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This study investigates small group collaborative learning with a technology-supported environment. We aim to reveal key aspects of collaborative learning by examining variations in interaction, the influence of small group collaboration on science knowledge integration, and the implications for individual knowledge mastery. Results underscore the importance of high-quality science discourse and user-friendly tools. The study also highlights that group-level negotiations may not always affect individual understanding. Overall, this research offers insights into the complexities of collaboration and its impact on science learning. 

This study explored the Idea Wall, a collaborative knowledge-building tool to support students’ collaboration in small groups during a plant biology science curriculum. We examined the affordances and challenges of the Idea Wall and found the effective use of the tool's spatial organization capabilities by students, particularly the Yup Zone and the intermediary neutral spaces, for collaboratively organizing notes. But there's also a need for improvements in some features of the tool’s design and instructional guidance. 

Writing and revising scientific explanations helps students integrate disparate scientific ideas into a cohesive understanding of science. Natural language processing technologies can help assess students’ writing and give corresponding feedback, which supports their writing and revision of their scientific ideas. However, the feedback is not always helpful to students. Our study investigated 241 middle school students’ a) use of feedback, b) how it affected their revisions, and c) how these factors affected students’ writing improvement. We found that students made more content-related revisions when they used feedback. Making content-related revisions also assisted students in improving their writing. But students still found it difficult to make integrated revisions and did not use feedback often. Additional support to assist students to understand and use feedback, especially for students with limited science knowledge, is needed.