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Computer-Supported Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW)Cooperative Work (CSCW)

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OutlineOutline Review of Rapid PrototypingReview of Rapid Prototyping Definitions of CSCW & group workDefinitions of CSCW & group work Implementation issuesImplementation issues Success/FailuresSuccess/Failures MediaMedia

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Review of Rapid PrototypingReview of Rapid Prototyping UI tools good for testing more UI tools good for testing more

developed UI ideasdeveloped UI ideas Two styles of tools Two styles of tools ??

• ““Prototyping” vs. UI buildersPrototyping” vs. UI builders• what is the difference?what is the difference?

Both types generally ignore the Both types generally ignore the “insides” of application -> this is “insides” of application -> this is researchresearch

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CollaborationCollaboration Current work environmentsCurrent work environments

• several people working on personal workstationsseveral people working on personal workstations Frequently people need to cooperateFrequently people need to cooperate

• create/modify documents, drawings, designscreate/modify documents, drawings, designs Two key waysTwo key ways

• at different times (asynchronously)at different times (asynchronously) see changes previous workers have madesee changes previous workers have made

• simultaneously (synchronously)simultaneously (synchronously) actions taken by user must be seen immediatelyactions taken by user must be seen immediately

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Computer-Supported Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW)Cooperative Work (CSCW)

Def.: “the study of how people work Def.: “the study of how people work together using computer technology”together using computer technology”

Examples of systems:Examples of systems:• emailemail• shared databases/hypertextshared databases/hypertext• video conferencingvideo conferencing• chat systemschat systems• real-time shared applicationsreal-time shared applications

collaborative writing, drawing, gamescollaborative writing, drawing, games

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GroupwareGroupware GroupwareGroupware denotes the technology that denotes the technology that

people use to work togetherpeople use to work together• ““systems that support groups of people systems that support groups of people

engaged in a common task (or goal) and that engaged in a common task (or goal) and that provide an interface to a shared environment.”provide an interface to a shared environment.”

CSCWCSCW studies the use groupware studies the use groupware• ““CSCW is the study of the tools and techniques CSCW is the study of the tools and techniques

of groupware as well as their psychological, of groupware as well as their psychological, social, and organizational effects.”social, and organizational effects.”

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Types of CooperationTypes of Cooperation Focused partnerships Focused partnerships

• users who need each other to complete a users who need each other to complete a tasktask

often a document or image to work onoften a document or image to work on e.g., joint authors of a papere.g., joint authors of a paper

Lecture or demoLecture or demo• person shares info. with users at remote sitesperson shares info. with users at remote sites

questions may be askedquestions may be asked may wish to keep history and be able to replaymay wish to keep history and be able to replay

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Types of Cooperation (cont.)Types of Cooperation (cont.) ConferenceConference

• group participation distributed in spacegroup participation distributed in space at same time or spread out over time at same time or spread out over time

Structured work processStructured work process• a set of people w/ distinct roles solve a set of people w/ distinct roles solve

tasktask e.g., hiring committee accepts applications, e.g., hiring committee accepts applications,

reviews, invites top for interviews, chooses, reviews, invites top for interviews, chooses, informsinforms

• aka “work flow” or “task flow”aka “work flow” or “task flow”

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Types of Cooperation (cont.)Types of Cooperation (cont.)

Meeting and decision supportMeeting and decision support• meeting w/ each user working at a meeting w/ each user working at a

computercomputer e.g., PDA Brainstorming toole.g., PDA Brainstorming tool

Tele-democracyTele-democracy• online town hall meetingsonline town hall meetings

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Groupware TaxonomyGroupware Taxonomy

Asynchronous Synchronous

Same placeproject scheduling, games,in/out board classrooms,

ATC

Distributed e-mail, netnews, chat rooms,writing video conf.,

netmeetingRCS, CAD,

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Key IssuesKey Issues Group awarenessGroup awareness Multi-user interfacesMulti-user interfaces

• hard to design/conduct controlled hard to design/conduct controlled experimentsexperiments

Concurrency controlConcurrency control• consistency and reconciliationconsistency and reconciliation

Communication & coordination Communication & coordination • can’t see each other -> lose visual cuescan’t see each other -> lose visual cues• floor controlfloor control

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Key Issues (cont.)Key Issues (cont.) LatencyLatency

• e.g., user points at an object and talke.g., user points at an object and talk Security and privacySecurity and privacy more...more...

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Asynchronous Implementation IssuesAsynchronous Implementation Issues Each user may have own copy of dataEach user may have own copy of data Must integrate changes at some pointMust integrate changes at some point

• example: programmers working on sourceexample: programmers working on source Problems when conflicts between Problems when conflicts between

changeschanges• lock portions of worklock portions of work

keeps state well defined, although doesn’t stop keeps state well defined, although doesn’t stop semantically incompatible changessemantically incompatible changes

• resolve conflicts via integration mechanismresolve conflicts via integration mechanism

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Synchronous Implementation IssuesSynchronous Implementation Issues >=Two users working on same data, at >=Two users working on same data, at

the same time, in cooperation the same time, in cooperation Extend Model View Controller (MVC) Extend Model View Controller (MVC)

• views & copies of the model are distributedviews & copies of the model are distributed Propagate command history Propagate command history

• must resolve conflicts among N historiesmust resolve conflicts among N histories• at what level are commands? at what level are commands?

mouse position not good enough (e.g., different mouse position not good enough (e.g., different font sizes, etc.)font sizes, etc.)

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Social IssuesSocial Issues

Can these technologies replace Can these technologies replace human-human interaction?human-human interaction?• can you send a “handshake” or a “hug”can you send a “handshake” or a “hug”• how does intimacy survive?how does intimacy survive?

Are too many social cues lost? Are too many social cues lost? • facial expressions and body language facial expressions and body language

for enthusiasm, disinterest, angerfor enthusiasm, disinterest, anger• will new cues develop? e.g., :)will new cues develop? e.g., :)

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Groupware SuccessesGroupware Successes EmailEmail

• ubiquitous (your grandparents have it?)ubiquitous (your grandparents have it?) Newsgroups and mailing listsNewsgroups and mailing lists VideoconferencingVideoconferencing

• growing slowly but steadilygrowing slowly but steadily

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Groupware Successes (cont.)Groupware Successes (cont.) Lotus NotesLotus Notes

• integrates email, newsgroups, call integrates email, newsgroups, call tracking, status, DB searching, tracking, status, DB searching, document sharing, & schedulingdocument sharing, & scheduling

• very successful in corporationsvery successful in corporations• will the Web erode? Notes is more will the Web erode? Notes is more

structuredstructured

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Groupware FailuresGroupware Failures Shared calendarsShared calendars

• making a come back? web-based?making a come back? web-based? Why does groupware fail? (Grudin)Why does groupware fail? (Grudin)

• disparity between workers & beneficiariesdisparity between workers & beneficiaries• threats to existing power structuresthreats to existing power structures• insufficient critical mass (Web reduces)insufficient critical mass (Web reduces)• violation of social taboosviolation of social taboos• rigidity that counters common practice or rigidity that counters common practice or

exceptionsexceptions

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Success/Failure of Groupware Success/Failure of Groupware Depends on competing alternativesDepends on competing alternatives

• collaborators down the hall or across country?collaborators down the hall or across country? If users are committed to system, etiquette If users are committed to system, etiquette

& conventions will evolve& conventions will evolve• tend to arise from cultural & task backgroundtend to arise from cultural & task background• users from different orgs or cultural contexts users from different orgs or cultural contexts

may clashmay clash Synchronous systems that work well for 2 users Synchronous systems that work well for 2 users

may be less effective w/ more usersmay be less effective w/ more users

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MediaMedia

Video: Rich, but problems with gaze, Video: Rich, but problems with gaze, gesture, non-verbal communication.gesture, non-verbal communication.

Audio: Conveys meaning well but not Audio: Conveys meaning well but not necessarily locationnecessarily location

Text: Good for synchronous or Text: Good for synchronous or asynchronous communicationasynchronous communication

Ink: Good for expressing ideas and Ink: Good for expressing ideas and brain-stormingbrain-storming

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VideoVideo Eye contact problems:Eye contact problems:

• Offset from camera to screenOffset from camera to screen• ““Mona Lisa” effectMona Lisa” effect

Gesture has similar problems: trying Gesture has similar problems: trying pointing at somethingpointing at something

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AudioAudio Good for one-on-one communication Good for one-on-one communication

Bad for meetings. Spatial localization is Bad for meetings. Spatial localization is normally lost. Can be put back but tricky.normally lost. Can be put back but tricky.

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Turn-taking, back-channelingTurn-taking, back-channeling In a face-to-face meeting, people do In a face-to-face meeting, people do

a lot of self-managementa lot of self-management Preparing to speak: lean forward, Preparing to speak: lean forward,

clear throat, shuffle paperclear throat, shuffle paper Unfortunately, these are subtle Unfortunately, these are subtle

gestures which don’t pass well gestures which don’t pass well through today’s technologythrough today’s technology

Network delays make things much Network delays make things much worseworse

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BreakdownsBreakdowns Misunderstandings, talking over each Misunderstandings, talking over each

other, losing the thread of the meetingother, losing the thread of the meeting People are good at recognizing these People are good at recognizing these

and recovering from them “repair”and recovering from them “repair” Mediated communication often makes Mediated communication often makes

it harderit harder E.g. email often escalates simple E.g. email often escalates simple

misunderstandings into flaming misunderstandings into flaming sessions sessions

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Usage issuesUsage issues

Communication in the real world has Communication in the real world has both structured & unplanned episodesboth structured & unplanned episodes• meeting by the Xerox machinemeeting by the Xerox machine

Much face-to-face communication is Much face-to-face communication is really side-by-side, w/ some artifact as really side-by-side, w/ some artifact as focus focus

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SolutionsSolutions Sharing experiences is very important for Sharing experiences is very important for

mutual understanding in team workmutual understanding in team work

Context-basedContext-baseddisplays (portholes)displays (portholes)work wellwork well

Video shows roomsVideo shows rooms& hallways, not & hallways, not just people or seatsjust people or seats

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SolutionsSolutions Props (mobile presences) address most of Props (mobile presences) address most of

these issues. They even support these issues. They even support exploration.exploration.

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SolutionsSolutions Ishii’s Clearboard: sketching + presenceIshii’s Clearboard: sketching + presence

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Face-to-Face: the ultimate?Face-to-Face: the ultimate?

It dependsIt depends Conveys the maximum amount of Conveys the maximum amount of

information, mere presence effects are information, mere presence effects are strong. But…strong. But…

People spend a lot of cognitive effort People spend a lot of cognitive effort managing perceptions of each othermanaging perceptions of each other

In a simple comparison of F2F, phone and In a simple comparison of F2F, phone and email, most subjects felt most comfortable email, most subjects felt most comfortable with the phone for routine business with the phone for routine business contactcontact

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Face-to-Face: the ultimate?Face-to-Face: the ultimate?

Kiesler and Sproull found email-only Kiesler and Sproull found email-only programming teams were more programming teams were more productive than email+F2F teams in a productive than email+F2F teams in a CS courseCS course

There you want coordination, There you want coordination, commitment, recordingcommitment, recording

Conclusion: Match the medium to the Conclusion: Match the medium to the missionmission

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CSCL: Computer-SupportedCSCL: Computer-SupportedCollaborative LearningCollaborative Learning

Sub-area of CSCW concerned with Sub-area of CSCW concerned with learning & collaborationlearning & collaboration

Peer interaction is a powerful source of Peer interaction is a powerful source of learning, especially in universitieslearning, especially in universities

Three powerful models:Three powerful models:• TVI, DTVI: recorded instructor, team reviewTVI, DTVI: recorded instructor, team review• Peer instruction: pauses for group discussion Peer instruction: pauses for group discussion • PBL: Problem-based learning, team problem-PBL: Problem-based learning, team problem-

solvingsolving

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LivenotesLivenotes Designed to include other learners Designed to include other learners

perspectives into note-takingperspectives into note-taking

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ReviewReview CSCW vs. groupwareCSCW vs. groupware Taxonomy based on space and timeTaxonomy based on space and time Key issuesKey issues

• awareness, multi-user UIs, concurrency, awareness, multi-user UIs, concurrency, communication & coordination, latencycommunication & coordination, latency

Implementation and social issuesImplementation and social issues• extend MVCextend MVC• are social cues lost?are social cues lost?

Successes Successes (email)(email) & failures & failures (scheduling)(scheduling)