Key ideas

• Addresses how CSCL practices are shaped by dynamically re-configured internal collaboration scripts of the participating learners
• How internal collaboration scripts develop through participation in CSCL practices
• Prioritizes transactive over non-transactive forms of knowledge application for learning
• Explain how external collaboration scripts modify CSCL practices, and influence internal collaboration scripts
• Specify optimal scaffolding level for external collaboration scripts that allow for formulation of hypotheses about the fading of external collaboration scripts

Internal collaboration scripts: Knowledge on how to collaborate in CSCL (or other) settings. Ref Kollar, Fischer & Slotta, 2007Kollar, I., Fischer, F., & Slotta, J. D. (2007). Internal and external scripts in computer-supported collaborative inquiry learning. Learning and Instruction, 17(6), 708–721..

Can often be missing. Lacking or non-functional internal collaboration scripts can be compensated for by providing external collaboration scripts. See Kollar, Fischer & Hesse, 2006Kollar, I., Fischer, F., & Hesse, F. W. (2006). Collaboration scripts--a conceptual analysis. Educational Psychology Review, 18(2), 159--185., Rummel & Spada, 2005Rummel, N., & Spada, H. (2005). Instructional support for collaboration in desktop videoconference settings. Barriers and Biases in Computer-Mediated Knowledge Communication, 59--88., King, 2007King, A. (2007). Scripting collaborative learning processes: A cognitive perspective. Scripting computer-supported collaborative learning, 13--37. and Weinberger et al., 2005Weinberger, A., Reiserer, M., Ertl, B., Fischer, F., & Mandl, H. (2005). Facilitating collaborative knowledge construction in computer-mediated learning environments with cooperation scripts. Barriers and biases in computer-mediated knowledge communication, 15--37..

Empirical studies on the effects of external collaboration scripts on processes and outcomes of learning: Rummel & Spada, 2005Rummel, N., & Spada, H. (2005). Instructional support for collaboration in desktop videoconference settings. Barriers and Biases in Computer-Mediated Knowledge Communication, 59--88., Stegmann, Weinberger, & Fischer, 2007, Hämäläinen, Oksanen & Häkkinen, 2008; 'Schellens, van Keer, De Wever & Valcke, 2007;

Descriptive analytical accounts of CSCL scripts: Kobbe et al., 2007Kobbe, L., Weinberger, A., Dillenbourg, P., Harrer, A., HämäläinenR., HäkkinenP., & Fischer, F. (2007). Specifying computer-supported collaboration scripts. International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, 2(2), 211--224.

A configuration of knowledge components about a collaborative practice and its parts at different levels of complexity (the components) that guide the person’s understanding of and actions in the collaboration.

Configuration is built up dynamically from its constituents during a particular instance of collaboration.

A configuration of representations (textual, graphical) of collaborative practice and its parts at different levels of complexity.

Presented to a group of learners by an external source (teacher, website interface) as means to guide their collaborative activities.

• How do internal collaboration scripts and situational characteristics interact in shaping CSCL practices (principles 1 & 2)?
• How do internal collaboration scripts develop and change through participation in CSCL practices, and what is their role in the acquisition of knowledge (principles 3 - 5)? 3.
• How do external collaboration scripts affect CSCL practices and individual knowledge acquisition (principles 6 & 7)?