Construction of interaction observation systems for collaboration analysis in groupware applications

Interaction observation systems for groupware applications capture and process all the actions performed by users engaged in workgroups. These actions are then stored in log documents that enable the work process carried out by the users to be analyzed and the interaction between users to be studied. This article proposes an approach, based on ontological models, which is devised to help the developer of an observation system for a groupware application to structure and record user actions. In order to achieve this aim, we present a specific ontology that shapes the collaborative work process of the users so as to obtain an XML-based log document that stores all the actions carried out by the users and facilitates the subsequent analysis of the system usage and users’ behavior. This approach has been used to improve communication and collaboration capabilities in the COLLECE groupware application.     

Users’ attitudes toward Web-based collaborative learning systems for knowledge management

The Web-based technology is a potential tool for supported collaborative learning that may enrich learning performance, such as individual knowledge construction or group knowledge sharing. Thus, understanding Web-based collaborative learning for knowledge management is a critical issue. The present study is to investigate learners’ attitudes toward Web-based collaborative learning systems. Based on this research, the results of factor analysis show that five attitude factors (system functions, system satisfaction, collaborative activities, learners’ characteristics, and system acceptance) should be examined at the same time when building a Web-based collaborative learning system. The results also provide an acceptance model for understanding users’ behavioral intention of facilitating Web-based collaborative systems.     

Investigating teamwork and taskwork in single- and multi-display groupware systems

Multi-display groupware (MDG) systems, which typically comprise both public and personal displays, promise to enhance collaboration, yet little is understood about how they differ in use from single-display groupware (SDG) systems. While research has established the technical feasibility of MDG systems, evaluations have not addressed the question of how users’ behave in such environments, how their interface design can impact group behavior, or what advantages they offer for collaboration. This paper presents a user study that investigates the impact of display configuration and software interface design on taskwork and teamwork. Groups of three completed a collaborative optimization task in single- and multi-display environments, under different task interface constraints. Our results suggest that MDG configurations offer advantages for performing individual task duties, whereas SDG conditions offer advantages for coordinating access to shared resources. The results also reveal the importance of ergonomic design considerations when designing co-located groupware systems.     

Investigating Group Structure in CSCL: Some New Approaches

This paper reports some recent findings of a continuing international study that is investigating computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL) processes among a community engaged in a masters program in e-learning. This study presents results of an analysis of learning and tutoring interactions in three different groups. Each group was presented with a different model to facilitate collaborative interaction, using specially designed groupware. The empirical analysis used two compatible methods: content analysis (CA) and critical event recall (CER). The study reveals the differentiated nature of participants interactions: the results show that the groups who used the management roles and progressive enquiry models were more actively engaged in learning and tutoring interactions than the group without an additional structure (NAS).This revised version was published online in March 2005 with corrections to the cover date     

Perceived values and prospective users’ acceptance of prospective technology: The case of a career eportfolio system

Technology-acceptance tests are traditionally conducted after users have obtained at least a certain amount of experience with a technology. Taking college students who had no real interaction with a prospective eportfolio system, this study investigated both their perceptions of the system and the perceptions’ association with attitude towards and intention of using the system. A pre-implementation value-assessment model was proposed, and the results indicate that for prospective users, attitudes appear to have the strongest significant direct effect on usage intentions. Perceived functional value serves as the preliminary conditions that mediate the effect of the perceived epistemic value on attitude. Perceived contextual value influences users’ attitude and intention via the mediation of perceived epistemic value and perceived functional value. This model provides a systemic understanding of prospective users’ perceptions of the system, and such an understanding can help change agents to examine their assumptions about prospective users’ perceptions concerning the value and acceptance of a new technology.     

Multiple Mice based collaborative one-to-one learning

Exchange is a collaborative learning application, originally developed for wirelessly interconnected Pocket PCs, that provides support for students and a teacher performing a face-to-face computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL) activity in a Single Input/Single Display (SISD) mode. We extend the application to support a single display groupware (SDG) mode. In this new version, named Exchange-MM, three users each with their own mouse (Multiple Mice) interact on a single display with mediation by a technological network. The original collaborative interaction is maintained. We describe a collaborative learning activity and the software architecture that supports both interaction modes, and also present a usability analysis of the activity conducted with second-grade schoolchildren. The results show that as in SISD mode, in SDG with Multiple Mice (MM) the technological network improves communication, negotiation, interactivity, coordination and appropriability between members of collaborative learning groups.     

A longitudinal experimental study on the interaction effects of persuasion quality, user training, and first-hand use on user perceptions of new information technology

While prior research has investigated the main effects of external factors on user perceptions of a new IT, little work has been into the interaction effect of external factors on user perceptions. In a longitudinal experimental study, we examined the effect of the quality of persuasive argument, user training, and first-hand use on user perceptions of the new technology over time. We found that the effect of argument quality on users’ perceived ease of use was greater when users had no training. However, we did not find the same effect occurred due to perceived usefulness. We also found that first-hand use changed users’ perceived usefulness more over time when users received high quality arguments or when they had no training. While we found that first-hand use changed users’ perceived ease of use more when users received high quality arguments, first-hand use did not change users’ perceived ease of use differently whether they had or had not received prior training.     

Understanding factors affecting perceived sociability of social software

Sociability is considered to be important to the success of social software. The goal of the current study is to identify factors that affect the users’ perception of the sociability of social software and to examine the impact of sociability on the users’ attitude and behavior intentions. In a pilot study, 35 web users were interviewed to gain understanding of how they use social software to supplement their social life and to explore the possible factors that influence the users’ utilization of social software. In the first study, a questionnaire was developed, and 163 valid responses were collected. From the factor analysis results, seven important factors for social software design emerged, which accounts for 63.3% of the total variance. In the second study, 246 participants were asked to evaluate one of ten popular social applications with respect to the seven factors, their perceived sociability, and their attitudes and intention regarding the use of the applications. Results show that sociability is influenced by social climate, benefits and purposes, people, interaction richness, self-presentation, and support for formal interaction. System competency is not a sociability factor, but it significantly influences the user’s experience. Sociability and system competency, when combined, can predict 43% of users’ attitude towards social software and 51% of their intentions to use social software.     

基于Web服务的协同CASE工具设计

为CASE工具提供协同功能的重要性显而易见.但现有系统功能的实现不是使用ad-hoc的方法就是使用一个特定的群件工具箱,这使得应用程序缺少可扩展性和灵活性.使用Web Service技术及其协议提出一种开发CASE工具的新途径,以解决以上问题.为满足协同工作的完整需求,系统还包括一个版本控制机制和群体意识功能组件.简要介绍这种基于Web Service的体系结构并对核心的设计和实现议题进行描述.     

On designing usable and secure recognition-based graphical authentication mechanisms

In this article we present the development of a new, web-based, graphical authentication mechanism called ImagePass. The authentication mechanism introduces a novel feature based on one-time passwords that increases the security of the system without compromising its usability. Regarding usability, we explore the users’ perception of recognition-based, graphical authentication mechanisms in a web environment. Specifically, we investigate whether the memorability of recognition-based authentication keys is influenced by image content. We also examine how the frequency of use affects the usability of the system and whether user training via mnemonic instructions improves the graphical password recognition rate. The design and development process of the proposed system began with a study that assessed how the users remember abstract, face or single-object images, and showed that single-object images have a higher memorability rate. We then proceeded with the design and development of a recognition-based graphical authentication mechanism, ImagePass, which uses single-objects as the image content and follows usable security guidelines. To conclude the research, in a follow-up study we evaluated the performance of 151 participants under different conditions. We discovered that the frequency of use had a great impact on users’ performance, while the users’ gender had a limited task-specific effect. In contrast, user training through mnemonic instructions showed no differences in the users’ authentication metrics. However, a post-study, focus-group analysis revealed that these instructions greatly influenced the users’ perception for memorability and the usability of the graphical authentication. In general, the results of these studies suggest that single-object graphical authentication can be a complementary replacement for traditional passwords, especially in ubiquitous environments and mobile devices.     

A distributed and interactive system to integrated design and simulation for collaborative product development

The goal of applying collaborative product development in industry has raised the need to develop software tools supporting system integration and group collaboration. Current methods and tools mainly focus on the collaborative creation of design components and assemblies. However, few of them support the collaborative work in developing simulation models so that proposed design concepts and solutions can be evaluated by integrating expertise from several disciplines. The purpose of this research is to develop a distributed and interactive system on which designers and experts can work together to create, integrate and run simulations for engineering design. To develop such a system, a number of issues, e.g. effectiveness and efficiency of modeling work, the re-use of models, interaction and cooperation, accuracy of simulation, collaborative operation on models, etc., need to be addressed. This paper describes an open architecture to developing simulations for engineering design in a distributed and collaborative environment, identifies a set of key issues raised in this architecture, and presents the techniques employed in our solution.     

Self-monitoring,honesty, and cue use on Facebook: The relationship with user extraversion and conscientiousness

The present study explored the relationship between Facebook (FB) users’ self-monitoring and self-reported FB honesty and the content of users’ profiles. It was anticipated that high self-monitors would construct a more extraverted profile and honest FB users would construct a more conscientious profile. A content analysis of 53 cues on participants’ FB profiles (N = 100) was conducted. Supporting evidence was shown in a lens model analysis of FB user profiles and strangers’ (N = 35) impressions of users’ personality. User self-monitoring was uniquely associated with three FB cues: posting a profile picture at a younger age, posting more frequently, and using more shorthand in status updates. These three cues informed strangers’ estimations of user extraversion, but were unrelated to estimations of users’ conscientiousness. Honesty on FB was uniquely associated with three cues that informed strangers’ estimations of user conscientiousness: expressing positive affect and talking more about family in status updates, and having FB friends who expressed support in response to status updates. This study demonstrated that FB use and profile page construction were associated with FB users’ personality, and the construction of profiles affected strangers’ perceptions of FB users.     

Groupware and social networks: will life ever be the same again?

Over the past twenty years industry and academia have been working to develop computer systems to increase work group's productivity, commonly referred to as groupware. Groupware encompasses a broad spectrum of research and development including group support systems, computer-supported collaborative work, group decision support systems, and computer mediated collaboration. Applications arising out of these efforts included concurrent multi-user authoring systems, computer conferencing, integrated computer/video meeting systems, electronic voting, brainstorming, and workflow systems. The papers in this special issue are some of the best from over 100 papers submitted to the GROUP'97 conference sponsored by the ACM Special Interest Group on Supporting Group Work. They represent work conducted by researchers on four continents from both industry and academia. As a group the authors present a blend of theory, practice, and technological innovation from the groupware research arena. This paper is intended to serve as an introduction to the area of groupware research and development. In it we explore the evolution of groupware and expose some of its effects on organizations and society.     

Identification and use of guidelines for the design of computer supported collaborative writing tools

As groupware and workflow technologies become widely accepted, it is important to identify and clarify best practice at all stages of the development of those systems. One approach to the promulgation of best practice is to develop clear and effective guidelines for application in system development.This paper is primarily concerned with the identification of guidelines to drive the design and implementation of one class of groupware — collaborative writing systems. In particular, consideration is given to guidelines for systems which support groups of distributed collaborating authors working asynchronously.Three relevant areas are investigated. First, social and integration issues of generic groupware are presented. Second, the design of existing collaborative writing tools is addressed. Third, models of both individual writers and collaborative writing tasks are discussed. Guidelines are drawn from each area.The guidelines have been adopted in the design of MILO, a collaborative writing system. MILO is briefly described and the way in which the guidelines have been implemented in MILO is reviewed. In conclusion, insights gained from informal observations of MILO in use for both single and multiple author tasks are presented.     

基于Notes/Domino的工程项目管理系统设计与实现

Lotus Notes/DominoR5把完整的工作流支技能力与信息传递集成在一起，提供了强大的协同开发环境，在CSCW技术背景下，讨论了Notes/Domino作为群件系统应用及开发平台的内在机制，并给出了“建筑工程项目和图档管理系统”的总体框架及实现细节。     

Psychological safety and social support in groupware adoption: A multi-level assessment in education

In this paper, the authors propose that psychological safety, a sense of interpersonal trust and being valued in a work team, is an important determinant of groupware technology adoption in an educational setting. They develop and test a model of antecedents and consequences of psychological safety. Data were collected from 361 university students, organized in 36 teams. Results of multi-level regression analysis reveal positive individual-level effects of perceived tutor support and perceived peer support on psychological safety. Furthermore, our findings show a positive unique group-level effect of perceived tutor support on psychological safety, where an individual’s level of self-consciousness strengthens this positive impact. In addition, findings of structural equation modeling demonstrate that both perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use partially mediate the positive effect of psychological safety on groupware usage. Psychological safety also shows a positive direct effect on groupware usage. Finally, a student’s offline communication frequency with his tutor and peers appears to strengthen the impact of psychological safety on perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and groupware usage.     

The artful use of groupware: An ethnographic study of how Lotus Notes is used in practice

This paper uses the results from an ethnographic study of a groupware system in use to argue against two accepted views on groupware systems. Firstly, this paper argues that groupware is useful in how it supports existing everyday organizational processes, rather than as an agent of radical organizational change. Discussing the use of Lotus Notes in a British oil company shows how groupware supports mundane processes such as tracking repairs to equipment or encouraging good ideas. In this case groupware is a useful, yet unradical, technology. This is contrasted with discussions of groupware as a technology of radical change. Secondly, this paper argues that rigidity-the inability to change how a system works-can be a positive feature of a groupware system, or indeed, a very requirement of that system. A Notes system is shown being used to support accountability, in that staff used the record kept within the system to make their actions seem orderly and sensible to others. In this case the rigidity of the system was needed to convince others that the record was not being altered or fabricated. This is contrasted with those who have argued that groupware systems should be highly customisable by their users. More generally, this study uncovers the 'artful use' of groupware systems, how they are inventively integrated into work processes by those who use them.     

Collaborative technologies in knowledge telework: an exploratory study

Abstract.  Knowledge workers in distributed work environments require substantial communication with colleagues and supervisors to perform their work activities, and collaborative technologies, like groupware, continue to improve the potential for such communication. This study investigates how an improvement in collaborative technology among a group of knowledge teleworkers impacts their communication patterns. The study focuses on one communication-based work process: knowledge sharing. The research involves a 6-month exploratory longitudinal case study of a group of teleworkers where a new groupware technology was implemented. The results indicate that while there are fewer instances of communication among group members after the technology is implemented, communication becomes more centralized around the district manager. These results suggest that increased collaborative technologies result in an adjustment between explicit and tacit knowledge sharing, as the availability of a centralized and updateable database reduces workgroup communications. However, consistent with structuration theory, telework group members do use communication technologies to address their most apparent needs and concerns. Other potential explanations and implications of these findings are discussed.     

A feature-oriented approach for developing reusable product line assets of service-based systems

Service orientation (SO) is a relevant promising candidate for accommodating rapidly changing user needs and expectations. One of the goals of adopting SO is the improvement of reusability, however, the development of service-based system in practice has uncovered several challenging issues, such as how to identify reusable services, how to determine configurations of services that are relevant to users’ current product configuration and context, and how to maintain service validity after configuration changes. In this paper, we propose a method that addresses these issues by adapting a feature-oriented product line engineering approach. The method is notable in that it guides developers to identify reusable services at the right level of granularity and to map users’ context to relevant service configuration, and it also provides a means to check the validity of services at runtime in terms of invariants and pre/post-conditions of services. Moreover, we propose a heterogeneous style based architecture model for developing such systems.