Knowledge organization with multiple external representations in an argumentation based computer supported collaborative learning environment

Collaboration is one of the core practices in science education (NRC, 1996; NRC, 2012) that has been built into many technology-enhanced learning environments to promote deep understanding (Manlove, Lazonder, & De Jong, 2009). Typically, these environments provide multiple external representations (MERs) for students to understand and communicate scientific knowledge. However, little is known about how students organize knowledge in MERs when they engage in collaborative argumentation. In this study, we designed an argumentation based science unit in a computer supported collaborative learning environment. We investigated how this learning environment affected students' knowledge organization and argumentation on the socio-scientific issue of nuclear energy. We found that the students used all the available representational modes in the environment to make sound arguments and it appeared that the textual representation knowledge entries were the most linked nodes in the knowledge web the students produced as a group.