Collaboration scripts are activity programs which aim to foster collaborative learning by structuring interaction between learners. Computer-supported collaboration scripts generally suffer from the problem of being restrained to a specific learning platform and learning context. A standardization of collaboration scripts first requires a specification of collaboration scripts that integrates multiple perspectives from computer science, education and psychology. So far, only few and limited attempts at such specifications have been made. This paper aims to consolidate and expand these approaches in light of recent findings and to propose a generic framework for the specification of collaboration scripts. The framework enables a description of collaboration scripts using a small number of components (participants, activities, roles, resources and groups) and mechanisms (task distribution, group formation and sequencing). However, when learners are left to their own devices, they rarely engage in productive interactions such as asking each other questions, explaining and justifying their opinions, articulating their reasoning, or elaborating and reflecting upon their knowledge. Collaboration scripts aim to foster collaborative learning in shaping the way in which learners interact with one another. In specifying a sequence of learning activities, together with appropriate roles for the learners, collaboration scripts are designed to trigger engagement in social and cognitive activities that would otherwise occur rarely or not at all.Collaboration scripts are based upon the scripted cooperation approach, as described by O'Donnell (1999), which differs from other collaborative learning approaches chiefly in the fact that it focuses on the specific activities that learners are expected to engage in, whereas others leave them unspecified or vague. In targeting those activities which have

We developed collaborative extensions to 'Vlab', a web-based laboratory that supports students in conducting virtual chemistry experiments. While results from a recent study indicated that VLab promotes chemistry learning, they also revealed that there is room for improvement. We embedded VLab into a collaborative environment that implements a computer-supported collaboration script for guiding students through the stages of scientific experimentation. We describe our pedagogical approach, our collaboration script, and the collaborative learning environment which implements it. We present results from two small-scale studies and a contrasting-case analysis of how adaptive prompts, in addition to the fixed script, affected student behaviour.

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Despite their potential value for learning purposes, e-discussions do not necessarily lead to desirable results, even when moderated. The study of the moderator's role, especially in synchronous, graphical e-discussions, and the development of appropriate tools to assist moderators are the objectives of the ARGUNAUT project. This project aims at unifying awareness and feedback mechanisms in e-discussion environments, presently implemented on two existing platforms. This system is primarily directed to a human moderator and facilitating moderation, but might also help the students monitor their own interactions. At the heart of system are the interrelations between an off-line AI analysis mechanism and an online monitoring module. This is done through a collaboration of technological and pedagogical teams, showing promising preliminary results.

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