SciMath123
Teachers who write content at SciMath123 break down concepts in maths or science into manageable chunks of learning. This method is called scaffolding. Our lessons build on what students learn about maths and science in primary school.
We know that students don’t learn by simply reading the information we give them and getting tested on the material. The human mind doesn’t learn that way. We tailor e-learning to a process of learning that works.
What is scaffolding?
Scaffolding is a process of modeling how to solve a problem, having the student interact with the concept to address a problem, and providing the support they need to be successful learners. Given the support to learn something new by offering immediate feedback and review, students come to understand material independently. Interactivity mixed with action, images and language promotes successful learners.
Building a Support System for Primary Maths and Science
SciMaths123 scaffolds primary maths and science by building the supports students need to understand concepts independent of teacher support. Take, for example, our unit on Magnet Shapes to see how we scaffold our lessons. We divide each module into learn video, learn text, try, and play.
Learn Video
In What Shape is the Magnet, students watch a two and a half minute video about Magnetlandia, where different shaped magnets live. Here, students reinforce their understanding of the various magnet shapes by visualizing them in a story.
Learn Text
After the video, the module helps them to organize the material visually with a concept map. This section summarizes the material presented to the students in the video.
Try
Then the students apply what they learn in the video and the text. They may complete a puzzle about the content, play a game, or identify concepts covered in the lesson. They learn by interacting with maths and science.
Play
In the last section, the students take a quiz embedded in a mini-game. Students apply what they learn when they answer questions about the concept in the lesson. They receive immediate feedback about their answers to explain what they got right or wrong and to encourage them to try again. This section provides a balance between independent study and a support system to guide them with feedback along the way.
The Essentials
In e-learning, scaffolding is essential for primary students. The idea is to give our students the support that they need to learn. When they move beyond primary school, they will be ready to remove the supports and build new knowledge on a solid foundation.