Gu & [email protected]
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.