Orchestration
We use the term orchestration referring to the coordination of technology-enhanced processes of learning and instruction on different social levels (individual, small group, plenary) in the classroom. Main focuses are
- how external and internal control of learning processes play together and interact in classroom- based collaborative learning
- how scaffolding (for example with external collaboration scripts on different social levels) can be designed to have synergistic effects on the transition from external to internal control of the collaborative learning processes (internal scripts), as well as domain learning
CSCL technology can support external collaboration scripts in activating internal collaboration script by scaffolding roles, activities, and sequences of roles or activities. In addition to digital technologies, the physical environment is also a research target.
It is therefore, about the description of how CSCL scenarios are integrated into classroom ecosystems. Does the scenario include both CSCL activities with other aspects of classroom life (reading, lectures, etc.)? How are the teams physically organized in the classroom? Do the scenarios build on non-computational resources such as paper documents, rock samples, environmental measures, etc.? How is the teacher driving the scenario, for instance changing team composition, interrupting activities, monitoring teamwork? What is the place of the CSCL activity in the curriculum and with respect to the assessment?
By “classroom”, we refer to the physical place in a school, a university or a corporate training center, in which there are learners and someone responsible for their learning (teacher, tutor, coach, trainer, etc).
(from Nussbaum, et al (2011). How to Integrate CSCL in Classroom Life: Orchestration. CSCL 2011)
