Anders I. Mørch

The role of critiquing in cooperative problem solving

Cooperative problem-solving systems help users design solutions themselves as opposed to having solutions designed for them, Critiquing—presenting a reasoned opinion about a user’s product or action–is a major activity of a cooperative problem-solving system. Critics make the constructed artifact “talk back” to the user. Conditions under which critics are more appropriate than autonomous expert systems are discussed. Critics should be embedded in integrated design environments along with other components, such as an argumentative hypertext system, a specification component, and a catalog. Critics support learning as a by-product of problem solving. The major subprocesses of critiquing are goal acquisition, product analysis, critiquing strategies, adaptation capability, explanation and argumentation, and advisory capability. The generality of the critiquing approach is demonstrated by discussing critiquing systems developed in our group and elsewhere. Limitations of many current critics include their inability to learn about specific user goals and their intervention strategies.

JANUS: integrating hypertext with a knowledge-based design environment

Hypertext systems and other complex information stores offer little or no guidance in helping users find information useful for activities they are currently engaged in. Most users are not interested in exploring hypertext information spaces per se but rather in obtaining information to solve problems or accomplish tasks. As a step towards this we have developed the JANUS design environment. JANUS allows designers to construct artifacts in the domain of architectural design and at the same time to be informed about principles of design and the reasoning underlying them. This process integrates two design activities: construction and argumentation. Construction is supported by a knowledge-based graphical design environment and argumentation is supported by a hypertext system. Our empirical evaluations of JANUS and its predecessors has shown that integrated support for construction and argumentation is necessary for full support of design.

Design environments for constructive and argumentative design

Design Environments are computer systems which support design by enabling cooperative problem solving between designer and computer. There are two complementary problem solving activities in design: constructive design and argumentative design. We have created two computer-supported environments, CRACK and VIEWPOINTS, to support these two activities. CRACK is a knowledge-based critic which has knowledge about how kitchen appliances can be assembled into functional kitchens. VIEWPOINTS is a hypertext system based on the IBIS design methodology and contains useful information about the principles of kitchen design. The integration of these two types of systems will eliminate shortcomings of the individual systems.

Using critics to empower users

We describe the critiquing approach to building knowledge-based interactive systems. Critiquing supports computer users in their problem solving and learning activities. The challenges for the next generation of knowledge-based systems provide a context for the development of this paradigm. We discuss critics from the perspective of overcoming the problems of high-functionality computer systems, of providing a new class of systems to support learning, of extending applications-oriented construction kits to design environments, and of providing an alternative to traditional autonomous expert systems. One of the critiquing systems we have built — JANUS, a critic for architectural design — is used as an example of the key aspects of the critiquing process. We also survey additional critiquing systems developed in our and other research groups.

Tailoring as Collaboration: The Mediating Role of Multiple Representations and ApplicationUnits

In this paper we see tailoring as indirectlong-term collaboration between developers and users:initiated by developers when they build softwaresystems, and responded to by end users when they latertailor the systems. We have identified two features weconsider important when supporting this kind ofcollaboration: multiple representations andapplication units. Their main benefit is that they canenhance communication between developers and users,hence making it easier for users to do the tailoring.We present two tailorable systems we have built totest these ideas. One of the systems (ECHOES) is acollaborative system based on multiplerepresentations, and the other system (BasicDraw) isan individual productivity tool based on multiplerepresentations and application units. We discusslessons learned from the two projects and suggestdirections for future work, including identifying somechallenges that need to be overcome in order to bringend-user tailoring out of the prototyping laboratoryand into user organizations.

Critics: an emerging approach to knowledge-based human-computer interaction

We describe the critiquing approach to building knowledge-based interactive systems. Critiquing supports computer users in their problem solving and learning activities. The challenges for the next generation of knowledge-based systems provide a context for the development of this paradigm. We discuss critics from the perspective of overcoming the problems of high-functionality computer systems, of providing a new class of systems to support learning, of extending applications-oriented construction kits to design environments, and of providing an alternative to traditional autonomous expert systems. One of the critiquing systems we have built—JANUS, a critic for architectural design—is used as an example for presenting the key aspects of the critiquing process. We then survey additional critiquing systems developed in our and other research groups. The paper concludes with a discussion of experiences and extensions to the paradigm.

Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning: Basic Concepts, Multiple Perspectives, and Emerging Trends

Computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) is the field concerned with how information and communication technology (ICT) might support learning in groups (co-located and distributed). The article surveys key studies, common technologies, and significant events in the field. It presents basic concepts, multiple perspectives, and emerging trends in CSCL. A main distinction is drawn between the systemic and the dialogical approach to research. The former is rooted in the cognitive perspective on learning and the latter the sociocultural perspective on learning and development. Design-based research is prominent in the field and we differentiate pedagogical and technology design as two means to scaffold research, collaboration, and learning.

Mutual Development: A Case Study in Customer-Initiated Software Product Development

The paper is a case study of customer-initiated software product development. We have observed and participated in system development activities in a commercial software house (company) over a period of two years. The company produces project-planning tools for the oil and gas industry, and relies on interaction with customers for further development of its products. Our main research question is how customers and professional developers engage in mutual development mediated by shared software tools (products and support systems). We have used interviews with developers and customers as our main source of data, and identified the activities (from use to development) where customers have contributed to development. We analyze our findings in terms of co-configuration, meta-design and modding in order to name and compare the various stages of development (adaptation, generalization, improvement request, specialization, and tailoring).

E‐learning in a large organization: A study of the critical role of information sharing

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide new insights into the implementation of large‐scale learning projects; thereby better understanding the difficulties, frustrations, and obstacles encountered when implementing enterprise‐wide e‐learning as a tool for training and organization transformation in a complex organization.Design/methodology/approach – Information‐sharing disturbances, one of five categories of disturbances that emerged from a grounded theory open coding procedure applied to empirical data collected through a longitudinal field research, are in focus. Third generation activity theory, specifically the notions network of activity systems, disturbances, tensions and contradictions, is used as an analytical lens through which to understand the role of information sharing in a large‐scale implementation.Findings – The study has identified how information sharing disturbances became a critical factor in the implementation of e‐learning in a large company. A number of tensions that poi...

The workplace as a learning laboratory: the winding road to E-learning in a Norwegian service company

Over a 1 1/2 year period, we have participated in the introduction of E-learning in a Norwegian service company, a petrol station division of an oil company. This company has an advanced computer network infrastructure for communication and information sharing, but the primary task of the employees at the petrol stations is serving customers. We identify some challenges to introducing E-learning in this kind of environment. A primary emphasis has been on using participatory design techniques in the planning and early implementation phases of a system prototype. The system development process was evolutionary, starting bottom-up (user participation) and ending top-down (centralized initiatives). We describe a conceptual framework for analyzing the adoption process. The framework has three dimensions: technology, pedagogy and organization. We use video recordings and interview data in the analysis. Preliminary findings indicate difficulties with respect to appropriateness of new technology and lateral cooperation. This paper provides insight into the successful co-existence of old and new technologies and multiple information seeking strategies.