In the figure above can be seen how scaffolding may take place. The bar on the left shows the support that is given to the student, the bars on the right show the gradual development of the student. In the end of the process, the student can perform a task in a self-reliant way. Traditionally, scaffolding occured through personal interaction between students and instructors. With the popularity of electronic telelearning environments however, scaffolding should be integrated in the course environment.
Scaffolding is studied by many researchers.
In this model scaffolding is mentioned as a means of coaching students until students can perform intellectual tasks on their own. A causal model is constructed of the diagnostic reasoning process that is used by experts. Students are scaffolded by comparing their reasoning process to that of experts. A different field where scaffolding is important is that of design and development of educational media. This is a complex and rapidly changing field, with ill-defined quality measures and limited fixed rules.