HCI Groupware What is Groupware n CSCW Computer

HCI Groupware

What is Groupware? n CSCW: Computer Supported Cooperative Work is a generic term, which combines the understanding of the way people work in groups with the enabling technologies of computer networking, and associated hardware, software, services and techniques. n Software specifically designed n n to support group working with cooperative requirements in mind

Why is Groupware design hard? n Multiple users n “Virtual” (not physical) presence n The Network!! n Some distinguishing features of Groupware: n n n asynchronous communication anonymous communication automatically archive of communication

The Time/Space Matrix Classify groupware by: when the participants are working, at the same time or not where the participants are working, at the same place or not Common names for axes: time: synchronous/asynchronous place: co-located/remote same place same time different place

Time/Space Matrix same place same time different place face-to-face conversation telephone post-it note letter

Groupware Matrix

[1] Different time / different place Communication + Coordination n Wiki n Blogs n Workflow n Version Control n Shared participation over time n Geographically world wide

Wikis n Group-viewable / editable web site n community of strangers to community of collaborators n culture of what is allowed vs. hard-coded access control

Email and bulletin boards n asynchronous/remote n familiar and most successful groupware n Recipients of email: direct in To: field copies in Cc: field n delivery identical – difference is social purpose

Structured message systems (ctd) Type: Lecture announcement To: all students From: Yasser Fouad Subject: Course seminar Time: 8: 10 Thursday Place: Hall 1 Speaker: students Title: The HCI Text: Recent research on HCI constructed meaning has focused on the image of the Computer and its dialectic interpretation within an uncultured hermeneutic. This talk … N. B. global structuring by designer vs. local structuring by participants

txt is gr 8 n instant messaging n 1996 – ICQ small Israeli company Hi, u there yeh, had a good night last night? uhu n SMS want to meet later n y is it we al lv shrt msgs n originally a feature of internal management protocol n short messages (160 chars) and text with numbers n no-one predicted mass adoption!! n now phones with cameras for MMS

Group Calendars n common calendar n meeting scheduling n resource use privacy n who keeps things up to date? n how do you stop people scheduling your meetings? n http: //www. americusglobal. com/images/groupcalender. gif

[2] Same time / different place Remote interaction n Video-Conferencing, n Real-time groupware n Messaging (Instant messaging, Email) n Virtual worlds n Multi-User editors n Shared Screen (vnc) n Multi-user participation n Nonverbal cues n Differing levels of fidelity (text, voice, avatar)

Video / Audio conferencing n Desktop conferencing n bandwidth/latency issues n what is the value of talking heads? Xerox Parc video link Voice. To. Video, http: //www. voicetovideo. com/images/video_lge. gif

Instant messengers n Casual interaction n awareness to light-weight conversations n Killer app n evolving social norms n defining communities

recent enhancements in same time / different place Skype 1. 0

Rich Instant Messaging n Can do much more than text n How does one handle complexity? n How does one handle interruption? Community Bar, by Gregor Mcewan, U Calgary

Shared Screens/Windows n Share unaltered single user applications n technical concerns n n n how regions are captured/transmitted architectural limitations controlling input access control… social limitations n n n turntaking control privacy Richardson, T. , Stafford-Fraser, Q. , Wood, K. and Hopper, A. Virtual Network Computing. IEEE Internet Computing. Vol. 2, No. 1. p 33 -39. January/February, 1998.

Multi-user editors n True groupware for visual artifacts n structured documents (e. g. , text paper) n visual workspace (2 d graphics) awareness n conflicting actions n tight vs loose coupling n relaxed wysiwis n

Video conferences and communication n synchronous/remote n Technology: n ISDN + video compression n internet, web cams n major uses: n video conferences n pervasive video for social contact n integration with other applications n often cheaper than face-to-face meetings n (telecommunications costs vs. air flights)

collaborative virtual environments (CVEs) n meet others in a virtual world n n participants represented – embodiment artefacts too … n n computer (e. g. spreadsheet) and ‘real’ (virtually) objects text? n consistent orientation or easy to read n MUDs (Multi-user domains) n n 2 D/3 D places to meet on the web users represented as avatars

Example: ideas for different time / same place Lean Manufacturing: Visible System Metrics

[3] same time / same place With “Power. Point Slides” Without “Slides” Is Power. Point in need of Groupware innovation?

Typical meeting room shared screen

Group Decision Rooms n Embeds decision making process n dedicated computer-based conference facility n real time large group support (5 -50) n typically facilitated n embeds a structured meeting process n domain of MIS n Typical function n explore unstructured problems n brainstorm ideas n organize/prioritize results n voting… The COLAB meeting room, Xerox PARC http: //www 2. parc. com/istl/members/stefik/colab. htm

Single Display Groupware n Multiple people using a single display n n n n multiple input devices simultaneous input new interaction widgets technical issues (O/S) conflict with conventional applications supporting social conventions of simultaneous work mice vs. direct touch… Edward Tse http: //grouplab. cpsc. ucalgary. ca/papers/2004/04 SDGToolkit-MSc. Thesis/SDGToolkit-MSc. pdf

Shared Table / Wall Displays device characteristics n social affordances of tables/wall n Interac. Table and Dynawall, From the GMD Darmstadt web site on I-Land

The Time/Space Groupware Matrix same time different times n synchronous face to face interactions colocated remote interactions remote continuous task team rooms large public displays shift work groupware project management same place different places asynchronous communication+coordination

Control Rooms n Information that goes across shifts NASA Mission Control Center http: //spaceflight. nasa. gov/shuttle/reference/mcc/ Reuters, http: //www. electrosonic. com/command_control. shtm

Connected meeting rooms ? ? n Meeting / classroom n Video / n audio links n Which type? ? Veterinary Report Vol 26, 1 Winter 2002 http: //www. cvm. uiuc. edu/vetreport/winter 2002/techno logy. html

Anytime, any place groupware same time n same place different places different times

Teamwave Workplace www. markroseman. com

Perspective : Synchronicity concurrent synchronized people intentionally active at the same time co-located remote meeting rooms video conferences, video wall, etc. shared work surfaces and editors, shared PCs and windows semi-synchronized people active in near real time Mixed rapid email exchanges, delayed IM exchanges co-authoring systems, shared calendars may include active and serial activity Serial argumentation tools forces turntaking Unsynchronized people use tools at different times email and structured messages, electronic conferences Modified from Figure 13. 9 in Dix, Finlay, Abowd & Beale, Human Computer Interaction, 2 nd Ed. Prentice Hall. 1998

Extended matrix for CSCW From Grudin, 1994

Applying CSCW to Education n Virtual Classroom is an environment to facilitate collaborative learning for distance education students. n Constant communication with other learners is obvious. n Virtual Classroom is expected to exceed the traditional classroom in its ability to ‘connect’ students and course materials. 35

Types of Learning Environments

Types of Learning Environments

Types of Learning Environments