Fostering collaboration by combining web 2 and CSCW applications Applying social tagging as a personal and group knowledge management tool for process maps (and other examples) Ruhr University of Bochum Information and Technology Management Michael Prilla, Information and Technology RUB Research areas Socio-technical systems Work procedures (modeling) KM / PIM2GIM Collaborative Learning Fields of application Innovation Service implementation Web 2 & CSCW Fostering collaboration by combining web 2 and CSCW applications Michael Prilla Building a bridge between technology development and technology usage This talk in one Slide: Fostering collaboration with web 2 Meaningful integration of web 2 mechanisms and principles can foster collaboration Examples KM for Process Maps (MindMaps, UML, ) Collaborative Content Structuring Collaborative Writing Work in progress Discussion: Combine web 2 and CSCW to Foster collaboration Support people in work with heterogeneous content Fostering collaboration by combining web 2 and CSCW applications Michael Prilla Web 2 and CSCW Characteristics of web 2 applications Voluntary and intensive contribution Bottom-up collaboration Spontaneous networks of communications Every participant has a voice Shared applications with ubiqutous access Impact on CSCW Personal incentives for group benefit Collaboration on content Sensemaking: Human perception User control and satisfaction Fostering collaboration by combining web 2 and CSCW applications Michael Prilla Example 1: KM for Process Maps (PhD work) People prefer different information encodings Textual representation Models, Maps, Maps are important in business, collaborations and creative work BUT neglected in KM Evidence from case studies Currently: Service implementation and adaption Recent studies (logistics, service management, ) Goal: Lifecycle Support for Process Maps in KM Modelling and knowledge acquisition Fostering collaboration by combining web 2 and CSCW applications Michael Prilla Goal: Support for Process Model Lifecycle Fostering collaboration by combining web 2 and CSCW applications Michael Prilla Support exchange: How to enable content creators to easily yet meaningfully share complex content and related information? Support exchange: How to enable content creators to easily yet meaningfully share complex content and related information? Support usage: How to support usage and understanding of heterogeneous content for knowledge acquisition? Support usage: How to support usage and understanding of heterogeneous content for knowledge acquisition? Support enrichment: How to enable people to express their perspectives and add information? Support enrichment: How to enable people to express their perspectives and add information? Support modelling: How to supply modellers with valuable information and help them during modelling? Support modelling: How to supply modellers with valuable information and help them during modelling? Integration into Modelling KM with Process Model Support Analysis: Requirements Integration into work procedures / knowledge work Keep usage burden low: Seamlessly integrate Provide meaningful KM support: Fit to model related tasks Integrate all relevant actors: Bottom-up approach Combine personal and group information management Equal handling of content in KM Provide information regardless of content type Relate similar information Provide perceivable descriptions Dimishing the complexity gap of heterogeneous content needs semantic approach Fostering collaboration by combining web 2 and CSCW applications Michael Prilla Semantic Spectrum Fostering collaboration by combining web 2 and CSCW applications Michael Prilla Ontologies Taxonomies Thesauri Categories Tag Clusters Tag Proposals Free Tagging Flexible Perceptable Ambigious Individual Easy Flat Flexible Perceptable Ambigious Individual Easy Flat Precise Deductive Machine readable Levelling Complex Fixed Precise Deductive Machine readable Levelling Complex Fixed Choice of semantic support depends on Task to be supported and overall goal Organizational culture (hierarchies, ) Present vocabulary People working with it Semantics: Publishing vs. Collaboration Fostering collaboration by combining web 2 and CSCW applications Michael Prilla Control by a few Anticipation of categorization Unidirectional information exchange Slowly changing Useful in slowly changing, precise information structures and vocabularies Social Tagging: Collaboration, Bottom-Up Social Tagging: Collaboration, Bottom-Up Content Categories, Ontologies: Publishing, Top-Down Categories, Ontologies: Publishing, Top-Down Control by all Users (Prosumers) Emergence of categorization Bidirectional information exchange Flexibility Useful in quickly adapting, multi- perspective and fuzzy information structures mutual enrichment mutual enrichment Tagging as a Tool for KM Approach: Tag process maps for integration into KM Bottom-up semantic content description Personal incentives group benefit Self-organization Human perception Low usage burden Integration into existing applications Appropriate for various content types Reverse googling (Furnas) Suitable for bottom-up classification and integration of different perspectives Fostering collaboration by combining web 2 and CSCW applications Michael Prilla Background Fostering collaboration by combining web 2 and CSCW applications Michael Prilla Domain User 2 User 1 User 5 User 3 User 4 Terminology Shaw&Gaines (1989) e.g. Anderson (2006) Brand (1994) / Morville (2005) Why should people tag content? Rule of Thumb for Tagging: The more you tag, the more you will receive Contextualization to own information space Perceiving and browsing other content Goal: Immediate feedback Approach for modeling Tagging process elements and maps makes similar information accessible while modeling Approach for KM system Tagging content improves connections between own content units and between people Fostering collaboration by combining web 2 and CSCW applications Michael Prilla See last slide for resources describing user incentives in web 2. Describing Models by Tagging Fostering collaboration by combining web 2 and CSCW applications Michael Prilla Using Tags in Models Fostering collaboration by combining web 2 and CSCW applications Michael Prilla Document Link Model Document Image Existing Tags slides present presenting finish talk powerpoint instruction nervous questions presentation Similar content Framework: KM support for Model Lifecycle Fostering collaboration by combining web 2 and CSCW applications Michael Prilla Explore content, receive while modelling Semantically linked Tag based queries Stream content Tag Based Exchange via Web Service Share models from modelling application Basis: Tags XML exchange Include linked content and tags Generic framework: Integrate multiple applications and information sources Intended Benefits Help people in modeling, acquiring knowledge and understanding complex content Bring people together, e.g. sketchers and writers or designers and programmers Contextualize content (value, usability) Show perspectives on content (boundary objects) Support creative work and interaction Disruptive elements Diversity Problem spaces Fostering collaboration by combining web 2 and CSCW applications Michael Prilla Project status Past and current work Intensive literature study Case study analysis Prototypes and framework Interviews with domain experts Remaining work Fine tuning (approach and framework) Evaluation (experiments) Bonus Development of web-based modeling editor Fostering collaboration by combining web 2 and CSCW applications Michael Prilla See also: Prilla, Herrmann (2007): Applying Social Tagging as a Knowledge Management Tool for Process Models. IKNOW 07. Example 2: Using Tagging to enrich structure Primary structure of content causes irritations in finding information in knowledge work Even worse for complex content Integration of Tagging into Kolumbus 2 content structure Semantic content classification Bottom-up contextualization Tags as cross cutting concerns of structure Goal: Provide Flexible structure and findability Group and individual classification Fostering collaboration by combining web 2 and CSCW applications Michael Prilla Levels of Structure in Knowledge Work Fostering collaboration by combining web 2 and CSCW applications Michael Prilla Individual Group Organisation Tags Categories Tag Clusters/Clouds enrich, inform shape, propose feed back, converge contextualize Tagging in Kolumbus 2 Fostering collaboration by combining web 2 and CSCW applications Michael Prilla Combining Tagging Mechanisms Fostering collaboration by combining web 2 and CSCW applications Michael Prilla Prototype: SeeMe Model Editor and Kolumbus 2 Integration of tagging support for applications Example 3: Collaborative writing Poor support in collaborative text production External editors No intertwining of text and material Web-based editors miss Awareness features Support for co-ownership Approach: Merge applications Integration of web-based editor into Kolumbus 2 content structure Target audience: Spatially distributed, fresh collaborators (Students, ) Fostering collaboration by combining web 2 and CSCW applications Michael Prilla Example 3: Kolumbus 2 Co-Writer Fostering collaboration by combining web 2 and CSCW applications Michael Prilla See also: Prilla, Ritterskamp (2007): Kolumbus 2 Co-Writer: The Next Step in Collaborative Writing. 07. Tight integration of views and functionality Summary Web 2 functionality in CSCW for Bottom-Up perspective sharing and low usage burden Device independent collaborative writing Levels of information structure (PIM to GIM) Benefits for CSCW Increased participation and user acceptance Individual and group support Design considerations Integrate meaningfully, do not copy Play with web 2 functionality Take best of two worlds Fostering collaboration by combining web 2 and CSCW applications Michael Prilla Literature See my literature on bibsonomy.org Tagging generalMotivation for participation in web 2 appsMy papers related to this talkFostering collaboration by combining web 2 and CSCW applications Michael Prilla