Presence versus absence of individual scaffolding types did not support the added-value hypothesis, but scaffolding combinations partly did¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · quant-synthesis r3 · q3 · i3 large
Currency · newest study 2020 · checked against its sources 2026-10-18 (automated, 2 of 2 entries) · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? Comparing presence versus absence of examples, prompts, and reflections individually did not show statistically significant added value of scaffolding. → Olga Chernikova 2020 q3 i3 Post hoc analysis found some scaffolding combinations were more effective: examples plus prompts showed very high effects (g = 1.60), while prompts alone or with reflections showed no significant effects. → Olga Chernikova 2020 (2)

Evidence¶

Olga Chernikova 2020¶

Olga Chernikova, Nicole Heitzmann, and Matthias Stadler, Doris Holzberger, Tina Seidel, Frank Fischer. (2020). Simulation-Based Learning in Higher Education: A Meta-Analysis. Review of Educational Research. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654320933544

q3 · i? · quant-synthesis · r3

Metaregression comparison of scaffolding presence versus absence. Examples presence was descriptively higher but not statistically significant; reflection phases showed similar effects with or without (g = 0.78 vs. g = 0.80). The authors state the comparison "did not support our hypothesis about an added value of scaffolding."

"The effects of simulation when prompts were presented (g = 0.65, SE = 0.23) were significantly lower than in the absence of prompts (g = 0.92, SE = 0.09)."

Olga Chernikova 2020 (2)¶

Olga Chernikova, Nicole Heitzmann, and Matthias Stadler, Doris Holzberger, Tina Seidel, Frank Fischer. (2020). Simulation-Based Learning in Higher Education: A Meta-Analysis. Review of Educational Research. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654320933544

q3 · i3 · quant-synthesis · r?

Post hoc analysis of scaffolding combinations, with printed effect "g = 1.60, SE = 0.37" for examples plus prompts in medical education. Examples plus reflections yielded g = 0.95 (N = 15); all scaffolding types combined (N = 2) produced heterogeneous, non-significant results (g = 1.34, SE = 0.86).

"Combinations of examples and prompts showed very high effects in a few studies (N = 4) in medical education (g = 1.60, SE = 0.37). If only prompts were used as scaffolding (g = 0.44, SE = 0.32) or combined with reflection phases (g = 0.10, SE = 0.19), no significant learning effects were found."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Individually removing objectives, examples, or review from a well-designed computer-based lesson did not significantly reduce achievement — related
• Individual treatment organization and delivery form significantly moderate scaffold effects; classroom settings and Web-based environments show the largest effects — related
• Students notice the absence of practice and examples: attitude items about those events are rated lower when the events are missing — related
• Individually processed reflection prompts alone were insufficient to foster knowledge acquisition in secondary vocational students — related
• Instruction about collaboration rules alone has limited utility; explicit scaffolding via joint reflection tools during collaboration adds unique value — related
• Instruction-only vocational students matched control on all univariate communication variables, showing no significant differences between the two conditions in this study — related
• Scaffolding's effect did not vary by customization (fading/adding), change logic, or scope, and motivation scaffolds alone showed no significant effect — related
• Example-based instructional activities yield larger effects when delivered jointly by ICT and teachers than by teachers alone — related
• Adding metacognitive prompts to video modeling examples yields no added benefit for inquiry products — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Combining a video experiment with a virtual experiment does not foster conceptual understanding more than a virtual experiment alone during remote schooling — related