Instructional design of scaffolded online learning modules for self-directed and inquiry-based learning environments

Technology is ubiquitous in the modern world; to harness its educational potential in the quest to introduce environments that are flexible and differentiate for individual student learning needs, the strategic use of the complex array of tools is required. Engagement with this challenge has the potential to lead to the provision of interfaces that allow students to access these resources and become independent learners. It is therefore important to identify and evaluate the features of such interfaces to calibrate and respond to individual student needs. In this context, the quality of differentiated support for learning, referred to as scaffolding, is established as paramount to the design and structure of online environments. In this study, the instructional design referred to as predict, observe, explain and evaluate (POEE), informed by constructivist theories of learning, to implement multiple scaffolding strategies is described. The POEE scaffolding strategy was applied in the creation of two inquiry learning modules. Student engagement with these inquiry modules in a self-directed online environment was explored to identify critical elements of the scaffolding. The findings of this study, based on students' interactions and engagement with the learning modules, enabled the conceptualisation of a multimodal scaffolding strategy for self-directed inquiry. We propose that the recommendations from the implementation of these scaffolded learning modules can represent exemplars illustrative of an enriched instructional design paradigm to support students' independent study in blended environments.