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The majority of existing web based learning platforms does not offer a flexible way to design learning environments. They support only a fixed or restricted view on the execution of learning processes. Furthermore, the adaptation and tailoring of learning environments by end-users is rarely supporting different learning scenarios and processes. Both, design and tailoring are usually supported as activities of individual users. In order to support collaborative design and tailoring, a collaborative process was developed and implemented prototypically in the collaborative learning platform CURE. The process supports collection and categorisation of existing designs as templates in a shared central repository, providing searching and rating mechanisms as well as awareness facilities to facilitate reuse of templates and to contribute to the extraction of best practices. First experiences show the advantages and expansion potentials of this approach. The applicability of the process and its portability to other platforms is discussed. Keywords: Collaborative design, collaborative tailoring, CSCL environments, CURE, knowledge sharing, shared artefacts, tailorability [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to encourage users to participate more actively and bring more contributions to peer-to-peer (p2p) online communities, we propose to create a motivational community visualization based on the social comparison theory. This paper describes the design of static version and a dynamic version of this visualization developed in our lab, explains the advantages and the disadvantages of the static version and the reason why we decided to develop the dynamic version. This paper also gives a detailed evaluation on the dynamic version. Keywords: participation, online communities, social visualization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fast expansion of wireless networks and mobile devices enables portable devices to join collaborative graphics design conveniently. The limitation of display size and computational power of these embedded devices makes it hard for mobile users to browse large pattern that renewed in real time efficiently. We present a novel user interest region prediction algorithm to forecast user's intention in the near future. Related experiment was carried out to test the effectiveness of the algorithm. Results show that the algorithm can well predict mobile user's interest regions. Based on the prediction, only sub-patterns and operations that might be interested to user are issued to the embedded sites. User study results indicate that the proposed approach is effective and the feasibility of the collaborative graphics design system in ubiquitous environment is enhanced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In some working environments users experience a high level of mobility while requiring collaborating and coordinating their activities with colleagues involving the exchange and analysis of documents distributed in space or time. Medical workers stand out among others by the demands imposed by hospital work. These new forms of interaction pose new challenges for the design of pervasive computing environments aimed at seamlessly integrating heterogeneous devices. Based on workplace studies conducted in a hospital, we designed and implemented a mobile collaborative system aimed at supporting co-located collaboration, proximity-based application-sharing, and the remote control of heterogeneous devices. The results of a preliminary evaluation show that users perceive the services provided by the application to be useful and efficient, even though the manipulation of the remote display through the PDA was less efficient than with the keyboard and mouse. Keywords: Remote control, proximity-based application sharing, hetero-geneous devices, hospital work, co-located collaboration, local mobility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many modern working environments are characterized by the need to manage multiple activities simultaneously. This is the case for instance of hospital work, which also demands a high degree of mobility and collaboration among specialists. These working conditions have motivated us to design and implement mobileSJ, a mobile information management tool based on the concept of working spheres. The tool allows users to gather information related to a working sphere, including documents, contacts and pending tasks. The tool assists users when switching between tasks, facilitates the sharing of activity related information with colleagues, as well as the synchronization of information among multiple devices, including handheld computers and public displays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a conceptual model standardizing the meeting information structures underlying several scenarios o PDA use in meetings. The paper characterizes the memory and process components necessary to support XML-based interoperability between meeting systems. The scenarios, information model and architecture were validated through their adoption in three applications, developed by different teams and covering quite different domains. The applications, encompassing several meeting scenarios and adopting multifaceted device combinations, demonstrate the high level of interoperability supported by the proposed conceptual model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last years the production of systems supporting learning and work in-group has been high. However, the design and development of this kind of systems is difficult, especially due to the multidisciplinarity involved. We propose a design and development process of the presentation layer. This process is based on the use of several models for representing collaborative and interactive aspects of this kind of systems. In this process several techniques and notations are used. In this paper we introduce our methodological approach and the conceptual framework on which our proposal is based. Keyworks: conceptual framework, groupware design, interaction design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People in modern cities like to participate and collaborate in local governments by means of suggestions and complaints submission. However, citizens are not used to work with administrative procedures; moreover many of them do not like to spend time in administrative queues. In this paper we show some empirical results obtained by the Complaints and Suggestions Web-Based Collaborative Procedure (CS-WCP) in its first year of service in the Albacete Town-Council (Spain). Before showing those results, the CS-WCP is described. Administrative procedures in town councils, intelligent agents, workflow processes and Web-based computing are mixed in the CS-WCP system. Notifications by means of e-mails and messages facilitate user-to-civil servant and system-to-user communication and collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The FernUniversität in Hagen uses the web-based collaborative learning platform CURE to implement different collaborative learning scenarios such as seminars or lab courses. In these scenarios, students form groups and collaboratively solve tasks given by the teachers. Interviews with students that have used CURE showed major interest in using CURE nomadically without the need for permanent internet access. Nomadic use would allow students to work with CURE content at any time and place while maintaining the advantages of a shared, synchronized CSCL environment once they are online again. In this article, we describe which requirements we have identified for a nomadic use and how we extended CURE to fulfill these requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collaborative learning systems can benefit from service-oriented computing, allowing educators to integrate external tools, offered as services by software providers, in order to support the realization of collaborative learning situations. Since finding and selecting appropriate services is a challenging issue, the Ontoolcole ontology has been developed in order to support the semantic search of CSCL services intended for the use of educators. This paper presents significant enhancements made in Ontoolcole from a prior version. Namely, Ontoolcole incorporates an artifact module, a task-level coordination module and the description of static information resources, further improving the capabilities to describe complex CSCL tools such as stateful applications or decomposable group tasks. An experiment with real educators has been carried out to evaluate whether Ontoolcole can be employed by educators to search CSCL services. Evaluation results show that Ontoolcole's abstractions can fit educators' questions based on their real practice while retrieving useful tools for their educational needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groupware is evolutionary and difficult to develop and maintain. Thus, its code becomes unstructured and difficult to evolve. In this paper, a groupware development approach based on components organized according to the 3C collaboration model is proposed. In this model, collaboration is analyzed based on communication, coordination and cooperation. Collaboration requirements, analyzed based on the 3C model, are mapped onto software components. These components aid developers to assembly groupware. The RUP-3C-Groupware, which is a groupware development process, is used for that purpose. This process is a RUP extension focused on groupware domain, and is the result of 8 years of experience with the development of collaborative services for the AulaNet Project. The proposed approach is applied as a case study to the development of the new version of the AulaNet environment. In order to instantiate the environment's communication services, 3C based component kits were developed for the case study. The components allow composition, re-composition and customization of services to reflect changes in the collaboration dynamics. Keywords: groupware, component software, collaboration model, groupware development process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Functional and non-functional requirements must be taken into account early in the development process of groupware applications in order to make appropriate design decisions, e.g. spatial distribution of group members and group awareness, which are related to the main characteristics exhibited by CSCW systems (communication, coordination and collaboration). This research work presents a proposal intended to facilitate the development of groupware applications considering non-functional requirements such as reusability, scalability, etc. In order to achieve these objectives, the proposal focuses on the architectural design and its implementation, with emphasis on the use of a realization of the technological Linda coordination model as the basis for this implementation. The outcome is a distributed architecture where application components are replicated and event control is separated. This work is part of a conceptual and methodological framework (AMENITIES) specially devised to study and develop these systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent proliferation of using mobile devices in collaborative scenarios increases the need for sophisticated and flexible groupware frameworks for heterogeneous environments. This paper presents the architectural design of Agilo, a groupware framework that has been designed explicitly for synchronous groupware applications involving the use of heterogeneous devices. By respecting device heterogeneity from the ground up, the framework provides an architectural design that is highly flexible along different architectural dimensions on the one hand and simple yet powerful to use on the other hand. Two applications from different application domains based on Agilo are described together with first usage experiences from the developer's point of view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an active and autonomous e-learning system-Active e-Learning Space (ALS) is presented. ALS is a P2P-based learning environment that supporting dynamic construction of hierarchical and self-managed learning community. In ALS, student can construct or join a learning community according to the learning requirement, learning collaboratively with others. ALS is composed of three parts: (1) ALS server accomplishes e-learning information management and services; (2) Participating sites constitute a pastry-based p2p overlay network supporting message multi-casting and uni-casting, and resources sharing; (3) ALS e-Learning application, which is running on the top of the p2p network, realizes an active learning community. Keywords: active e-learning space; e-learning; p2p computing; CSCL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve their efficiency and competitiveness, organizations are increasingly interested in applications that support team work, usually know as groupware. Beside interoperability, familiarity with the application and users' mobility support, a feature that is of outmost importance in groupware is the notification of events produced by cooperative activities. Web Services have emerged recently to support the exchange of data in distributed environments using common Internet technologies and have been used mainly to build business-to-business applications. However, Web Services have capabilities that make them suitable to meet the requirements posed by groupware applications, a field where little work has been carried out. This article describes a model for developing cooperative applications based on Web Services technology and using asynchronous notification of events, and presents a brief description of the implementation of the support services for that model and of a prototype application that uses them. Keywords: CSCW, Groupware, Web Services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We are interested in integrating and exploiting the shared-knowledge from a group by an existing infrastructure of plasticity, as another parameter more to be embedded in the adaptation process. The aim is to offer the benefits from plasticity and awareness jointly, providing a systematic support in both issues. In this paper we focus on the proactive adaptation to contexts of use under a plasticity viewpoint. The aim is to promote interaction and real time coordination, contributing to real collaboration in multiple and changing groupware scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contextual collaboration seamlessly integrates existing groupware technologies into a uniform user experience that combines synchronous and asynchronous interactions. This user experience is usually supported by a contextual collaboration infrastructure that needs to efficiently cope with the fast switching and integration of different modes of interaction. This paper experiments with a new model for contextual collaboration based on the notion of generic shared objects. We describe a native implementation of this model and evaluate its behavior under different media traffic conditions. We compare the native implementation with an alternative implementation that integrates existing notification and meeting servers to deliver the same model behavior. We discuss trade-offs and limitations of those two implementations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a framework to support the modeling of services in Educational Modeling Languages (EMLs). EMLs have been proposed to support the modeling of educational units (e.g. a theoretical distance learning course, a lab practice, a discussion-based course). Their modeling approach is based on the featuring of the elements involved in educational units (e.g. participants, data, tasks) and the coordination among these elements (e.g. the order between tasks, the data flow, the assignment of participants to tasks). A key issue in EMLs is the modeling of environments where participants are intended to interact. This part of the modeling involves the featuring of the services and the coordination requited to obtain appropriate service interactions. The paper describes the perspectives of a new EML proposal named PoEML (Perspective-oriented Educational Modeling Language) devoted to the modeling of services and their coordination: operational, interaction, awareness and authorization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advances in wireless communication and mobile computing extend collaboration scenarios. A current strategy to address productive, educational and social problems is to incorporate mobile workers using computing devices into work practices. Typically, collaborative applications intended to support mobile workers involve some type of centralized data or services. This situation constrains the collaboration capabilities, particularly in ad-hoc communication scenarios. We propose an autonomous software module able to provide and consume services from others units. We call it a Service-Oriented Mobile Unit (SOMU). A SOMU has been implemented as a middleware running on laptops and PDAs. Collaborative mobile applications developed on this middleware are then able to interact among them almost in any communication scenario. Availability of this tool is particularly relevant to support mobile collaboration when there is no stable communication support or no communication at all. Keywords: Middleware for Mobile Groupware, Service-Oriented Mobile Units, Web services Platform, Ad-hoc Collaboration Scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that one reason for the success of collaborative problem solving where individual attempts failed is the polyphonic character of work in small groups. Polyphony, a concept taken from music, may occur in chats for problem solving, transforming dialog into a "thinking device": Different voices jointly construct a melody (story, or solution) and other voices adopt differential positions, identifying dissonances (unsound, rickety stories or solutions). This polyphonic interplay may eventually make clear the correct ("sound") construction. The paper illustrates the polyphonic character of collaborative problem solving using chats. It also proposes prototyped software tools for facilitating polyphony in chats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interaction analysis (IA) methods and tools aim to enhance collaboration, providing support for basic functions such as awareness, regulation or evaluation. The importance of these functions depends on the roles played by the participants in a collaborative experience. For this reason, IA tools need to recognize the dynamic role transitions that usually occur in authentic learning settings, as well as to interpret and manage the information needs required by these changing roles. We are working in the definition, developing and validation of a conceptual framework for characterizing roles in collaborative learning contexts that aims at supporting IA tools in achieving these goals. In this paper we present the main results obtained from an experience that illustrates how this framework, initially proposed in a previous paper, supports the definition of IA indicators and values for detecting role transitions in a dynamic way. This experience is part of a longitudinal validation process of the framework that we are carrying out in various authentic learning contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During computer-mediated synchronous collaboration there is need for supporting reflection of the partners involved. In this paper we study techniques for determining the state of an evolving collaborative process, while the activity is in progress, making the users aware of this state. For this reason, a State of Collaboration (SoC) indicator has been defined, which is calculated using a combination of machine-learning and statistical techniques. Subse-quently a study was performed during which SoC was presented to a number of groups of collaborating partners engaged in problem-solving activities. It was found that this group awareness mechanism influenced in a significant way the behavior of the groups in which it was used. This study has wider implications to the design of groupware and in particular towards gaining an insight into the effect of group awareness mechanisms on computer-mediated collaborative learning. Keywords: collaborative problem solving, small group interaction, synchronous collaboration, computer supported collaborative learning, interaction analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a system called CodeBreaker for supporting small and medium size software development based on an extreme program-ming principle. The system follows a decentralized model of development, which means, it does not requires a central repository. A set of rules for code ownership maintains the synchronization of the work among all members of the developing team which can work on- or offline. It allows fine-grained locking of parts of the code. Keywords: collaborative software development, peer-to-peer, extreme pro-gramming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orchestra is a new formalism on which we are working in the field of cooperative systems design. In CoCSys methodology for Cooperative Capillary Systems design, we transform partial scenarios describing particular cooperative situations in a more comprehensive Cooperative Behaviour Model (CBM). In this paper, we describe our contribution to the need for a graphical formalism which would be able to express in a natural way, understandable by different actors (users, designers, developers,...) different cooperation situations in an ambient intelligence environment (mobile, context-aware, proactive and ubiquitous). ORCHESTRA is complementary to CTT and UML Use cases, and its objective is to express clearly cooperation situations (explaining easily synchronous or asynchronous cooperation activities) and the role (active or passive) played instantaneously by each actor. We take into account main concepts of "cooperative world" which are Actors, Roles, Groups, Tasks, Processes, Artefacts (Tools and Objects) and Contexts (Platforms, Situations and Users). With Orchestra formalism we try to express by a sort of music staff individual and collective behaviours. In this way we can model either individual works or organized collective activities. We present this formalism, its metamodel and its use for the description of two cooperative situations. We describe also a transformational process projecting a ORCHESTRA description on the cooperative architecture. Keywords: Specific description language, MDA inspired elaboration process, transformation process, formalism meta-model and examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we present an architecture for the integration of tutoring and process scaffolds into existing collaborative applications. The architecture allows to combine existing research results concerning collaborative processes and their formalization, and existing and tested collaborative learning environments. The architecture allows to control the learning environments either by a human or a pedagogic agent. Both types of tutors are using the same set of primitives - either via an intuitive user interface or a slim Java interface. To prove the soundness of the architecture an example is given using IMS LD collaboration scripts with Coppercore as a workflow engine controlling the Cool Modes environment. A description of the possible applications of the architecture in intelligent tutoring systems gives an insight into the opportunities opened by such a flexible approach. The paper closes with an outlook concerning the use of the architecture with more and different learning systems and process control engines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shared Knowledge Awareness is defined as the consciousness on the shared knowledge that a particular student has when carrying out a collaborative learning activity in a CSCL environment. In fact, an adequate level of Shared Knowedge Awareness can be promoted by including in the interface of this environment some specific features that improve the student perception related to such knowedge. This paper proposes some basic design guidelines that should be taken into account when designing a CSCL interface in order to promote an adecuate user's behavior with respect to his/her Shared Knowledge Awareness. Besides, a set of usability principles is identified and linked to every suggested guideline to evaluate its quality (in terms of "easiness to use and learnability") in an actual interface. Two different experiments are included as real-life examples that are analized within the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Awareness is now acknowledged in the CSCW domain as an important element to take into account. This paper explores and refines the concept of workspace awareness. A categorization is proposed based on two criteria: the granularity and the ability to identify the cooperating entities. Two concepts are defined on this basis: Workspace Individual Awareness (WIA) and Workspace Global Awareness (WGA). New kinds of metrics are then described to support WGA and a prototype implementing WGA is shortly discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A number of studies have indicated that awareness of others' activities plays an important part in collaboration. Consequently, awareness has been a frequent theme in cooperative work research. Researchers have acknowledged that proximity has a strong effect on collaboration, and that maintaining awareness of peers becomes harder in distributed environments. Many awareness systems require configuration by the user and work only in predefined shared environments. In this paper, we present an investigation into the determination of awareness targets, through email-based user interaction analysis. The final goal is to be able to draw inferences as to who and what a user would be interested in maintaining awareness of, enabling a system to automatically determine awareness foci and adjust itself according to its user. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose an analytic method to evaluate synchronous shared workspaces design. The method uses human-performance models, developed in the Human-Computer Interaction field, to make time predictions about collaborative actions performed in selected critical scenarios. We apply this method to two case studies: the design of a collaborative game and the redesign of a collaborative tool for software engineering requirements negotiation. The benefits and limitations of the method are discussed, as well as some implications for design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DIAS is an Asynchronous Discussion Forum Software, mainly developed in order to offer extended monitoring and interaction analysis support, by providing a wide range of indicators jointly used in various situations, to all discussion forae users (individual user/students, groups, moderators/teachers or even researchers/observers), appropriate for their various roles in different activities. In this paper we describe some of the integrated Interaction Analysis (IA) features and we provide information concerning case studies, some of which are in progress. Keywords: Interaction Analysis, Asynchronous discussions, CSCL, CSCW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collaboration in distributed settings has become a reality in organizational life, yet we still have much to learn. One important area of study is the integration of Collaboration Engineering in distributed, or virtual, teams. Collaboration Engineering offers promising guidelines for process structure, but its application in distributed arenas is just beginning to be studied. We report on the design and development of a new collaboration environment for the incorporation of Collaboration Engineering principles, as well as the results of an initial study that examined leadership and process structure effects on the development of shared understanding. We discuss both technical and environmental challenges for research on Collaboration Engineering in distributed environments. Keywords: Collaboration Engineering, Virtual teams, Shared understanding, Process structure, Leadership, thinkLets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groupware applications that provide support for in-class collaborative knowledge construction are becoming an important research topic for the CSCW and CSCL communities. They provide support for lightweight interaction among participants, and for these participants with an increasing set of pervasive features of augmented classrooms, thus creating new opportunities to teach, learn and collaborate. Regarding in-class interaction, however, most current technologies focus on providing support for participation that is demanded by the lecturer (which we term Requested Participations), and that is limited to short interactions. Thus, support for Spontaneous Participation, or for longer interactions is limited or absent. In this paper, we present InClass-RTD, a system that provides support for spontaneous participation in the form of threaded discussions during the lecturer's presentation. We present scenarios that motivated its development, and its design and implementation as a service of an Augmented Classroom. Additionally, results from a 3-month preliminary trial showed that InClass-RTD allowed the participation of 80% of the group, with an average of 8 spontaneous participations per student from a group of 10. We also found that the system allowed an average of 54 participations per hour. Future work considers the development of additional visualization techniques, and performing in-depth analysis to evaluate it's pedagogical in-class potential. Keywords: InClass-RTD, Real-time threaded discussions, In-class requested and spontaneous interactions, CSCL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study expands on the current body of research examining technology-supported teams, individual creativity, and group diversity. By incorporating each of these elements into the experimental design, our objective was to determine how technology can best be leveraged to promote creativity in virtual teams.A lab experiment was conducted using 80 student teams by manipulating anonymity and capturing diversity characteristics. Preliminary results are presented which suggest that homogeneous teams generated more ideas; however, diverse teams were more satisfied with their output. Coding of the creativity of the ideas is on going. Keywords: Creativity, Diversity, Lab Experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper shows how Task Analysis can be a powerful tool for the design of collaborative applications supported by wirelessly interconnected handhelds. We define a methodology for the design of such activities. It basically consists in performing a Task Analysis on an Interaction Model to obtain the set of all possible interactions between actors. Then a class of activities is defined by selecting a subset of tasks. These, applied to a specific topic, determine a set of specific tasks which constitute an instance of the class of activities. The specific tasks build the desired activity and define the possible face to face interactions that can happen during the activity execution. These specific tasks also allow us to define an observation guideline that assists the system validation. We show with an example how such a methodology is applied for a collaborative learning activity mediated by a teacher and wirelessly interconnected handhelds. Keywords: Task Analysis, face to face Computer Supported Collaborative Learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]