Visual Language Plans - Formalization of a Pedagogical Learnflow Modeling Language

In this paper we present an approach to support selfregulated learnflows in the collaborative environment Metafora. In this environment students construct Visual Language Plans. Those plans model workflows of learning activities, which the students execute to solve complex learning scenarios across different tools. Visual Language plans were already used in the context of different pedagogical studies but have no formal syntax or semantics, yet. In this paper, we present the syntax of Visual Language Plans and develop a mapping from Visual Language Plans to Petri net defining semantics. With the help of this semantics, the environment can support the students executing their learnflows. If students execute activities given in a Visual Language Plan which are not enabled in the corresponding Petri net, feedback messages occur guiding the students. Students can refine their Visual Language Plan during execution. If a plan changes the corresponding Petri net model also changes. Analyzing the newly generated Petri net model can help to uncover faulty states of the learnflow model.