Lecture 3: Shared Workspace Awareness 

Dr. Xiangyu WANG11th August 2008

The concept of Shared Workspace A space for working is a prerequisite for work (both

individual and cooperative) Computer Supported Cooperative Work aims at providing

virtual spaces where people can work together independently from their locations.

A shared workspace (physical): examples

A shared workspace (Virtual): examples

What is Awareness? Previous researchers have defined

awareness as knowledge created through interaction between an agent and its environment – in simple terms, “knowing what is going on” (Endsley, 1995).

Characteristics of Awareness Awareness is knowledge about the state of an

environment bounded in time and space: e.g., I left a message in your blog in 6:00 pm today.

Environments change over time, so awareness is knowledge that must be maintained and kept up to date.

Awareness is a secondary goal in the task – that is, the overall goal is not simply to maintain awareness but to complete some task in the environment.

Workspace awareness Specialization of awareness, one that is tied to

the specific setting of the shared workspace. Up-to-the-moment understanding of another

person’s interaction with a shared workspace.

The Importance of Awareness Workspace awareness:

Reduces the effort needed to coordinate tasks and resources,

Provides a context in which to interpret other's utterances and actions,

Allows anticipation of others' actions.

Workspace Awareness Workspace awareness is a specialized

situational awareness.

Example

Shared WhiteboardPhysical Whiteboard

Workspace Awareness (GUTWIN & GREENBERG 2002)

What information makes up WA? How is WA information gathered? How is WA information used in

collaboration?

What information makes up WA? Information about:

Who: e.g., who is in the workspace What: e.g., what they are doing Where: e.g., where they are working When: e.g., when they did, or will do How: e.g., how they do

Divided into past, present and future information: Past: What has happened in the shared workspace

when I was away? Present: What is happening in a shared workspace

right now? Future (coordination): What will happen in the

shared workspace tomorrow after I submit my design?

Information about the present

Information about the past

How is WA information gathered/conveyed? Three main sources for awareness information:

(think about shared whiteboard) Bodies Artifacts Conversations and gestures

Bodies Information available to people as a result

of being embodied in the same space. Information from observing others’ hands,

heads, eyes, bodies, etc.

Artifacts Artifacts in the shared workspace provide

essential awareness information: visual symbols like words, pictures, etc.

By seeing or hearing the ways that an artifact changes, it is often possible to determine “what is being done to it”.

Conversations Verbal communication:

Talking to each other about awareness elements.

Picking up others’ verbal shadowing - the running commentary that people commonly produce alongside their actions.

Gestures: Can be used to carry out intentional

communication, e.g. pointing at things

WA information is used for?

Awareness techniques GUTWIN & GREENBERG (2002)

concentrated on real-time aspects of workspace awareness – elements that answer the who, what, and where questions.

Awareness techniques – What (2)

Where

Case Study: TeamWave A groupware system that provides team

rooms for groups whose members can work both co-located and at distance.

Collaboration in TeamWave Workspace Awareness: Information about

the happenings in the rooms. Telepointers: each user has a telepointer

that provides awareness on his/her actions.

Chat tool: For communication among the users.

Tools available in TeamWave Standard:

chat tool, shared whiteboard. special tools satisfying basic group needs, e.g.:

concept map, voting tool, file transfer, external URL reference, …