Gu & Maher University of Sydney, August 2004 DECO2005 Shared Discovery & Understanding in CSCW

Presentation Overview  Concept of shared discovery and understanding  Team member collectively discover and understand.  Support better group process, therefore improve performance.  Structure of the presentation  Shared discovery and understanding as parts of group processes in collaboration.  Support of efficient group processes influences the formation of conceptual models for developing collaborative environments.  Applying shared discovery and understanding in collaborative environment.

Purposes of Developing CSCW  Improve performance (example: AEC industry)  Better designs.  Faster design and construction process.  Cheaper.  Better resource usage.  How?  Efficient group processes – collaboration.  Support of efficient group processes – better tools and techniques.

Research on Efficient Group Processes  Research and studies (example: AEC industry)  Explore the dynamics of the design industry.  Explore the nature and dynamics of design process.  Explore the characteristics and needs of various types of design teams.  Investigate and find solutions for improving the design process.

Group Processes  Interaction of team members (example: AEC industry)  Synchronous or asynchronous communication.

Group Processes  Shared understanding and visions – team members communicate to collectively understand:  Internal environment: strength/weakness of the team, value for the practice, design philosophy.  External environment: trends in society, politics, technology, regulation, legislation.  Design brief: the project goals and objectives (objectives of the clients, designers, experts).  Strategies: the approach that the team will take to achieve its goals, objectives.  Progress control: the current status of the teamwork.

Group Processes  Shared discovery and creation  Diversity: members see different aspects of a problem.  Synthesis: members constructively explore their differences and search for solutions that go beyond their own limited vision of what is possible.

Group Processes  Self-sustainability  Team members orchestrate their own works by monitoring and controlling their outputs, as well as their processes.  The team improves its capacity for self-management as members enhance their personal competencies, the quality of their contact with other members, and the free flow of information and energy between them.  The team maintains its stability by ensuring that feedback loops prevent it from unconsciously deviating from its desired performance target.

Conceptual Models for Building Collaborative Environments  Support team communication  Establish a collaborative environment by supporting communication in teams.  Support shared understanding  Teams cannot solely rely on tools of communication because they do not inherently foster collaboration. Establish an environment that enable flow of meaning, shared understanding of team’s vision, and shared understanding of design decisions.

Conceptual Models for Building Collaborative Environments  Support shared creation and discovery  Establish a collaborative environment by supporting creation and discovery of design solutions, and discovery of the path, which will guide them to the desired solution.  Support sustainability of effective team performance  Establish a collaborative environment by supporting the act of monitoring and influencing the team performance.

Collaborative Tools in CSCW  Group processes further reflect on the development of different collaborative tools in CSCW  Example (AEC industry): team communication and document management tools, workflow and process automation tools, and process and project management tools.  Collaborative tools in CSCW: week four slides.

Content of Shared Discovery and Understanding  Shared understanding  Internal environment: strength/weakness of the team, value for the practice, design philosophy.  External environment: trends in society, politics, technology, regulation, legislation.  Design brief: the project goals and objectives (objectives of the clients, designers, experts).  Strategies: the approach that the team will take to achieve its goals, objectives.  Progress control: the current status of the teamwork.

Content of Shared Discovery and Understanding  Shared discovery and creation  Recognise diversity: members see different aspects of a problem.  Design synthesis: members constructively explore their differences and search for solutions that go beyond their own limited vision of what is possible.

Support of Shared Discovery and Understanding  Competency of the team members  Collaborative tools that support shared understanding  Internal environment: ?  External environment: ?  Design brief: ?  Strategies: ?  Progress control: ?

Support of Shared Discovery and Understanding  Collaborative tools that support shared understanding  Internal environment: communication, shared design application…  External environment: communication, document management…  Design brief: communication, shared design application, document management…  Strategies: communication, document management, monitor and record design process…  Progress control: monitor and record design process, project management…

Support of Shared Discovery and Understanding  Competency of the team members  Collaborative tools that support shared discovery and creation  Recognise diversity: ?  Design synthesis: ?

Support of Shared Discovery and Understanding  Collaborative tools that support shared discovery and creation  Recognise diversity: communication, shared design application, document management...  Design synthesis: communication, shared design application, document management, monitor and record design process, project management…

Lab Activity  Group shared drawing design  Group project design development using shared drawing feature in NetMeeting or MSN Messenger.  Establish and support shared discovery and understanding among group members.