1. New Media Consortium,Social Computing Conference Nov.19, 2004 - 1 Two Examples of Credibility in Collaborative Decision-Making: Constructing a Media Event Annotating A Formally Approved Document Ursula Wolz, Michael Massimi, Eric Tarn, Peter Babinski The College of New Jersey Susan Weinman Thomas Paine Elementary School, Cherry Hill, NJ

2. New Media Consortium,Social Computing Conference Nov.19, 2004 - 2 Introduction Social computing requires consideration for the credibility of group members. –Who is allowed to make changes to a collaboratively developed artifact –How are individuals allowed to influence the collective decision-making of a group

3. New Media Consortium,Social Computing Conference Nov.19, 2004 - 3 Overview of Hopewell How to update and comment upon a fixed artifact –A school district curriculum document –Developed by committee Credibility involves who is allowed access to –Make changes –Comment –Comments of others –Who recommends changes? –How can notes be kept private?

4. New Media Consortium,Social Computing Conference Nov.19, 2004 - 4 Overview of Group dynamics in sharing a fixed resource in an ad hoc network Example is sharing music through good speakers In natural settings decision-making is influenced by individual credibility.

5. New Media Consortium,Social Computing Conference Nov.19, 2004 - 5 The Hopewell Challenge Hopewell Valley Regional School District has a formal curriculum approved by the Board of Education How to allow teachers to comment and take private notes on the curriculum without changing it?

6. New Media Consortium,Social Computing Conference Nov.19, 2004 - 6 Educational Objectives Meaningful dialog: enhance collaboration and communication among teachers Efficiency: tools to assist curriculum development and refinement Analysis: resources for multi-modal data collection and analysis Support initiatives: facilitate a culture where teachers gain administrative support for ‘grass roots’ change. Explicitly address balance between –Individual privacy –Collaborative needs –Institutional security Initiating improvement comes from many sources HVRSD Mission: A coherent, sequential curriculum that reflects essential knowledge, inspires lifelong learning in a rapidly changing world

7. New Media Consortium,Social Computing Conference Nov.19, 2004 - 7 BEFORE THE DATABASE

8. New Media Consortium,Social Computing Conference Nov.19, 2004 - 8 Social Constraints Teachers in four schools (at least 10 miles apart) come together at most twice a year Different committee tackle different problems: (subject, mapping, special education) Data is lost: –Teachers make informal comments –May take paper notes –Administration only has anecdotal evidence of need for change Collaboration requires establishing trust –Private notes –Informal question raising –Formal proposal for change

9. New Media Consortium,Social Computing Conference Nov.19, 2004 - 9 THE VISION A database that supports: “Messy” data Simple methods for querying (Wizard of Oz) ANNOTATING rather than changing data Credibility defined through user type ViewQueryAnnotateChange PublicSelected parts of common No SupervisorCommonYesNo ScribeCommonYesNoYes TeacherCommon +private annotations YesMake public and private No Sys adminCommonYes

10. New Media Consortium,Social Computing Conference Nov.19, 2004 - 10 Target Outcomes Teachers would learn to define assessment –By articulating success –By voicing concerns about disconnect between expectations and implementation Teachers would raise questions about curricular –Choice –Sequencing –Relevance

11. New Media Consortium,Social Computing Conference Nov.19, 2004 - 11 Curriculum Example

12. New Media Consortium,Social Computing Conference Nov.19, 2004 - 12 Annotations

13. New Media Consortium,Social Computing Conference Nov.19, 2004 - 13 Queries via Wizard of Oz

14. New Media Consortium,Social Computing Conference Nov.19, 2004 - 14 QUESTIONS WE ANTICIPATED What other grade levels teach rocks and minerals? What grammar is taught in each grade level? How many times are maps taught across the curriculum? When is oral reading introduced and is it done at every grade level? Where is the overlap in regards to types of writing? When in second grade do students revisit telling time to the five minute interval? When is division mastered? Where are 5 paragraph essays introduced? What money skills are taught in 1st grade? Are mammals taught in any other grade level? How thoroughly do our fifth graders investigate Matter?

15. New Media Consortium,Social Computing Conference Nov.19, 2004 - 15 GOOD QUESTIONS! This isn't a query, but I do have a question. How could I ask the 5th grade teachers to switch the "American Tour" section of the Everyday Math Program with the "World Tour" in the 4th grade edition? Are the Kindergarten skills verbiage consistent with other grade levels? Is it possible to have some flexibility when teaching science and social studies topics in a different order than what is presented on the map? We really need to track how Native Americans are studied K-5...we are supposed to cover it in 4th grade, but quite honestly, I never get to spend much time on it. Is there a way to query all lessons related to Native Americans. Can you modify my search on multiplication to find out where a traditional approach is taught for multiplication? I don't think the map reflects it, but it should be somewhere in 4th grade, and also in 5th

16. New Media Consortium,Social Computing Conference Nov.19, 2004 - 16 OUTCOMES Teachers were better able to articulate assessment Annotations did lead to queries that motivated proposals for curricular change New literacy curriculum is: –Articulated with state standards –Tied to assessments –Defined by student skills not calendar –Organized in a table that allows vertical views

17. New Media Consortium,Social Computing Conference Nov.19, 2004 - 17 Segue Hopewell captures static credibility through user type, human decision- making mediates change to the artifact rMusic promotes dynamic credibility that influences automatic decision- making in an artifact

18. New Media Consortium,Social Computing Conference Nov.19, 2004 - 18 The rMUSIC Challenge In ad-hoc local networks security and privacy must be managed “on the fly” How to allocate fixed resources: –Printers –Scanners –Large screen video –Shared sound !!!!!

19. New Media Consortium,Social Computing Conference Nov.19, 2004 - 19 Overview rMUSIC is a way to collaboratively design a music play list at a small gathering Aims to reinvent the way groups of people share music

20. New Media Consortium,Social Computing Conference Nov.19, 2004 - 20 The “Modern Sock-Hop” A group of people gathering at a social function where music is to be played. Each individual contributes his/her own music to the group’s collective library. There is no specific DJ – everyone is involved in choosing music. Everyone has a different taste in music. Small nightclubs/discotheques, dorm rooms, apartments, karaoke bars, etc.

21. New Media Consortium,Social Computing Conference Nov.19, 2004 - 21 What rMUSIC Does The songs residing on each mobile device are registered with the server (NOT copied). Songs can then be chosen by anyone else at the gathering by selecting them on their mobile device. Position of songs on the play list can be altered by using the mobile device.

22. New Media Consortium,Social Computing Conference Nov.19, 2004 - 22 How The Dynamic Play list Is Formed Problem: –First-In First-Out models are subject to abuse –Deterministic voting isn’t that fair (nor does it capture the natural dynamic of credibility). Solution: –A better “mix” evolves from group decisions that are based on some measure of credibility.

23. New Media Consortium,Social Computing Conference Nov.19, 2004 - 23 rMUSIC Architecture Mediation Server Clients Fixed Resource

24. New Media Consortium,Social Computing Conference Nov.19, 2004 - 24 Voting Users post songs, other users vote those songs up or down. User credibility is measured by how songs survive referenda. Linear voting potentially produces: –Isolation where a user’s songs are never played –Dominance where only one (or a few) user’s songs are played. A non-linear model is used to prevent domination/isolation

25. New Media Consortium,Social Computing Conference Nov.19, 2004 - 25 Graph of Change Weight

26. New Media Consortium,Social Computing Conference Nov.19, 2004 - 26 Current Implementation Java 2 Standard Edition desktop client. –Moving towards a J2ME mobile client on Sharp Zaurus. MySQL database used to manage play list and users. Wired ethernet connection.

27. New Media Consortium,Social Computing Conference Nov.19, 2004 - 27 User Testing Has Just Begun 6 - 12 users Shills to force dominance or isolation Food! Music loaded by hand In a lab setting

28. New Media Consortium,Social Computing Conference Nov.19, 2004 - 28 The Current Interface

29. New Media Consortium,Social Computing Conference Nov.19, 2004 - 29 Preliminary Outcomes Party-goers had fun, they –Tried to get their songs to the top –Got competitive about their ratings – Appreciated the need for credibility The software worked (!), we need to –Migrate to a more informal locale –Get the handheld software running

30. New Media Consortium,Social Computing Conference Nov.19, 2004 - 30 Next Steps Would dynamic credibility be useful for curriculum analysis? –Whose comments wake up an administrator? –Voting on comments (comments on comments?) –Would competitiveness be useful? Could dynamic ordering of a performance be applied to visual media? –A virtual, collaborative museum –Single screen, multiple screens Voting Dynamics –Who adjudicates change? –The Baseball problem (three scorekeepers, who got it right)

31. New Media Consortium,Social Computing Conference Nov.19, 2004 - 31 Summary Static Credibility Provides safety Potential for creating implicit isolation or dominance Appears to encourage cooperative collaboration Dynamic Credibility Models natural behavior Raises interesting concerns about value of opinion Appears to encourage competitive collaboration

32. New Media Consortium,Social Computing Conference Nov.19, 2004 - 32 Hopewell Credits The DB Developers (over the years) Peter Babinski Stacy Brasol Ryan Gladysiewics Michael Hulme Michael Locasto Michael Massimi Greg Nice Kultida Tangwongchai Consultants: Dr. Miroslav Martinovic Dr. Nobo Komogata The Hopewell Staff Stephen Cochrane Dr. Nick Lorenzetti Claire Brusseau Patricia Coats The teachers: Ann Marie Anthony Marianne Calvo Jennifer Dutka Lori Gerald Susanne King Frances M. Maguire Deborah M. Nutt Elizabeth M. Richtmyer Claudia P. Scotti Annette R. Stay Eileen W. Sweeney Dawn F. Wheeler W. Lee White Find more information at http://hopewell.tcnj.edu

33. New Media Consortium,Social Computing Conference Nov.19, 2004 - 33 rMUSIC Credits The Software Developers Mike Massimi Eric Tarn Scott Carpenter Eric Thul Consultants Prof. Phil Sanders Prof. Kim Pearson All of our friends and colleagues who are willing to come to our very weird parties! Find more information at: http://www.tcnj.edu/~rmusic So what does it stand for? resource Mediation by User-Supported Initiative in Communities