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READY STEADY GO

Page history last edited by PBworks 16 years ago

 

 

“READY STEADY GO!” *

 

 

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Having all possible computer-supported collaboration tools ready to use at the beginning of the design project (in the collocated workshop) allows for a smooth collaboration start.

 

Context

You are using GRAND OPENING to establish a friendly and trustful atmosphere among the distributed collaborators, which is important for collective cultures. However, due to some constrains, not all remote international students could attend the local workshop.

 

Problem

How can you equally integrate all participants in the design project from the beginning?

Breakdown Scenario (Forces)

In the collocated intensive workshop, local and visiting attendees establish shared understanding of the project. While the remote members are unaware of this local progress, local participants do not know the views of the remote team members who could not attend the workshop. The remote participants are not integrated well in the community. However, a full integration of the remote members based on synchronous collaboration technologies i.e. video chat might slow down and fragment the collocated workshop process.

 

Solution

Introduce the use of computer-supported communication already during the GRAND OPENING collocated workshop.

Require the regular (daily) communication of the local discussion progress and decision results to the remote partner, who should give feedback so his or her views can be considered in the following days discussion. Let the team negotiate and decide how to communicate the process and who is responsible for this task. To make this possible, all communication means need to be setup in advance. A range of synchronous and asynchronous communication technologies needs to be installed. Student accounts, team pages and other web spaces should be ready to use. Furthermore, all shared documents like subject information, schedules, or design briefs should be accessible online so to get students used to integrate computer-supported technologies in their collocated collaboration. Consider using design patterns for collocated collaboration by Arvola (2002). You may deliver lectures via video webcast, record lectures or offer an online presentation of the contents so that remote students have access to the same information as local students.

 

Why

On the one hand, an early-adapted computer-supported communication of the local processes supports the emergence of an inclusive community, which is important for collective community cultures. On the other hand, this establishes a pattern for communication that can be continued after the visiting remote students went back to their own country. If a team culture of computer-supported work is already established in the beginning, it is more likely to be continued thereafter. Furthermore, participants become aware of possible problems in technology orientation and use. Since face saving techniques are employed by collective cultures, a problem in using those collaboration means would be more apparent and could be easier resolved in the first days of the project than at a later stage. Face-saving cultures often avoid direct conflict. However, if a problem arises in remote collaboration it has to be mentioned explicitly in textual communication, which makes the person who has difficulties sot lose face. In collocated situations technology use differences or difficulties are observed and resolved implicitly.

 

Uncertainties are reduced faster in a collocated workshop. The inclusion of a distant team member in this process is important for high uncertainty avoidance remote partners. While achievement cultures feel positive because collaboration goals can be clarified with all participants, ascription cultures feel to be equal part of the project and ascribe to the collaborative project easier

 

Resulting Context

Employ the patterns COMMUNITY WATCH and INTERNATIONAL HOME to set up a computer-supported communication environment that participants can use right away.

 

Related Work

Arvola proposed interaction design patterns for computers in sociable use that discuss in more detail option of the use of technology in collocated collaboration.

 

 

<-- Design Patterns Network

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