Scaffolded examples for learning object-oriented design

Abstract

This article help address the needs of programmers learning object-oriented design through scaffolded examples, sample problems of realistic size whose complexity is gradually revealed in steps that leverage and reinforce the intrinsic structure of the problem-solution process. Realistic tasks have a long history in learner-centered education, as does scaffolding that enables learners to build their understandings through a process of successive elaboration and integration. These pedagogical constructs are added to the simple but powerful notion that if the scaffolding mirrors the structure of a complex task, it not only makes the task attainable, but also conveys a method for accomplishing similar tasks in the future.