Cognitive modeling

Andy Clark, Professor of Philosophy and Cognitive Science in the School of Cognitive and Computing Sciences

http://www.sussex.ac.uk/Units/philosophy/faculty/aclark.html

Andy Clark [1997], Being There: Putting Brain, Body And World Together Again, MIT press, 1997.

Embodied cognition (connectionist systems where representational functions are emergent vs representational, computational rule and symbol systems)

Esther Thelen (Professor of Psychology): I am interested in the early acquisition of motor skill. The primary question is how the brain comes to control the limbs and body segments, which are physical effectors with mass and elastic qualities. Traditional information-processing or symbol string models cannot explain this mind-body link. We have adopted instead a dynamical systems approach, which focuses on the self-organizing qualities of complex, nonlinear systems. My current research asks how infants learn basic skills such as walking and reaching by comparing the kinematics of their movements with the underlying kinetics, or control of forces.

Thelen E., Smith L. [1994], A Dynamic Systems approach to the Development of Cognition and Action, MIT Press.

http://www.psych.indiana.edu/people/homepages/thelen.html

Arthur T. Denzau (Claremont Graduate School)

Douglass C. North (Washington University)

Denzau A., North D. [1995], Shared Mental Models: Ideologies and Institutions, Working Paper.

http://ideas.repec.org/p/wpa/wuwpeh/9309003.html

Abstract : The rational choice framework assumes that individuals know what is in their self interest and make choices accordingly. However, sometimes, especially in situations of uncertainty rather than risk, people act in part upon the basis of myths, dogmas, ideologies and "half-baked" theories. We begin this essay by noting that it is impossible to make sense out of the diverse performance of economies and polities if one confines one's behavioral assumptions to that of substantive rationality in which agents know what is in their self-interest and act accordingly. But once we open up the black box of "rationality," we encounter the complex and still very incomplete world of cognitive science. This essay is a preliminary exploration of some of the implications of the way by which humans attempt to order and structure their environment and communicate with each other. Over time, the approach has fundamental implications for understanding economic change. The performance of economies is a consequence of the incentive structures put into place; that is, the institutional framework of the polity and economy. These are in turn a function of the shared mental models and ideologies of the actors. The presence of learning creates path-dependence in ideas, ideologies and then in institutions. Systems of mental models exhibit path-dependence such that history matters, and in both suboptimal performance can persist for substantial periods of time.

Debra Satz, John Ferejohn: Stanford University

Satz D., Ferejohn J. [1994], "Rational Choice and Social Theory", Journal of Philosophy 9102, p.71-87

Satz D., Ferejohn J. [1999], "Rational Choice Theory and Folk Psychology", Working Paper, Stanford University

http://mmccubbins.ucsd.edu/ferejohnsatz.pdf

Highly scaffolded choice : the theory of rational choice is most powerful in contexts where choice is limited. What is doing the work is not so much the individual's cogitation as the larger social and institutional structures in which the individual is embedded.

Leigh Tesfatsion : Department of Economics, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-1070, USA

Tesfatsion L. [2003], "Agent-based computational economics: modeling economies as complex adaptive systems", Information Sciences, Vol.149, Iss.4, February 2003, p.262-268

Abstract: Agent-based computational economics (ACE) is the computational study of economies modeled as evolving systems of autonomous interacting agents. Thus, ACE is a specialization to economics of the basic complex adaptive systems paradigm. This paper outlines the main objectives and defining characteristics of the ACE methodology, and discusses several active research areas. Author Keywords: Agent-based computational economics; Complex adaptive systems

 

McFadzean D., Stewart D., Tesfatsion L. [2001], "A computational laboratory for evolutionary trade networks", Evolutionary Computation, IEEE Transactions on , Vol.5, Iss.5, Oct 2001, p. 6-560

This study presents, motivates, and illustrates the use of a computational laboratory (CL) for the investigation of evolutionary trade network formation among strategically interacting buyers, sellers, and dealers. The CL, referred to as the Trade Network Game Laboratory (TNG Lab), is targeted for the Microsoft Windows desktop. The TNG Lab is both modular and extensible and has a clear easily operated graphical user interface. It permits visualization of the formation and evolution of trade networks by means of real-time animations. Data tables and charts reporting descriptive performance statistics are also provided in real time. The capabilities of the TNG Lab are demonstrated by means of labor-market experiments

 

Gode, Dhananjay K.; Sunder, Shyam : Carnegie Mellon U; Carnegie Mellon U

Gode D.K., Sunder S. [1993], "Allocative Efficiency of Markets with Zero Intelligence Traders: Market as a Partial Substitute for Individual Rationality", Journal of Political Economy, Vol.101, N°1, February 1993, 119-137.

Abstract: This paper reports market experiments in which human traders are replaced by "zero-intelligence" programs that submit random bids and offers. Imposing a budget constraint (i.e., n ot permitting traders to sell below their costs or buy above their valu es) is sufficient to raise the allocative efficiency of these auctions close to 100 percent. Allocative efficiency of a double auction deri ves largely from its structure, independent of traders' motivation, intelligence, or learning. Adam Smith's invisible hand may be more powerful than some may have thought; it can generate aggregate rationality not only from individual rationality but also from individual irrationality. [Journal Article] ; EconLit Keywords: Allocative Efficiency; Auctions; Bid; Efficiency; Rationality

 

Daniel C. Dennett

http://ase.tufts.edu/cogstud/

Dennett D. [1991], Consciousness Explained, Little, Brown.

Conscious human minds are more-or-less serial virtual machines implemented inefficiently on the parallel hardware that evolution has provided for us. It is this subtle reprogramming of the brain by linguistic bombardment that yields the phenomena of human consciousness (our sense of self) and enables us to far surpass the behavioral and cognitive achievements of most other animals. The agent who exploits external symbol structures is trading culturally achieved representation against what would otherwise be (at best) time-intensive and labor-intensive internal computation.

Edwin Hutchins : http://hci.ucsd.edu/hutchins/

Hutchins E. [1995], Cognition in the Wild, MIT Press, 1995.

Helen E. Longino: http://womenstudy.cla.umn.edu/people/longino/

Longino H.E. [2001], The Fate of Knowledge, Princeton University Press 2001.

Emmanuel Lazega: http://www.univ-lille1.fr/gares/lazega.html

Lazega E. [1992], Micropolitics of Knowledge. Communication and Indirect Control in Workgroups, New York, Aldine-de Gruyter, 1992.

Lazega E. [2001], The Collegial Phenomenon : The Social Mechanisms of Cooperation Among Peers in a Corporate Law Partnership, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2001

 

 

Alvin I. Goldman: http://info-center.ccit.arizona.edu/~phil/faculty/agoldman.htm

Goldman A.I. [1999], Knowledge In A Social World, Oxford University Press, 1999.

John R. Anderson, Psychology Department, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA

Anderson J.R. [2002], "Spanning seven orders of magnitude: a challenge for cognitive modeling", Cognitive Science, Volume 26, Issue 1, January-February 2002, Pages 85-112

Much of cognitive psychology focuses on effects measured in tens of milliseconds while significant educational outcomes take tens of hours to achieve. The task of bridging this gap is analyzed in terms of Newell's (1990) bands of cognition, the Biological, Cognitive, Rational, and Social Bands. The 10 millisecond effects reside in his Biological Band while the significant learning outcomes reside in his Social Band. The paper assesses three theses: The Decomposition Thesis claims that learning occurring at the Social Band can be reduced to learning occurring at lower bands. The Relevance Thesis claims that instructional outcomes at the Social Band can be improved by paying attention to cognition at the lower bands. The Modeling Thesis claims that cognitive modeling provides a basis for bridging between events on the small scale and desired outcomes on the large scale. The unit-task level, at the boundary of the Cognitive and Rational Bands, is useful for assessing these theses. There is good evidence for all three theses in efforts that bridge from the unit-task level to educational applications. While there is evidence for the Decomposition Thesis all the way down to the 10 millisecond level, more work needs to be done to establish the Relevance Thesis and particularly the Modeling Thesis at the lower levels.

Author Keywords: Cognitive modeling; Cognitive architectures; Education; Intelligent tutoring

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Metarepresentation

Dan Sperber : http://www.dan.sperber.com/

Sperber D. [2000], Metarepresentation: a multidisciplinary perspective, Oxford University Press, New-York 2000.

Sperber D. [2000], "Metarepresentations in an Evolutionary Prespective", in Metarepresentation: a multidisciplinary perspective, Dan Sperber ed., Oxford University Press, New-York 2000.

Recanati F. [2000], "The Iconicity of Metarepresentations", in Metarepresentation: a multidisciplinary perspective, Dan Sperber ed., Oxford University Press, New-York 2000.

Dennett D.C. [2000], "Making Tools for Thinking", in Metarepresentation: a multidisciplinary perspective, Dan Sperber ed., Oxford University Press, New-York 2000.

Wilson R.A. [2000], "The Mind beyond Itself", in Metarepresentation: a multidisciplinary perspective, Dan Sperber ed., Oxford University Press, New-York 2000.

Goldman A.I. [2000], "The Mentalizing Folk", in Metarepresentation: a multidisciplinary perspective, Dan Sperber ed., Oxford University Press, New-York 2000.

Leslie A.M. [2000], "How to Acquire a Representational Theory of Mind", in Metarepresentation: a multidisciplinary perspective, Dan Sperber ed., Oxford University Press, New-York 2000.

Rosenthal D.M. [2000], "Consciousness and Metacognition", in Metarepresentation: a multidisciplinary perspective, Dan Sperber ed., Oxford University Press, New-York 2000.

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Epistemic communities

 

Riccardo Cinquegrani

Cinquegrani R. [2002], "Futurist networks: cases of epistemic community?", Futures, Volume 34, Issue 8, October 2002.

Abstract: This article analyses the concept of epistemic community focusing the attention on two aspects, which contribute to define this `actor': knowledge and capacity of acting under the conditions of uncertainty. The link between these two issues and the `nature of future studies' is considered and the possibility of considering some organisations and institutions as future epistemic communities is explored. The case of the World Futures Studies Federation is examined in detail.

David R. Millen: AT&T Labs - Research

Millen D.R. [2000], "Community Portals and Collective Goods: Conversation Archives as an Information Resource", Proceedings of the 33rd Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences - 2000

http://www.computer.org/proceedings/hicss/0493/04933/04933030.pdf

Abstract: Prior research investigating online communities has revealed several different types of communities, including those that are formed to support members with shared professional interests. One characteristic of these online communities is the creation and stewardship of collective goods. One particularly interesting example of such a collective good is the archive that is created out of the online conversation among the group members. In this paper, an online community of news reporters is examined in order to understand the use and general awareness of the archived conversation as a valuable information resource. A content analysis of a sample of the archived messages was completed and revealed considerable awareness and use of the archive among the community members. In addition, there was evidence of developing social norms that included searching the conversation archive for information before posting a new question. As the value of the archived conversation increases for a community, so does the need for better ways to browse and search the contents. A new data display, called a conversation map, was developed and is presented as a means to better grasp the rhythms and patterns of the archived discourse. These conversation maps illustrate temporal patterns of the group as a whole, as well as the message patterns of individual participants.

 

 

Jean-Paul Sansonnet: LIMSI-CNRS (Laboratoire d'Informatique pour la Mécanique et les Sciences de l'Ingénieur (LIMSI))

http://www.limsi.fr/Individu/jps/

Thème de recherche : Agents Dialogiques

 

Sansonnet J.P., Turner W.A. [2002], "Comment extraire des usages collectifs à partir de chroniques d'interactions ?" (How can we exhibit collective practices from interaction streams?), Working Paper, LIMSI-CNRS Orsay.

http://www.limsi.fr/Recherche/AMI/PageAMI.html

Abstract: One of the major issues in collective behavior over the Internet is the extraction of implicit practices between agents (members of a collective), over time. Indeed, it is known that collectives not only use predefined rules and procedures but also they develop a posteriori behaviors that are very important and influencial but members are not "aware" of them. In this discussion paper, we will emphasise the fact that providing automatic software tools for extracting those implicit behaviors could be a major improvement of collective functioning in the future.

Sansonnet J.P. [2002], "Building interaction-based memories in a dialogical world", Working Paper, LIMSI-CNRS Orsay.

Abstract: One of the major challenges of Distributed Collective Practices (DCP) is the automatic building of interaction-based memories. Owing to the fact that interactions between agents in collectives are wholly computer mediatized, the idea underlying interaction-based memories is to build a symbolic representation of the actual practices based only on the observation of the interactional streams between agents, i.e. without any a priori knowledge about the mental state of the agents. In this paper we present the current evolution of the computer mediatized interactional situations, putting forward that natural language interactions between people and people/machine will be prominent in the future. Then we propose two complementary ways for building interaction-based memories first, a simple formal model so as to introduce the notion of intensionalization over interactional streams and, second, a model based on the semantical analysis of the natural language conversations.

Sabouret N., Sansonnet J.P. [2002], "Traitement de questions naturelles sur le fonctionnement", (Answering Commonsense Questions about Actions), Working Paper, LIMSI-CNRS Orsay.

Transparents 15 janvier 2003

Knowledge representation : http://www.kr.org/

Ingénierie de la connaissance

Peter F. Patel-Schneider: http://www-db.research.bell-labs.com/user/pfps/

Jon Doyle SAS Institute Professor of Computer Science: http://www.csc.ncsu.edu/faculty/doyle/

Dieter Andreas Fensel: Institut für Informatik (IFI): http://informatik.uibk.ac.at/users/c70385/

The Semantic Web Community Portal : http://www.semanticweb.org/

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Communityware and innovation

Cooperative design systems

Shouqin Zhou, Kwai-Sang Chinb, Prasad K. D. V. Yarlagaddaa [2003], "Internet-based intensive product design platform for product design", Knowledge-Based Systems, Volume 16, Issue 1, January 2003.

Abstract: For overcoming the limitations of traditional computer aided design platform, a framework of the Internet-based intensive product design platform (IPDP) is proposed. The structure of IPDP and the key issues regarding its implementation are introduced. Further, the mean of knowledge storage, acquisition, and representation are portrayed in detail. Based on the concept of function driven, connected artificial neural networks and active server pages techniques, a novel method of knowledge search over the Internet is achieved. Finally, a prototype to demonstrate the feasibility of the structure and the constructional method of IPDP is developed. Author Keywords: Product design; Knowledge engineering; Internet-based; Artificial neural network; Standard for the exchange of product model data

 

Shakshuki E., Ghenniwa H., Kamel M. [2003], "An architecture for cooperative information systems", Knowledge-Based Systems, Volume 16, Issue 1, January 2003.

Abstract: With the fast growth of the information space in the Internet and large-scale Intranet computing environments, a new design paradigm is required for information systems. In such environments, the amount, the dynamic, the heterogeneity and the distributed nature of the information make it difficult for a user to locate and retrieve the desired information. Moreover, these computing environments are open environments, where the information resources may join or disjoin at anytime. To this end, this paper proposes a multi-agent multi-tier architecture. These agents are autonomous and goal driven agents that cooperatively assist different users to locate and retrieve information from distributed resources. The system architecture comprises of three tiers. At the front end, User Agents interact with the users to fulfill their interests and preferences. At the back end, Resource Agents access and capture the content and changes of the information resources. At the middle tier, Broker Agents facilitate cooperation among the agents. A prototype of this system is implemented to demonstrate how the agents can transparently cooperate to locate and retrieve information from dynamic and distributed information resources. Author Keywords: Agents; Coordination; Cooperation; Retrieval

 

International Conference, Amsterdam, 19 - 21 September 2003

http://www.feweb.vu.nl/C&T2003/

More and more, the relationship between communities and technology is a topic of major research interest. OC&T¹ conference serves as a forum for stimulating and disseminating research into all facets of communities and information technology. The nature of the field requires multidisciplinary research efforts involving researchers from different fields of applied computer science (Computer Supported Cooperative Work, Computer Supported Collaborative Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Information Retrieval, Human Computer Interaction, Information Systems) and social sciences (Economics, Management Science, Psychology, Political Science, Sociology, Ethnography, Discourse Analysis).  Communities are social entities whose actors share common needs, interests, or practices: they constitute the basic units of social experience.

The conference will focus on presentation and discussion of empirical and conceptual research. Topics covered by the conference include, but are not restricted to the following subjects:

Communities of interest

Fischer G., Scharff E., Ye Y. [2002], "Fostering Social Creativity by Increasing Social Capital", in Social Capital, Marleen Huysman and Volker Wulf (Eds.)

http://www.cs.colorado.edu/~gerhard/papers/social-capital-2002.pdf

Abstract: Complex design problems require more knowledge than any single person can possess, and the knowledge relevant to a problem is often distributed among all stakeholders who have different perspectives and background knowledge, thus providing the foundation for social creativity. Bringing together different points of view and trying to create a shared understanding among all stakeholders can lead to new insights, new ideas, and new artifacts. Social creativity can be supported by innovative computer systems that allow all stakeholders to contribute to framing and solving these problems collaboratively. Technology alone, however, is not the complete answer to social creativity. Social capital that characterizes the features of a social group—such as networks, norms, and trust, which all facilitate coordination and cooperation for mutual benefit—is of critical importance to foster social creativity. In this paper, we discuss (1) the roles that social capital plays in facilitating social creativity and (2) approaches to increase social capital. We start by analyzing existing success models (Open Source and Experts Exchange) that support collaborative knowledge construction in order to create a conceptual framework to understand the social-technical aspects of promoting social capital. We further illustrate this conceptual framework with our own efforts in creating social capital-sensitive computer systems (e.g., Evolutionary Reuse Repositories, Envisionment and Discovery Collaboratory, and Courses-as-Seeds) that support collaborative design, problem solving, and knowledge construction. These systems show the importance of encouraging users to act as active contributors and illustrate some of the motivational challenges upon which these systems rely. The assessment of these activities provides evidence that collaborative technologies are necessary, but not sufficient, to create more collaborative communities. Without a deep understanding of the motivation, reward structures, and the creation of new mindsets and organizations based on a greater emphasis of social capital, the impact of these new technologies will be negligible. Keywords : social creativity; social capital; social capital-sensitive systems; meta-design; seeding, evolutionary growth, reseeding (SER) model; Open Source; Envisionment and Discovery Collaboratory; reusable software repositories; motivation; trust; self-application

 

Norman D. [2001],. "In Defense of Cheating", jnd.org.

http://jnd.org/dn.mss/InDefenseOfCheating.html

Preamble: No, I am not in favor of deception, trickery, fraud, or swindle. What I wish to change are the curriculum and examination practices of our school systems that insist on unaided work, arbitrary learning of irrelevant and uninteresting facts. I'd like to move them toward an emphasis on understanding, on knowing how to get to an answer rather than knowing the answer, and on cooperation rather than isolation. Cheating that involves deceit is, of course wrong, but we should examine the school practices that lead to cheating: change the practices, and the deceit will naturally diminish.

 

Fischer G. [2001], "External and shareable artifacts as opportunities for social creativity in communities of interest", in J. S. Gero and M. L. Maher (eds), Computational and Cognitive Models of Creative Design (Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference "Computational and Cognitive Models of Creative Design"), Key Centre of Design Computing and Cognition, University of Sydney, pp. 67-89, Heron Island, Australia.

http://www.cs.colorado.edu/~gerhard/papers/ccmcd2001.pdf

Abstract: Complex collaborative design activities cannot be solved by individuals or by a single group. Communities of interest (defined by their collective concern with the resolution of a problem) bring together several communities of practice that represent groups of practitioners from different domains. Reaching common understanding between these communities is a major challenge for information technologies due to the communication divide that exists between their respective cultures. Social creativity exploits the “symmetry of ignorance” to create new artifacts and new understanding in the context of framing and solving design problems. This paper develops a conceptual framework that emphasizes the critical importance of externalizations (specifically boundary objects) for social creativity in communities of interest. This framework has been used in our theoryguided system development efforts such as domain-oriented design environments, the Envisionment and Discovery Collaboratory, organizational memories, and course information environments. These socio-technical environments illustrate the need, the use, and the possibilities for creating design situations that can be understood and further evolved by all stakeholders. Keywords: collaborative design, individual creativity, social creativity, symmetry of ignorance, meta-design, boundary objects, communities of interest (CoIs), communities of practice (CoPs), course information environments (CIEs), domain-oriented design environments (DODEs), Envisionment and Discovery Collaboratory (EDC), PITABoard, DynaSites

 

Fischer G. [2000], "Shared Understanding, Informed Participation, and Social Creativity - Objectives for the Next Generation of Collaborative Systems", in Proceedings of COOP'2000, Sophia Antipolis, France, May 2000.

http://www.cs.colorado.edu/~gerhard/papers/coop2000.pdf

Abstract: Complex design problems require more knowledge than any single person possesses because the knowledge relevant to a problem is usually distributed among stakeholders. Bringing different and often controversial points of view together to create a shared understanding among these stakeholders can lead to new insights, new ideas, and new artifacts. New media that allow owners of problems to contribute to framing and resolving complex design problems can extend the power of the individual human mind. Our research is grounded in the basic belief that new media should not merely deliver predigested information to individuals, but rather provide the opportunity and resources for social debate and discussion. Based on our past work, I will identify objectives for the next generation of collaborative systems. I will illustrate them with examples of systems that shift attention away from the computer as the focal point, towards improving our understanding of the human, social, and cultural system that creates the context for use.

 

Fischer G., Ye Y. [2000], "Promoting Reuse with Active Reuse Repository Systems", Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Software Reuse, Vienna, Austria, LNCS 1844, Springer-Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg, pp302-317, June 27-29, 2000.

http://www.cs.colorado.edu/~gerhard/papers/icsr6-2000.pdf

Abstract: Software component-based reuse is difficult for software developers to adopt because first they must know what components exist in a reuse repository and then they must know how to retrieve them easily. This paper describes the concept and implementation of active reuse repository systems that address the above two issues. Active reuse repository systems employ active information delivery mechanisms to deliver potentially reusable components that are relevant to the current development task. They can help software developers reuse components they did not even know existed. They can also greatly reduce the cost of component location because software developers need neither to specify reuse queries explicitly, nor to switch working contexts back and forth between development environments and reuse repository systems.

Fischer G. [2001], "Communities of Interest: Learning through the Interaction of Multiple Knowledge Systems", Proceedings of the 24th IRIS Conference (eds: S. Bjornestad, R. Moe, A. Morch, A. Opdahl), August 2001, Ulvik, , Department of Information Science, Bergen, Norway, pp 1-14.

http://www.cs.colorado.edu/~gerhard/papers/iris24.pdf

Abstract: Complex design problems often cannot be solved by individuals or by homogenous groups. Communities of interest (CoIs) (defined by their collective concern with the resolution of a problem) bring together stakeholders from different communities of practice (CoP). Reaching a common understanding between these stakeholders is a major challenge due to the “symmetry of ignorance” caused by their respective cultures and their use of different knowledge systems. Our research has focused on the development of conceptual frameworks and innovative socio-technical environments to exploit the “symmetry of ignorance” as a source for social creativity among CoIs.

 

Communities of practice

Etienne Wenger : http://www.ewenger.com/

Communities of practice : Since the beginning of history, human beings have formed communities that accumulate collective learning into social practices—communities of practice. Tribes are an early example. More recent instances include the guilds of the Middle Ages that took on the stewardship of a trade, and scientific communities that collectively define what counts as valid knowledge in a specific area of investigation. Less obvious cases could be your local magician club, nurses in a ward, a street gang or a group of software engineers meeting regularly in the cafeteria to share tips. Such communities do not take knowledge in their specialty to be an object; it is a living part of their practice even when they document it. Knowing is an act of participation. Communities of practice may well represent the natural social structure for the ownership of knowledge, but they have been around for a long time, and they are everywhere. Organizations are already full of them. So what is new here? Why even pay attention? Well, what is new is the need for organizations to become more intentional and systematic about "managing" knowledge, and therefore the need to give these age-old structures a new, central role in running a business. A growing number of leading organizations in the private and public sectors are pioneering this approach, including Chevron, DaimlerChrysler, IBM, Johnson and Johnson, Lucent, Siemens, Shell, and the World Bank.

Volker Wulf: http://www.iisi.de/members/wulf/wulf.html

 

Computer-Supported Cooperative Work

Mark S. Ackerman and Leysia Palen

School of Information and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science University of Michigan

Department of Information and Computer Science, University of California, Irvine

Ackerman M.S., Palen L. [1996], "The Zephyr Help Instance: Promoting Ongoing Activity in a CSCW System", Proceedings of the ACM CHI'96 Conference, April, 1996.

http://www.eecs.umich.edu/~ackerm/pub/96b20/zephyr.chi96.html

Abstract: If Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) systems are to be successful over time, it will be necessary to promote ongoing and continuing activity, not just initial adoption. In this paper, we consider what technical and social affordances are required to encourage the continued use of a CSCW system. To explore these issues, we examine a chat-like system, the Zephyr Help Instance, which is used extensively at MIT. The Help Instance facilitates users asking questions of one another, and is an example of a distributed help and problem-solving system. We provide an overview of the system's use as well as those mechanisms, both technical and social, that facilitate continuing its use over time. Keywords: computer-supported cooperative work, CSCW, help, computer-mediated communications, CMC, norms, organizational interfaces, social maintenance, electronic social spaces.

 

Christine Halverson IBM, T.J. Watson Research Center Yorktown Heights, NY 10598 USA

Ackerman M.S., Halverson C. [1998], "Considering an Organization’s Memory", ACM Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW'98), November, 1998.

http://www.eecs.umich.edu/~ackerm/pub/98b24/cscw98.om.html

Abstract: The term organizational memory is due for an overhaul. Memory appears to be everywhere in organizations; yet, the term has been limited to a few uses. In this paper we examine what memory in an organization really is. Based on an ethnographic study of a telephone hotline group, this paper presents a micro-level analysis of a hotline call, the work activity surrounding the call, and the memory used in the work activity. We do this analysis from the viewpoint of distributed cognition theory, finding it fruitful for an understanding of an organization's memory. Keywords: Organizational memory, knowledge management, collective memory, group memory, information sharing, distributed cognition, CSCW, computer-supported cooperative work

Ackerman M.S., Halverson C. [1999], "Organizational Memory: Processes, Boundary Objects, and Trajectories", HICSS'99 conference, Communications of the ACM, January, 2000.

http://www.eecs.umich.edu/~ackerm/pub/99b26/hicss99.pdf

Abstract: The term organizational memory is due for an overhaul. Memory appears to be everywhere in organizations; yet, the term has been limited to only a few uses. Based on an ethnographic study of a telephone hotline group, this paper presents a micro-level, distributed cognition analysis of two hotline calls, the work activity surrounding the calls, and the memory used in the work activity. We find a number of interesting theoretical concepts that are useful in further describing and analyzing organizational memory.

 

Hindus D., Ackerman M.S., Mainwaring S., Starr B. [1996], "Thunderwire: A Field Study of an Audio-Only Media Space", Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW'96),

http://www.eecs.umich.edu/~ackerm/pub/96b21/cscw96.tw.html

Abstract: To explore the potential of using audio by itself in a shared media system, we studied a workgroup using an audio-only media space. This media space, called Thunderwire, combined high-quality audio with open connections to create a shared space for its users. The two-month field study provided a richly nuanced understanding of this audio space's social use. The system afforded rich sociable interactions. Indeed, within the field study, audio by itself afforded a telepresent environment for its users. However while a usable media space and a useful social space, Thunderwire required its users to adapt to many audio-only conditions. Keywords: Audio, audio spaces, media spaces, electronic social spaces, social presence, speech interactions, mediated communication, computer-mediated communication, CMC, telepresence, social interactions, rich interactions, norms

Muramatsu J., Ackerman M.S. [1998], "Computing, Social Activity, and Entertainment: A Field Study of a Game MUD", Computer-Supported Cooperative Work Journal, special issue on MUDs

http://www.eecs.umich.edu/~ackerm/pub/98a6/illusion.cscw-j.970827.html#anchor307230

 

Understanding and cooperation

 

Gerry Stahl, Drexel University, Philadelphia, USA

http://orgwis.gmd.de/~gerry/index.html

 

Gerry Stahl G. [2003], "A Moment of Collaboration", in preparation for CSCL 2003.

http://orgwis.gmd.de/~gerry/publications/conferences/2003/cscl/In%20A%20Moment%20of%20Collaboration.pdf

Abstract: In a moment of collaboration lasting 17 seconds in a middle school classroom, a small group of students learned how to conduct scientific experimentation using a particular artifact. They made this knowledge visible for the group, repairing confusions and establishing a shared understanding. A micro discourse analysis of this moment illustrates the complexity of collaborative learning and of its analysis. To make learning visible as researchers, we deconstruct the references within the discourse. The meaning that the participants constructed is analyzed as constituting a network of semantic references within the group interaction, rather than as mental representations of individuals. No assumptions about mental states or representations are required or relevant to the researcher’s analysis. Collaborative learning is viewed as the interactive construction of this network. Shared understanding consists in the alignment of utterances, evidencing agreement concerning their referents. Keywords: Collaborative learning, discourse analysis, artifacts, group knowledge, shared meaning, interpretive perspectives

 

Weisband S. [2002], "Maintaining awareness in distributed team collaboration: Implications for leadership and performance", In P. Hinds & S. Kiesler, Distributed work, pp.311-333. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

http://uainfo.arizona.edu/~weisband/myresearch.html

Summary: In distributed work, there is considerable uncertainty about others’ behaviors. To reduce uncertainty, group members need information about the remote work and what other group members are doing. This chapter reports a study of the process of collaboration in student teams with a deadline. The study shows how the behavior of the leader and members in creating or reinforcing awareness of others and the work was related to successful collaboration outcomes. Teams in which members periodically gathered information about others and revealed information about themselves performed better than teams in which members did not do this. Project leaders made a substantial difference in how teams performed. Implications for managing teams in distributed work settings are discussed .