Teacher Orchestration in the Networked Classroom

Abstract

In a classroom environment with the presence of a representational tool, some activities are computer-based, while some are not. Enacting effective collaborative activities may be daunting tasks for teachers, even if they have experience in enacting collaborative activities. Active teacher orchestration has been discussed as one potential solution to increasing technology-supported learning and its applicability in classroom learning (Hämäläinen and Oksanen in Comput Educ 59: 281–293, 2012; Prieto et al. in Comput Educ 57: 1214–1227, 2011). This chapter focuses on the microanalysis of the teacher’s instruction and intervention. It uncovers how the teacher doubled the part of a facilitator and a participator to assist productive group understanding development in networked collaborative L2 learning classrooms. The practical implication of the findings embraces three points: (1) the common features of carrying out tasks in traditional classrooms and networked classrooms, (2) the special features of scaffolding more productive interactions in L2 learning classrooms, and (3) the adoption and adaptation of representational tools in networked classrooms.