How does collaborative task design shape collaborative knowledge construction and group-level regulation of learning? A study of secondary school students’ interactions in two varied tasks

Abstract Computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) offers a modern setting for learners to engage in meaningful (meta)cognitive and socioemotional interactions. However, the task design, not technology alone, significantly shapes students’ learning interactions. This study investigates how a conceptual physics task and a hands-on robotics task promote collaborative knowledge construction (CKC) and group-level cognitive, as well as emotion–motivation, regulation among secondary school students. Utilizing video recordings of students’ collaborative interactions and process-oriented methods, we examined the occurrence and temporal interplay of these processes from the two tasks. Transmodal network analysis complemented by qualitative case examples revealed significant differences in the nature of CKC and regulation of learning during the tasks. Cognitive processes and strong interconnections between cognitive regulation and negotiation were more typical for the conceptual physics task. The hands-on robotics task featured more frequent, but shorter, sequences of initial CKC phases and emphasized socioemotional interactions for sustained positive collaboration. This study highlights task design’s importance in collaborative learning processes and provides insights for optimizing CSCL environments for effective collaboration.