Examining the work of “scaffolding” in theory and practice: A case study of 6th graders and their teacher interacting with one another, an ambitious science curriculum, and mobile devices

This case study features a class of sixth-grade students and their science teacher enacting a curriculum designed to teach the particulate nature of matter and phase changes. The class used a mobile device with several applications that supported reading, writing, viewing, and modeling. We examine the role of the teacher, the device, the peers, and the curriculum itself in scaffolding student learning.