies at some later date for a possible follow- up special issue.

If you have questions about this call or want us to be aware of your work, send email to both betsyd@umich.edu and nmiyake@sccs.chukyo-u.ac.jp. Use the subject "Special issue on scaffolding."

Back to JLS Home Page