What is the purpose of scaffolding in instructional design?

The purpose of scaffolding in instructional design is to provide support as learners build their understanding. This concept refers to the temporary assistance offered to learners that helps them to accomplish tasks or understand concepts that they would otherwise find challenging if attempted independently. By providing this support, educators can help learners progress through increasingly complex concepts or tasks, facilitating their learning journey.

Scaffolding is often structured in a way that allows for gradual withdrawal of support as learners gain confidence and proficiency. This approach fosters independence and encourages deeper understanding, enabling learners to ultimately take full ownership of their learning process. In this context, support might come in various forms, such as guided exercises, prompts, or feedback, all aimed at enabling learners to connect new knowledge to what they already know.

The other options do not align with the purpose of scaffolding. Creating confusion during the learning process would hinder understanding rather than support it, which undermines the effectiveness of learning. Minimizing the importance of prior knowledge does not reflect how scaffolding builds upon existing understanding. Making learning a completely independent process overlooks the crucial role of guidance in helping learners bridge the gap between their current abilities and the desired learning outcomes. Thus, the essence of scaffolding lies in its supportive role in the learning experience.