Zone of Proximal Development
Summary #
The Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) is a theoretical construct for engaging a student above the level of boredom and below the level of anxiety.
Commentary #
ZPD relies on instructional scaffolding to provide support to a student above his/her level of competence, but below an anxiety-inducing level. ZPD is widely used in the video game industry to train players on how to play the game. In usability, ZPD plays a role in determining how to structure exposure to features in order to build up confidence and skill.
See Also #
- Boredom & Distraction and Patient Problem Solving for our discussion of similar topics.