SCUPI Teaching Seminar | Scaffolding: Developing Team and Writing Skills through Integrated Curriculum
Published on: November 21, 2023 | Views: 671
On November 16th, the second teaching seminar of the 2023 fall semester at Sichuan University-Pittsburgh Institute (SCUPI) was held in Room 4-204 of the Liberal Arts Building. The seminar, led by Dr. Robyn Najar, centered around the theme “Scaffolding: Developing Team and Writing Skills through Integrated Curriculum.” The Associate Dean for Academic Affairs of SCUPI, Dr. TsunZee Mai, and over 20 faculty and staff members attended the seminar.
Dr. Najar commenced by introducing the concept of scaffolding. Scaffolding, pivotal in educational psychology, aims to elucidate how teachers or experienced peers provide support during the learning process, aiding learners in accomplishing more challenging tasks and acquiring new knowledge and skills.
Dr. Najar has long been dedicated to promoting the application of scaffolding in teaching. During the seminar, she vividly illustrated the four-step pedagogical process through examples:
1) Modeling: demonstrating tasks or skills by teachers or experienced peers.
2) Scaffolding: offering appropriate support based on students’ learning levels.
3) Fading: gradually reducing or removing support as students’ capabilities progress.
4) Coaching: continuously guiding and providing feedback to students throughout their learning process.
Following this, Dr. Najar introduced the Integrated Multidisciplinary Model (IMM) and presented examples of IMM applications. She emphasized that employing scaffolding within IMM teaching can aid students in comprehensively understanding issues, finding diverse solutions, and coping with complex real-world challenges. This approach also facilitates the flexible application of acquired knowledge and skills in the classroom.
After demonstrating practical examples during the seminar, Dr. Najar shared insights gained from teaching with scaffolding, particularly in motivating and guiding students. Subsequently, an interactive Q&A session and discussions on scaffolding and IMM engaged participating teachers, culminating the seminar with vibrant exchanges.
SCUPI will continue inviting teachers to lead and participate in teaching seminars and related activities, fostering reflective exploration of teaching practices and philosophies, and facilitating discussions to ensure ongoing enhancement and advancement of the Institute’s teaching quality.