Scaffolding is a process in which support is provided to an individual so that he or she can complete a task that could not be completed independently. The support gradually is removed when the individual begins to demonstrate understanding of the task. The concept of scaffolding stems from the work of American psychologist Jerome Bruner and colleagues based on Lev Vygotsky's zone of proximal development. Vygotsky described the zone of proximal development as the distance between the actual developmental level where independent problem solving occurs and the potential developmental level where problem solving can occur with the guidance of an adult or more knowledgeable peer. Key to the ...