Scientific expertise and outcomes often give rise to controversy. An educational response that equips students
to take part in such discussions is the teaching of socially acute questions (SAQs). With SAQs, the understanding
of uncertainty, risk and how knowledge is developed is central. This study explores the way in which
students from different disciplines and different continents are brought together via a digital platform to explore
SAQs about environmental issues (a green algae outbreak linked to release of fertilisers along the coast of
Brittany; the construction of a desalination plant near Melbourne to produce freshwater; and changes in meat
consumption on a global scale, with regard to population projections in 2050). We have developed frameworks
for looking at the quality of the collective reasoning and at the nature of students’ interactions, so that we can
analyse the organisation of the learning communities and the building of collegial expertise. The results show
that interdisciplinary discussions, especially on an international scale, foster the understanding of complex
situations. In this paper, we discuss the modalities of one didactic scenario to enhance critical thinking and
collaborative work, and to provide space for learners to support argumentation.

• Digital technology to support students’ socioscientific reasoning about environmental issues

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