Apply: ‘Interpret’ the results of an experiment which measured oxygen levels during photosynthesis.Understand: ‘Explain’ what they understand to be the steps of photosynthesis.Remember: ‘Define’ photosynthesis in their own words based on a reading or video.

Here are some example activities that can be planned to gradually scaffold students’ learning according to the different stages of Bloom’s taxonomy: Next, check to see if the sequence of activities reflect a progression up the pyramid that challenges, yet supports students. To begin, identify the respective stages of the pyramid that correspond to a set of learning activities leading up to the major task. Let’s revisit the photosynthesis experiment that students are expected to design. Many educators will already be familiar with the key concepts in Bloom’s taxonomy, a useful tool that can also be leveraged to scaffold students’ learning. Scaffolding learning with Bloom’s taxonomy To maximise students’ engagement and better support them to complete cognitively-challenging tasks successfully, we need to scaffold their learning through the gradual sequencing and structuring of both in-class and out-of-class learning activities. Either way, disproportionate scaffolding, or lack thereof, is unlikely to engage students and positively impact their learning.

Conversely, providing them with detailed step-by-step micro-instructions can result in boredom and students may lose sight of the intrinsic value of the task (Wilson & Devereux, 2014).

How would you support your students to comfortably and confidently complete this task? Instructing your students to dive straight into the design of the experiment throws them straight in at the deep end, often causing unnecessary frustration and anxiety. As part of this topic, your students are required to design an experiment to measure the amount of oxygen produced by a plant during photosynthesis. Picture this: you’re teaching an important topic in biology.

Scaffold learning