Collaboration over the WWW















George Chin Jr.
October 15, 1996












Presentation Outline


Definitions

Collaboration Issues

Communications Mechanisms

Shared Artifacts

Collaboration Frameworks

Forms of Collaboration over the WWW

Future of Collaboration over the WWW











Definitions


Collaboration - the act of participants working as a group to strive towards a common purpose or to achieve a common goal. Implicit in group interaction is multi-way communications and mutual awareness among group members.

Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) - the sharing of software and hardware among groups working together so as to optimize the shared technology for maximum benefit to all those who use or are affected by it.

Groupware - software designed to be used by more than one person. [Preece]










Collaboration Issues


Real-Time vs. Delayed Interaction (Synchronous vs. Asynchronous)

Breaking Social and Cultural Barriers

Roles Induce Particular Forms of Collaboration

Construction of Group Knowledge

Telepresence















Communications Mechanisms


Inter-Relay Chat (IRC)

Synchronous Audio

Video Teleconferencing

3D Virtual Reality

E-Mail

Bulletin Boards













Shared Artifacts


Topics of Common Interest

Data (Whiteboards, Shared Data Collection and Analysis Tools)

Applications (Shared Application Mechanisms)





















Collaboration Frameworks


Discussion Groups/Newsgroups

MUDs/MOOs

3D Virtual Worlds

Joint Composition/Development Tools

Review/Annotation Systems

















Forms of Collaboration over the WWW


Professional Work

peer-peer, manager-peer

Education/Training

teacher-student, student-student, teacher-teacher

Entertainment/Social Forum

common interest peer-peer, male-female

Commerce

salesperson-customer, reservation clerk-customer











Professional Work


Meetings/Conferences (e.g., wOrlds Project)

Collaborative Writing (e.g., StorySpace, CommonSpace)

Collaborative Research (e.g., EMSL Collaboratory)

Remote Data Collection and Analysis/Remote Equipment Operation (e.g., LabSpace)

Project Management
























Education / Training


Lectures/Presentations (e.g., KMi Stadium, Virtual Summer School, Diversity University MOO)

Professional/Expert Advice (e.g., Internet Vet Column, Network Physics Teaching Assistant, JavaSoft Forum)

Situated Experience (e.g., Oregon Trail Simulation, Project LINK, Night of the Comet)

Collaborative Simulations (e.g., Collaborative Visualization (CoVis), NIE Collaborative Simulations)

Collaborating Writing

Expositions/Fairs (e.g., Virtual Science and Mathematics Fair '95)










Entertainment


Social Forum (e.g., The Sprawl, MOOtiny)

Games, Roleplaying (e.g., Frontier City, Harper's Tale)

Movie/Restaurant/Entertainment Reviews (e.g., Internet Movie Database)

Sports/Hobby Discussion (e.g., SportsZone College Football Chat)

Collaborative Artistic Pursuits (e.g., Collaborative Electronic Comic Book, WAXweb, Interactive Genetic Art, Interactive Genetic Music, Global Clock Project)











Commerce


Reservations/Appointments (e.g., Travelocity Travel Agency)

Purchases

Expositions/Conventions (e.g., Virtual Expo)






















The Future of Collaboration over the WWW


Higher Bandwidth = Richer Forms of Interaction

More Integrated Collaboration Frameworks

Explosion of Groupware Applications over the WWW