The use of online scaffolding to develop argumentation skills: a scoping review

ABSTRACT

Despite the growing attention on the use of online scaffolding to enhance argumentation skills, there has not been a comprehensive review conducted in this specific area. There is a lack of understanding of both the current state of online scaffolding for acquiring argumentation skills and the specific research gaps that exist. This article presents a scoping review of 32 empirical studies, published between 2000 and 2023, that addressed online scaffolding in the context of argumentation skills. Overall, the review indicates that online scaffolding is generally associated with positive results in developing argumentation skills. Surprisingly, customisation of scaffolding was often neglected in online scaffolding designs. When it is applied, limited consideration was paid to contingency, fading and transfer of responsibility aspects in online scaffolding customisation designs. The authors discuss the implications of their findings in terms of the design for online scaffolding and share recommendations for further research.

KEYWORDS:

• Argumentation skills
• online scaffolding
• scaffolding features
• scaffolding functions
• scoping review

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Annette Longford and Colin Hoste for their contributions in proof reading of our paper. We also would like to thank Dr Edward Longford for the valuable peer discussions. Finally, the first author acknowledges the PhD funding to pursue her degree in the United Kingdom provided by Ministry of National Education of Turkish Republic.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Beyza Ucar-Longford

Beyza Ucar-Longford is currently a PhD student at Surrey Institute of Education. She earned her bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in Computer Education and Instructional Technology from Hacettepe University. Her research interests lie in understanding and examining the use of technology to support the development of thinking skills such as argumentation in the teacher education context.

Anesa Hosein

Anesa Hosein is an Associate Professor in Higher Education at the Surrey Institute of Education. Her research centres around the pathways of young people and academics into, within and out of higher education particularly those with marginalised identities, in STEM disciplines and who use technologies.

Marion Heron

Marion Heron is Associate Professor in Educational Linguistics at the University of Surrey. She researches and publishes in the areas of classroom discourse and classroom interaction, genre, educational dialogue and academic speaking.