Single Display Groupware

Ana Zanella

- CPSC 601.13 -

Definition

Single Display Groupware (SDG) is a class of CSCW applications that supports

multiple simultaneous users interacting co-located on a single shared display, usually

using multiple input devices (MID)

[Stewart]

Group’s Interactions

• What are the types of functions groups execute during the work?

• How do groups interact in terms of shared artifacts being manipulated?

• How do groups communicate in a face-to-face situation?

Group’s Behaviors

• Visible behaviors (Whittaker)– Gesture– Posture– Eye gaze– Facial expressions

• Shared surface actions (Tang)– List– Draw– Gesture– Talk

Grounding Communication

• Grounding changes with purpose and medium (Clark)

• Mediate communication• Store information• Explain a concept• Create a reminder• Reference something• Emphasize a talk• Simulate ordered events

• Face-to-face• Telephone• E-mail• Fax• Video/audio• Computer tool

Characteristics of SDG Applications

• Support to face-to-face interaction• Shared and coupled view• Shared user interface• Shared feedback • Multiple cursors• Different types of input devices • No privileged devices• No global data

– Per user or per device

Potential Advantages

• Maintaining face-to-face interactions

• Enabling collaboration that was inhibited by social barriers

• Enabling types of collaborations that require multiple users

• Enriching existing collaborations

• Reducing/eliminating conflicts

• Encouraging peer learning/teaching

• Strengthening communication skills

Potential Disadvantages

• It may take longer to complete tasks

• Navigation may be frustrating

• Applications may be slower

• Applications may not be portable

• Screen real state problem

• Adding technology may add constrains to face-to-face interactions

Types of SDG Applications• Children’s Application

• games, educational tools

• Software demonstration• Meeting Tools

• brainstorming, discussing and design tasks

• SDG Editors• text, drawing

• Multiple Input Device Systems• two handed input

SDG Applications

• MidDraw MID [Bederson]

SDG Applications

• KidPad MID [Bederson]

SDG Applications

• PebblesDraw Pebbles [Myers]

SDG Applications

• MID Editor [Zanella] uses MIDFrame [Shoemaker]

SDG Applications

• Connect the Dots games [Zanella] uses MIDFrame [Shoemaker]

Issues in SDG Design

• Technological issues– Input devices– Output devices

• Widgets issues

• Data issues

Issue: Input Devices

• Multiple users and input– Operating Systems do not allow several inputs at

the same time: mouse vs. keyboard– Simultaneous input data to be treated

• Average of the inputs

Issue: Input Devices

• Multiple input devices and multiple pointers– Operating System allows one cursor only

• Two mice connected, input is the average of both

– Several pointers:• One pointer per user in the room

– Confusion

• More users than pointers– Who is interacting and who is not

Issue: Input Devices

• Multiple input devices

• Turn taking vs. Simultaneous access– One user per device

• Parallel work: collaboration may not occur

– More users than devices• Some turn-taking: may encourage users to

collaborate more, even though some are working in parallel

Issue: Input Devices

• Different types of input devices • Treat different devices’ inputs

• Different issues:– Mouse, joystick : restricts gestures, do not avoid

interference, not much awareness– PDA’s: personal screen, restricts gestures– Pens: allows some gestures, awareness of users, avoid

interference– Touch screen: allows gestures, awareness of users, avoid

interference

• Tabletop

• Whiteboard

• Multiple whiteboards side by side

• Tabletop and whiteboards

• Monitor

• Laptop

Issue: Architectural Setting

Architectural setting• Scalability (display size)

– Monitor• Small display: screen real state, people are

closer, looking possible to the same information

• Mouse or keyboard

– Whiteboard• People are more far away, less integrated to

work together, can be looking at or working on a different parts of the display

• Pen or touch screen

Issue: Output Devices• Screen real state problem

– Several users at the same time

working on different information

On the screen• Too much data

– Coupled view • If a user scrolls to an empty area, other may not be able

to see their work

• Orientation– Monitor, whiteboard

• Unique orientation

– Tabletop• Orientation mediates collaboration

• Read and write upside-down

• Orientation is extremely important for some tasks– Location in maps

– Interior design

– Floor plans

Issue: Output Devices

Issue: Widgets• Interference

– Monitor: • Small work area

• Mouse, keyboard

– Whiteboard: • Larger work area

• Touch screen, pen, mouse

– Tabletop: • Larger work area

• Pen, touch screen, mouse

Issue: Widgets

• Awareness– What others are doing– Many information is captured outside the system– What is important to be embedded into the

system?• Modes?

• Global actions messaging?

Issue: Widgets• User identification

– Who is and who is not interacting? • (More users that input devices)

– Which cursor is mine?– Whose cursors are the others?

• Name

• Picture

• Icon

• Color

Issue: Widgets• Personal vs. Global actions

– Personal: may not affect others• Mode change

– Global: related to all users, everybody must be aware

• Social protocols?

• Clear screen

• Save

Issue: Widgets• Joint actions

– KidPad – Educational applications– How does it apply to meetings?

(real world applications) • Marking important topics

• Persistent data

• Personal widgets: menus, popup menus?

• Multiple selection of tools

• Undo

• Scroll bar

• Menu selection and menu option selection

Other Widgets Issues

Issue: Data

• Multiple selection of data at a time:– Move– Delete– Modify

• Data per user– Can others delete my data?– When I undo: does it undo my last action or

general last action?

Restriction on the Definition

• One display– Single display groupware

Vs.

– Co-located groupware• Multiple screens

• Multiple input devices – some with own display

• Some issues apply to both, but new ones can be added with the addition of several displays

Conclusions

• Based on face-to-face interactions– Some aspects are maintained– When technology is added some behaviors may

change

• Multiple input devices is necessary– Simultaneity

• Operating Systems do not support multiple input devices– Applications have to treat MID– Non portable applications

Conclusions

• Several issues have not been studied in detail:– Different types of devices– Scalability – Interference– Orientation– Co-located groupware: several displays

What I Am Doing

• Widgets

• Interference

• Architecture for SDG – multiple types of devices

Interference

• Transparent popup menus

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