John Bransford
Lead author of How People Learn (2000), the NRC synthesis that consolidated decades of learning science into a canonical reference for educators.
Scaffolding and the Zone of Proximal Development
Scaffolding is the instructional principle of providing structured, temporary support that enables a learner to reach an outcome they couldn't reach unaided, then progressively removing that support as the learner's capability grows.
April 28, 2026
Warm vs. Cold Information
Warm information is material a participant already has some prior knowledge of and can recall when prompted. Cold information is material they have no prior exposure to — or exposure so thin that it can't be retrieved under the cognitive pressure of…
April 28, 2026