Analyzing Learners' Self-organization in Terms of Co-construction, Co-operation and Co-ordination

We define a pedagogic collective challenge as a CSCL learning situation where: (1) the problem is designed to make learners practice some target domain-related and/or metacognitive competencies; (2) a group of learners is involved, as a team, in the solving of the problem; (3) the solving requires the learners to join their forces; (4) the problem and the setting are designed to create a positive tension that motivates learners. Such challenges aim at enhancing learners’ motivation in involving themselves in the collective solving and, within this process, in knowledge generative interactions such as conflict resolution, explanation or mutual regulation [1]. We use as a case study a problem entitled “the race with no winner” (and the Flash simulation) defined by a community of practice dedicated to the use of simulations in mathematics and physics [5]. The simulation embeds 10 cars that can be put on a track. The cars have different behaviours (e.g., speed or dynamics). Learners must first test all the cars (with the simulation) in order to collect the data necessary to the establishment of a relation between the departure position of every single car and its arrival on the arrival line. This requires solving equations to determine speed, duration and distance. When the learners are ready, the tutor puts one of the 10 cars on the track and designates 2 others. The learners have to put these 2 cars on the track in order for the 3 cars to arrive on the arrival line at the same time. When done, the simulation is run to check their solution. There are thus 3 phases: (1) preparing the data (measuring and calculating the data related to the 10 cars); (2) calculating where to put the 2 cars after the tutor has selected his car and has put it on the track (this is to be done in a limited amount of time, on the basis of the behaviours of these cars as calculated at the previous step); (3) simulation to check if it is a success or a failure.