Awareness is both a Process and a Product in Complex Collaborations

From eurekalert:

"Team members can collaborate more successfully and create better solutions to complex, ill-defined problems by using software tools that support members' shared understanding of long-term goals, plans, challenges and allocation of resources, say Penn State information sciences and technology researchers...

'Awareness is both a process and a product," the researchers wrote. 'The more aware people are, the less there is a need to coordinate activities.'"





In a paper titled 'Evaluating Computer-Supported Cooperative Work: Models and Frameworks,' John M. Carroll, Mary Beth Rosson and Dennis Neale propose an assessment framework for computer-supported collaborative systems based on 'activity awareness.' The three also have developed a variety of tools-a timeline for document histories, deadlines and project status as well as a concept-map interface-to enhance activity awareness. "