A Framework for collaborative writing with recording and post-meeting retrieval capabilities

From a HCI perspective, elucidating and supporting the context in which collaboration takes place is key to implementing successful collaborative systems. Synchronous collaborative writing usually takes place in contexts involving a “meeting” of some sort. Collaborative writing meetings can be face-to-face or, increasingly, remote Internet-based meetings. The latter presents software developers with the possibility of incorporating multimedia recording and information retrieval capabilities into the collaborative environment. The collaborative writing that ensues can be seen as an activity encompassing asynchronous as well as synchronous aspects. In order for revisions, information retrieval and other forms of post-meeting, asynchronous work to be effectively supported, the synchronous collaborative editor must be able to appropriately detect and record meeting metadata. This paper presents a collaborative editor that supports recording of user actions and explicit metadata production. Design and technical implications of introducing such capabilities are discussed with respect to document segmentation, consistency control, and awareness mechanisms

Rules and tools: collaborating over networks for art and design students

As the popularity of the Internet grows, the roles it may play in different contexts and disciplines - e.g. archive/library of information, publicity tool or meeting place - become more apparent. The JISC-funded Enhanced Collaboration with Shared Tools for Art and Design Systems project is based at Ravensbourne College and it is studying the potential of the Internet for supporting collaborative work between students in art and design. This paper gives an overview of results from the first stage of Enhanced Collaboration with Shared Tools for Art and Design Systems. This has involved doing some initial research into the experiences of those who have already been involved in such projects and the 'lessons learnt' from them and these experiences. The resulting guidelines are discussed here. A survey of existing tools for collaborative working and an overview of some of these is also provided; the tools are described in terms of whether they support 'real-time'or asynchronous communication and the degree to which they afford communication of ideas visually

Designing a novel virtual collaborative environment to support collaboration in design review meetings

Project review meetings are part of the project management process and are organised to assess progress and resolve any design conflicts to avoid delays in construction. One of the key challenges during a project review meeting is to bring the stakeholders together and use this time effectively to address design issues as quickly as possible. At present, current technology solutions based on BIM or CAD are information-centric and do not allow project teams to collectively explore the design from a range of perspectives and brainstorm ideas when design conflicts are encountered. This paper presents a system architecture that can be used to support multi-functional team collaboration more effectively during such design review meetings. The proposed architecture illustrates how information-centric BIM or CAD systems can be made human- and team-centric to enhance team communication and problem solving. An implementation of the proposed system architecture has been tested for its utility, likability and usefulness during design review meetings. The evaluation results suggest that the collaboration platform has the potential to enhance collaboration among multi-functional teams

Collaboration in the Semantic Grid: a Basis for e-Learning

The CoAKTinG project aims to advance the state of the art in collaborative mediated spaces for the Semantic Grid. This paper presents an overview of the hypertext and knowledge based tools which have been deployed to augment existing collaborative environments, and the ontology which is used to exchange structure, promote enhanced process tracking, and aid navigation of resources before, after, and while a collaboration occurs. While the primary focus of the project has been supporting e-Science, this paper also explores the similarities and application of CoAKTinG technologies as part of a human-centred design approach to e-Learning

Outcomes from collaborative provision audit: arrangements for monitoring and support, sharing good practice

It is clear from the 30 Collaborative provision audit reports published between May 2005 and March 2007 that awarding institutions were fully aware of the requirement for careful monitoring of collaborative provision in the intervals between formal approval and periodic review/revalidation events. All had in place systems for annual monitoring of the quality and standards of collaborative programmes. These systems were generally similar to those for monitoring of internal provision; however, in some cases they were tailored to accommodate different forms of collaborative provision or modes of delivery, or to reflect the particular risks involved in such provision. In most cases monitoring systems were found to be robust; where recommendations for improvement were made, these concerned the need to achieve consistency across provision and to involve staff of partner institutions in the monitoring process. Procedures for reporting and acting upon the outcomes of annual monitoring were sometimes found to be protracted and cumbersome, whereas the efforts of some awarding institutions to achieve effective oversight of their collaborative provision and to involve partner staff in that oversight were singled out as features of good practice. The role of the primary contact within the awarding institution was found to be of crucial importance to the effective operation of collaborative arrangements, and numerous features of good practice were identified in this area. The variety of terms used for this primary contact reflects the different functions involved: liaising, managing, monitoring and supporting. 'Link tutor' is probably the most widely used term, and will be adopted in the remainder of this paper to denote the role. Link tutors played both a formal and an informal part in annual monitoring. Some had assessment responsibilities and were involved in the appointment of and support for external examiners. In some cases their monitoring responsibilities extended to scrutiny of the information produced by partner organisations about collaborative programmes. As the main point of contact with the awarding institution, the link tutor also monitored aspects of the student learning experience, such as the provision of adequate academic and personal support, the adequacy of learning resources, and the opportunities provided to students for feedback and representation. The audit reports confirm that most awarding institutions fulfilled their obligation to ensure that staff directly involved in the delivery of collaborative programmes were properly qualified by scrutinising staffing arrangements and staff qualifications at initial approval and during periodic review. In the interim, the quality of teaching and any changes in staffing were monitored both formally as part of annual monitoring and informally by link tutors. Staff support and development needs were identified during appraisal or annual monitoring, and were met by awarding institutions in a variety of ways. The large number of features of good practice identified in the area of staff support and development indicates the care taken by awarding institutions to ensure that staff delivering collaborative programmes were appropriately trained and provided with the necessary development opportunities

DATUM in Action

This collaborative research data management planning project (hereafter the RDMP project) sought to help a collaborative group of researchers working on an EU FP7 staff exchange project (hereafter the EU project) to define and implement good research data management practice by developing an appropriate DMP and supporting systems and evaluating their initial implementation. The aim was to "improve practice on the ground" through more effective and appropriate systems, tools/solutions and guidance in managing research data. The EU project (MATSIQEL - (Models for Ageing and Technological Solutions For Improving and Enhancing the Quality of Life), funded under the Marie Curie International Research Staff Exchange Scheme, is accumulating expertise for the mathematical and computer modelling of ageing processes with the aim of developing models which can be implemented in technological solutions (e.g. monitors, telecare, recreational games) for improving and enhancing quality of life.1 Marie Curie projects do not fund research per se, so the EU project has no resources to fund commercial tools for research data management. Lead by Professor Maia Angelova, School of Computing, Engineering and Information Sciences (SCEIS) at Northumbria University, it comprises six work packages involving researchers at Northumbria and in Australia, Bulgaria, Germany, Mexico and South Africa. The RDMP project focused on one of its work packages (WP4 Technological Solutions and Implementation) with some reference to another work package lead by the same person at Northumbria University (WP5 Quality of Life). The RDMP project‟s innovation was less about the choice of platform/system, as it began with existing standard office technology, and more about how this can be effectively deployed in a collaborative scenario to provide a fit-for-purpose solution with useful and usable support and guidance. It built on the success of the Datum for Health project by taking it a stage further, moving from a solely health discipline to an interdisciplinary context of health, social care and mathematical/computer modelling, and from a Postgraduate Research Student context to an academic researcher context, with potential to reach beyond the University boundaries. In addition, since the EU project is re-using data from elsewhere as well as creating its own data; a wide range of RDM issues were addressed. The RDMP project assessed the transferability of the DATUM materials and the tailored DATUM DMP

The Global People competency framework: competencies for effective intercultural interaction

This Competency Framework explains the competencies that are needed for effective intercultural interaction. In contrast to the Life Cycle Model for Intercultural Partnerships (see the Global People Toolbook) which presents the competencies by stage (i.e. key competencies are identified for each stage of a project life cycle), the Competency Framework presents them by clusters. Intercultural competencies can be grouped into four interrelated clusters, according to the aspect of competence they affect or relate to: - Knowledge and ideas - Communication - Relationships - Personal qualities and dispositions We overview these four clusters in Section 2. In Sections 3 – 6, for each competency cluster, we list the key component competencies, along with descriptive explanations of each of them. We also provide case study examples from the eChina-UK Programme to illustrate one or more of the following: - How the competency manifests itself; - Why the competency is important or is needed; - How the competency can be displayed in behaviour; - What problems may occur when the competency is not present. The Competency Framework is thus useful for those who wish to gain a systematic, in-depth understanding of intercultural effectiveness and the competencies need to achieve it