Leyes y Reglamentos Específicos

Hard scaffolding is defined as “static support that can be anticipated and planned in advance” (Brush & Saye, 2002, p. 2). It usually consists of materials in various shapes, aiming at building students’ linguistics knowledge and language abilities from different angles (Kao, Lehman, & Cennamo, 1996; Mardijono, 2012). Hard

scaffolding has been considered as an effective tool to develop students’ abilities and knowledge to a target degree within their ZPDs from a lower level gradually (e.g., Ahmed, 2015; Gillies & Boyle, 2005; Ningrum, 2015; Opperman, 2016; Rezaee & Marefat, 2015; Siyahhan, Barab, & Downton, 2010).

Hard scaffolding usually matches with autonomous language learning, being a tool to facilitate EFL students’ self-regulative learning, as well as to support their self-assessment (e.g., Harris, 2007; Luhach, 2016; Mahmoodi, Kalantari, & Ghaslani, 2014; Trajtemberg & Yiakoumetti, 2011). These instructive materials are recognized to be helpful and necessary for autonomous learning, where teachers and peer learners are usually absent (Lan, Sung, & Chang, 2007; Li, 2010).

Hard scaffolded materials can bridge the “learning needs” and the “target needs” (Bastukmen, 2006: pp. 25-26), encouraging learners to close the gaps and achieve their goals in language learning. Learning language with scaffolded materials is

efficient. These supportive materials can reduce students’ learning burden and help them focus on learning itself (Ge, Xiong, & Xiong, 2016). Scaffolded materials also help learners have a clear picture of learning contents, understanding what to do and why in the learning process (Lim & Lee, 2007; Nakaya & Murota, 2016). Learners are allowed to have control of their learning process (Leu et al., 2013), and reasonably construct an interaction between themselves and learning content through scaffolded materials as mediations (Chapelle, 2003).

With the evolvement of ICTs and affordable digital devices, scaffolding has been expanded to different forms of tools and resources. Initiated by Coffin (1991),

scholars develop a set of hard scaffolding that is embedded within multimedia and hypermedia materials. Empirical studies have confirmed its effectiveness in supporting language learning in a new CALL context, as well as the productive outcomes it helps achieve (e.g., Amine, Benachaiba, & Guemide, 2013; Lee, 2009; Marzban, 2011; Santoso, 2008; Warschauer & Lee, 2012).

Marzban (2011) conducted a study to investigate the combination of ICTs and hard scaffolded materials on the development of EFL students’ reading

comprehension in Iran. Data were collected from 30 Iranian EFL students via pre- and post-tests. The experimental study discovered that technology-supported scaffolded materials that were carefully fabricated for EFL learners can be used to scaffold

learning with new styles and genres. It was also indicated that scaffolding materials were necessary in a CALL context to enhance students’ confidence in learning.

Same in a CALL context, Warschauer and Lee (2012) examined the effectiveness of electronic textual glossing as hard scaffolding on EFL students’ learning in digital reading environments. They investigated students’ feedback to employment of digital scaffolding tools in their vocabulary learning. A total of 138 undergraduate EFL students in Korea participated in the experimental study. Data were gathered from pre- and post-tests, reading tasks, and interviews. Results of the study indicated that digital scaffolded materials can effectively enhance EFL students’ performance, as well as their achievements, in vocabulary learning. Scaffolded materials, in more complex and varied forms, were advised to be introduced into EFL vocabulary learning. It inspires the use of ICTs and multimedia resources for creation and delivery of hard scaffolding, particularly in an autonomous context.

Some more existing studies on the integration of multimedia and hard scaffolding are also reviewed: Johnston and Milne (1995) found that multimedia scaffolding can provide language learners with more precise support for their learning; Saye and Brush (2002) discovered the effectiveness of multimedia scaffolding on language learners’ problem solving; BavaHarji, Gheitanchian, and Letchumanan (2014) confirmed the effects of multimedia scaffolding on the promotion of EFL students’

oral productions; Lee (2009) attempted to embed multimedia scaffolded materials in a web-based language learning environment, which eventually received positive

learning outcomes; Rusanganwa (2009) introduced a multimedia instrument to EFL vocabulary learning in Rwanda, which contained scaffolded materials in the form of videos, audios, images, and texts.

These empirical studies have triggered the idea that hard scaffolding, particularly those of digital forms, can facilitate EFL students’ language learning. The current study is to investigate Chinese university EFL students’ use of hard scaffolding, and their perceptions of these resources in their language learning. It also focuses on how these students incorporate scaffolding into their autonomous learning, as well as the role these resources play in the learning context.

Besides supporting language leaners’ linguistic training, scaffolding can be also used to facilitate language development through broadening learners’ horizons, and reducing their learning burden. These are to be investigated in this study on EFL learning contextualized in an online context. Chinese university EFL students’ perceptions of scaffolding, and their employment of scaffolding resources to target their learning problems in these two aspects are to be examined. This hopefully adds more information to the concept of scaffolding, and provides a bigger picture of online EFL learning.

Broadening horizons is considered as one of the aims for employing scaffolding in language learning. Studies have confirmed that both soft and hard scaffolding are effective to help learners absorb knowledge from different sources: van Lier (2004) indicated that scaffolding in language learning can provide learners with extra linguistic knowledge via mutual engagement and support, which encourages knowledge expansion and transmission. It frees language learners from their own limits of language information, enabling them to access wider zones. Razak, Saeed, and Ahmad (2013) discovered that language learners can acquire more information and knowledge via peer scaffolding when learning as a group member. Aydın and Yıldız (2014) found that peer scaffolding can add more information to existing knowledge in their collaborative writing practices. Kasper (2000) also indicated that peer scaffolding can be seen as a source of additional knowledge and information in technology-supported ESL learning. Similar findings are also seen in other empirical studies (e.g., Ameri & Seyedrezaei, 2015; Ghazvini & Khajehpour, 2011; Kim, Mendenhall, & Johnson, 2010; Kim, Mendenhall, & Johnson, 2010; Ko, Schallert, & Walters, 2003).

For autonomous language learning, scaffolding can effectively reduce EFL students’ learning burden (Saito & Ebsworth, 2004). Studies have noticed the use of scaffolding can provide students with friendly and workable learning by cutting down

the loads of learning: Hayati and Ziyaeimehr (2011) discovered that scaffolding emerging from joint construction tasks can effectively reduce learning burden for members in EFL writing practices; Laksmi (2006) found that peer scaffolding, together with provided encouragement and guidelines, can ease the burden for classmates’ proofreading in writing tasks; Nguyen (2013) suggested that scaffolding from peer members in a group of EFL learners can both lift their work burden, and boost their learning confidence; Behroozizad, Nambiar, and Amir (2014) indicated that scaffolding from teachers, particularly related to language learning strategies, can reduce language learners’ learning load.

Pazhouhesh and Ghabanchi (2016) conducted a study to explore the use of story maps and audio podcasts to scaffold EFL students’ speaking practices. A total of 36 EFL students in Iran participated in the study. A Likert-scale, a questionnaire, and a post-test were used as instruments for data collection. Results of the study indicated that scaffolding could enhance EFL students’ performance in language tests, as well as ease their burdens in the learning by providing the context and goal in a more straightforward way. Positive feedback to scaffolding was also received from students in the study.

Cotterall and Cohen (2003) examined how scaffolding helped EFL learners to complete academic essay writing. Participants of the study were 16 EFL learners

studying in a university in New Zealand. Two essays, as pre- and post-tests, were employed for data collection. It was found from the study that scaffolding could reduce the learning burden of learners in essay writing. Scaffolding could effectively help learners accomplish EFL writing. EFL learners were also glad to engage in the scaffolding process, and produced more detailed information in their essays.

These empirical studies trigger the idea that the use of scaffolding, particularly that with technological support, can reduce learning burden, and help EFL students achieve the learning goals. This study further explores the impacts of scaffolding on EFL learning of Chinese university students. It examines scaffolding in a new online context. Results of the study hopefully provide more information about scaffolding, as well as students’ learning organization.