A qualitative analysis of scaffolding use in a resource-based learning environment involving the World Wide Web

A qualitative analysis of eighteen college students using different types o f scaffolding (instructional supports) while working on a World Wide Web (W WW) project was conducted. Four different support mechanisms were examined: a) WWW resources; b) procedural guidelines for the instructional activity; c) student-student interactions; and d) instructor-student interactions. T hree major findings related to use of the WWW as a resource-based learning environment are discussed: a) the utility of scaffolds and WWW resources se em dependent on the ability of learners to readily grasp how the scaffold o r resource could help them; b) learners' preconceptions and search strategi es were difficult to alter, despite ongoing evidence that searching was not leading to project clarification; and c) social scaffolding based on face to face dialogue with instructors and peers was critical to helping learner s manage the complexity of the open- ended project. Implications related to the role of instructional scaffolding in encouraging shared meaning and le arning with WWW resources are considered.