An Analysis of the Scaffolding of Interactions in Online and Face-to-Face University Classes

The purpose of this study is to analyze interactions between learners and the instructor (ILI) and interactions among the learners (IAL) themselves in a single university reading class with a focus on scaffolding. Thirty-three learners majoring in computer engineering and public administration participated in the class. Twenty-six out of 33 learners took a non-face-to-face online class (NFTFOC) for a 15-week semester, and the remaining seven learners chose to take a face-to-face class (FTFC) for the five weeks after the mid-term exam. Data from both the NFTFOC and FTFC were collected for 15 weeks from September to December 2021 including an automatic video recording system, quizzes, assignments, etc. through chatting boxes, bulletin boards, and emails. The obtained data were analyzed into both qualitative descriptions and quantitative statistical measures. The results showed that interactions in the low and mid-level of higher-order thinking from both the linguistic and cognitive perspectives occurred similarly, and both amplifying and simplifying of scaffolding functions in NFTFOC were more frequently observed than those in FTFC. In addition, both NFTFOC and FTFC got better scores on the post-test. As development occurs in language learning, a longitudinal and in-depth analysis of the language learning processes is required in future studies.