Scaffolding pre-service teachers representing their learning journeys with eportfolios

Abstract

The term ‘scaffolding’ is often used loosely to describe a broad range of interventions or devices for learners and in many instances the actual nature of the scaffold is unclear. In the true sense, for ‘scaffolding’ to take place the activity needs to be for the learner’s own intentions, i.e. a task that he or she sets for themselves. The scaffold must also operate within the learner’s Zone of Proximal Development, working at the learner’s level of comprehension and drawing the learning into new areas of exploration. A final characteristic of scaffolding is that the scaffold is gradually withdrawn as the learner becomes more competent. The study described in this paper draws on concepts of scaffolding to support beginning pre-service teachers to establish an eportfolio for their course. The students use the eportfolio environment ‘PebblePad’ to store resources and reflect on experiences as they journey through their course. This paper describes and reflects on the processes and artefacts used to scaffold the first year pre-service teachers as they conceptualise and frame their learning journey eportfolios.