---
key: mechanic/education--family-51
type: mechanic
id: education--family-51
lang: en
title: 'Introduction, demonstration and scaffolding'
summary: >-
  A model, hint or partly completed action helps the learner start. Support
  gradually gives way to independent solving.
updatedAt: '2026-10-22'
status: active
url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/education--family-51/'
jsonUrl: >-
  https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/education--family-51.json
markdownUrl: >-
  https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/education--family-51.md
aliases:
  - Modeling and learning support
tags:
  - Educational games
  - 'Learning, feedback and assessment'
sourceIds:
  - source-872a30e434db6d16
sources:
  - id: source-872a30e434db6d16
    title: Duolingo
    url: >-
      https://blog.duolingo.com/duolingo-101-how-to-learn-a-language-on-duolingo/
    verifiedAt: null
relations: []
placements:
  - catalogId: education
    id: family-51
    title: Educational games
    url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/education/#family-51'
    categoryIds:
      - learning
supersededBy: []
attributes:
  preview:
    updatedAt: '2026-10-22'
    title: Modeling and learning support
    description: >-
      A model, hint or partly completed action helps the learner start. Support
      gradually gives way to independent solving.
    image:
      src: images/mechanics/learning-duo-101-12.webp
      width: 665
      height: 1440
      game: Duolingo
      sourceUrl: >-
        https://blog.duolingo.com/duolingo-101-how-to-learn-a-language-on-duolingo/
      originalUrl: >-
        https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/content.duolingo.com/Duolingo+101%3A+How+to+learn+a+language+on+Duolingo/14-characterBingo.png
      credit: Duolingo
      rights: © Duolingo. All rights reserved. Excluded from MIT and CC BY 4.0.
      caption: 'Duolingo: a guide for the missing stroke'
      alt: 'Duolingo: a guide for the missing stroke'
      markers:
        - x: 48
          'y': 45
          label: The arrow shows the stroke direction
    tips:
      - 'Fade support as skill grows, while keeping hints available on request.'
    examples:
      - title: Duolingo
        url: >-
          https://blog.duolingo.com/duolingo-101-how-to-learn-a-language-on-duolingo/
endsAt: null
provenance: >-
  Educational reference expanded from all 64 families and 749 variants of the
  original children-education taxonomy, with original editorial additions dated
  2026-10-20. Sources support specific methods and examples, not the entire
  classification or its effectiveness.
license: CC-BY-4.0
codeLicense: MIT
attribution: gamemechanics.pro contributors
catalogKey: catalog/education
---
# Introduction, demonstration and scaffolding

id: education--family-51
type: mechanic
key: mechanic/education--family-51
lang: en
status: active
url: https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/education--family-51/

A model, hint or partly completed action helps the learner start. Support gradually gives way to independent solving.

## At a glance

![Duolingo: a guide for the missing stroke](https://gamemechanics.pro/images/mechanics/learning-duo-101-12.webp)

[Duolingo](https://blog.duolingo.com/duolingo-101-how-to-learn-a-language-on-duolingo/) · © Duolingo. All rights reserved. Excluded from MIT and CC BY 4.0.

1. The arrow shows the stroke direction

- Fade support as skill grows, while keeping hints available on request.

- [Duolingo](https://blog.duolingo.com/duolingo-101-how-to-learn-a-language-on-duolingo/)

## How it works

Demonstrate through examples

## Variants

### Variants

<a id="family-51-branch-1"></a>

- Demonstrate through examples <a id="family-51-variant-1"></a>
- Let the player complete one step <a id="family-51-variant-2"></a>
- Guide step by step <a id="family-51-variant-3"></a>
- Offer partly solved tasks <a id="family-51-variant-4"></a>
- Show a nearby model <a id="family-51-variant-5"></a>
- Highlight relevant properties <a id="family-51-variant-6"></a>
- Offer requested hints <a id="family-51-variant-7"></a>
- Progress from general to specific hints <a id="family-51-variant-8"></a>
- Reduce options <a id="family-51-variant-9"></a>
- Gradually remove support <a id="family-51-variant-10"></a>
- Explain rules before use <a id="family-51-variant-11"></a>
- Allow learning through action <a id="family-51-variant-12"></a>

## Design example

Initially show a command's direction with an arrow, then remove it.

## Context and limits

A mechanic map for games with explicit learning goals, from first encounters with a topic to professional practice. It covers children, teenagers and adults; choose subject, difficulty, context and controls for the learner. Player actions, subject content, instructional support and assessment are distinct layers. Scores and game completion alone do not establish mastery or skill transfer.

## Connected materials


## Sources and provenance

Educational reference expanded from all 64 families and 749 variants of the original children-education taxonomy, with original editorial additions dated 2026-10-20. Sources support specific methods and examples, not the entire classification or its effectiveness.

- [Duolingo](https://blog.duolingo.com/duolingo-101-how-to-learn-a-language-on-duolingo/) (id: source-872a30e434db6d16)

CC-BY-4.0 · gamemechanics.pro contributors