RSTAQ: Tips

Interacting with students to ascertain what can be achieved with assistance

This idea is based on the writing of Roland G. Tharp and Roland Gallimore in their informative, challenging book, Rousing Minds to Life, published by Cambridge University Press, 1988. Teaching practice in recent times has emphasised the concept of 'assisted performance'. Vygotsky, whose work has been particularly influential in guiding thinking about pedagogical practices, uses the term 'scaffolding' to describe such a process. He claims that assistance offered to a student who has partially learned a concept or process enables the learner to reach a higher or more complete level of learning. The teacher, through breaking down a task, through modelling what has to be done, etc., provides a structure or 'scaffolding' to enable this learning.

In day to day classroom practice then, teachers are encouraged to value what learning is in process for each student and discern through daily interactions how much assistance is required to enable the move to the next level of learning. However, the pace of learning will vary. To use Bruner's apt terms, some will be 'swift leapers' and others 'slow plodders'. However, irrespective of ability, assessment becomes part of the day-to-day working with individuals and groups, enabling the distinction between testing and teaching to blur. While working with students experiencing learning difficulties requires the gleaning of diagnostic information, the nature of this information can be broadened.

The abilities that a student brings to a particular learning task need to be considered in conjunction with task requirements. The teacher interacts with the learner in such a way that the learner participates with as little or as much support as is necessary. The teacher offers the minimum amount of assistance but no less than the minimum.

The student should be able to experience success in acquiring

he knowledge that he or she has successfully learned some of the component skills of the task under consideration; for example, locating relevant information from a book for a project and the knowledge that, if he or she masters some other defined skills, the task can be managed independently.
the confidence that he or she will be able to do such a task once the requisite knowledge, skills and strategies are learned.
the focus needed to apply aspects of further development, that is he or she needs to understand 'where I go to from here'.