1. Computer Supported Cooperative Work 440 Autumn 2008
CSCW & Groupware
Computer Supported Cooperative Work
440 Autumn 2008

4. Background
CSCW grew from discontent with single user HCI methods applied to multi-user technologies and settings
Focus on
Workplace activity
Understanding nature of collaborative tasks
Co-evolution of technologies and communities
Early apps
CAD, computer integrated manufacturing, computer aided software engineering, office automation

5. What is CSCW? Work is a social activity
People and their activities are integral to design of technology
Workers may have social proximity despite physical/temporal distance.
The water cooler effect.
What is “work”

6. CSCW focuses on people working with others
Community
Organization
Project teams
Small groups
Individuals
CSCW
HCI
traditional HCI

7. Related Fields Behavioural Science Computer Science Telecommunications
Social psychology
Organizational science
Anthropology
Sociology
Computer Science
Distributed computing
Networking
User interface/visualization
Mobile & wireless
Telecommunications
Telephony
video

8. Related methods Involve users! User Centered Design Management Studies
Focus on user at the interface
Management Studies
Focus on decision making
Contextual Analysis and Design
Interviews in work settings
Participatory Design
Have the user be a designer
Anthropology/Ethnography
Long term study of groups/organizations

9. Face to Face communication
Personal Space
Eye contact and gaze
Can convey interest, confusion, boredom
Gestures and body language
Back channels, confirmation, interruption
Back channels = nods, shrugs, small noises
Turn Taking
Ums, ahs, pauses
What happens when these channels are unavailable?

10. Face to Face vs CMI Face to Face Computer mediated interaction
Communication
Face to Face
Coordination
Information
Failure to understand context
*Manager reciprocity example.
*backchannel communication (eg dentist notes in margins)
Technology not good enough
Missing out on the intangibles.
Computer mediated interaction
Communication
Coordination
Information

11. Beyond Being There
What are some advantages of computer mediated collaboration over face to face?

12. Dimensions of Cooperation
Location
Same Place
Different Place
Same
Time
Synchronous
Local
Remote
Different
Asynchronous
Time
What are some examples of applications in these areas?

13. Dimensions of Cooperation
Location
Same Place
Different Place
Same
Time
Face to Face conversation
Telephone
Different
Post-it note
Letter
Time
What are some examples of applications in these areas?

14. Where would google documents fit?
Location
Same
Different
Meeting rooms
Video Conference
Video wall IM
Shared work surfaces and editors
Shared PCs and windows
Augmentation tools
-”Where were you?”
Electronic conferences
Co-authoring systems
Shared calendars
Time
Where would google documents fit?

15. Questions When is a text better than a phone call?
What is the difference between IM and ?

16. Activity Spectrum Awareness Shared Experience Loosely coupled activity
Social Activities
Informal Interactions
Locating Colleagues
Office Sharing
Meetings
Focused work tasks
Highly interactive activity

17. The Awareness Orb

18. Organizational Issues
Who benefits?
Free rider problem
Critical mass
Changing power structures
Benefits of use
Cost of use
Number of users
Critical Mass

19. Organizational Issues
Reciprocity / Symmetry
If you do work for a system, you should get some benefit
Fitting in with organizational structure and values
Flexibility
Cost
Setup
Maintenance

20. Granularity Network system with locking Large Chunk size Small
Shared editor
Frequent Infrequent
Update

21. Groupware systems Email Videoconferencing Lotus Notes Bulletin Boards
Google Documents …

22. Email Where does it fit? Why is it successful? Where has it failed?
Place/Space
Same
Different
Synchronous
Local
Remote
Asynchronous
Time

23. Videoconferencing Where does it fit? Why isn’t it more popular?
Place/Space
Same
Different
Synchronous
Local
Remote
Asynchronous
Time

24. Videoconferencing What are the difficulties? How has it failed?
How has it succeeded?
How could it be improved?
Clearboard/Teamworkstation (Ishii et al)
VideoWhiteboard (Tang et al)

25. ClearBoard

26. MultiView

27. Pebbles / Remote Commander

28. DiamondTouch

29. CSCW Topics Social Tagging Concurrent Editing Displays Social Networks
Privacy
Wikis