Robert Anson

A development framework for computer-supported conflict resolution

Abstract Integrative Bargaining is a theoretical negotiation framework for achieving high joint benefit agreements between conflicting parties. However, this framework suffers from major implementation obstacles that include cognitive biases of negotiators, socio-emotional factors, and analytical processing difficulties. To date, computer-based Negotiation Support Systems (NSS) have not addressed these obstacles. They have concentrated only on providing analytical assistance for negotiation processes. This paper suggests a comprehensive framework for developing NSS that can address all three types of Integrative Bargaining obstacles in a mediation setting. Special attention is given to applying computer support for overcoming the socio-emotional and cognitive difficulties of negotiators. The first part of the paper describes the basic theoretical concepts and design features of the proposed framework. The second part presents an implementation methodology that addresses the entire Integrative Bargaining process. Finally, a number of further research issues are identified.

An Assessment of Cooperative Learning Used for Basic Computer Skills Instruction in the College Classroom

This article reports research on the use of cooperative learning strategies in a computer skills lab course at the college level. An experimental design was used to compare the difference in learning performance and student retention in the course between a section taught using cooperative teams and one taught in the traditional individual learning format. Both sections were taught by the regular full-time professor. The results showed that both performance and retention were significantly improved with the use of cooperative learning. The study also included a measure of computer anxiety the analysis of which resulted in a significant interaction between section and anxiety for overall course grade percentage, the high anxiety students doing much better in the cooperative learning section than in the individual learning section. The high anxiety students all experienced a reduction in anxiety regardless of treatment. However, the change in anxiety was most dramatic for the high anxiety students in the cooperative learning treatment, their group mean fell within the low anxiety range at the end of the course.

Organizational adoption and diffusion of electronic meeting systems: a case study

The obvious benefits for team collaboration achieved through the use of Electronic Meeting Systems (EMS), do not appear to be so obvious on an organizational scale. After years of trying, there are relatively few published reports of rapid and broad adoption and diffusion of this technology. The broader class of Group Support System (GSS) technologies, that include highly successful products such as Lotus Notes and NetMeeting, has fared substantially better. This case study is of one large company that has been relatively successful in diffusing Lotus Notes and NetMeeting, while only slowly winning an uphill battle implementing GroupSystems, a popular EMS.

A Peer Assessment System to Improve Student Team Experiences

Groups are frequently used in courses, but there is substantial evidence that insufficient attention is paid to creating conditions for successful teamwork. One key condition is high-quality, individual, and team-level feedback. An online peer assessment system and team improvement process was developed for this test case based on three design criteria: efficient administration of the assessment, promotion of quality feedback, and fostering effective team processes. Sample data from 13 teams were collected to propose a means of testing the system against these criteria.

Beyond Face-to-Face: A Field Study of Electronic Meetings in Different Time and Place Modes

In this article, we present a field study of using an electronic meeting system to support actual meetings in 4 different time and place modes within a large company. The meeting descriptions provide concrete case illustrations of how different meeting modes can work, what types of effects can occur, and factors that contribute to success. Analysis of these meetings focuses on 3 main areas. First, commonalities and differences between these cases are examined to provide insights into how electronic meetings may be affected by the time-place mode in which they occur. Positive findings from previous field studies of EMS use in face-to-face meetings are found to extend to distributed meeting environments. This includes increased productivity, more active participation, and increased buy in and ownership of the meeting results. The distributed meeting modes are also found to impose new challenges related to facilitation and maintaining participation and engagement in the meetings. Among these cases are examples of meetings that use multiple time-place modes to accommodate different components of the overall meeting process. These multimode meetings represent a major trend in group work and provide new options for meeting design.

Using computerized collaborative work support systems to improve the logical systems design process

2.0 Information System (IS) Design Process 3.0 Collaborat~e Work Suppan Systems (CWSS) 3.1 Generic CWSS Tads 3 2 Generic Task CWSS 3.3 Application Sp&fic CWSS 3.4 lmplicafionr of CWSS ‘or Design Team Meetings 4 0 CWSS Support br Logical Systems Design 4.1 overview 4.2 Computer Akkc, Software Engineering (CASE) Techndcqy 4.3 Logical Sy*ml Design (LSD, Process Mcdd 4.31 Prccess,: Discowry 4.31 Process II: StrucbJring 4 33 Process III: Validation 4.4 summary 5.0 lmpllcations

The effect of incentives and other instructor-driven strategies to increase online student evaluation response rates

Course evaluations (often termed student evaluations of teaching or SETs) are pervasive in higher education. As SETs increasingly shift from pencil-and-paper to online, concerns grow over the lower response rates that typically accompany online SETs. This study of online SET response rates examined data from 678 faculty respondents and student response rates from an entire semester. The analysis focused on those tactics that faculty employ to raise response rates for their courses, and explored instructor and course characteristics as contributing factors. A comprehensive regression model was evaluated to determine the most effective tactics and characteristics. Using incentives had the most impact on response rates. Other effective tactics that increase response rates include reminding students to take the evaluation, explaining how the evaluations would be used to improve instruction, sending personal emails and posting reminders on Blackboard®. Incentives are not widely used; however, findings suggest that non-point incentives work as well as point-based ones, as do simple-to-administer minimum class-wide response rate expectations (compared to individual completion).

Facilitating Research with Group Support Systems

Group Support Systems (GSS) and their effects on group processes and outcomes have been an object of intense study for 10 years. This article takes a different perspective on the involvement of GSS in research. The authors address how GSS tools canfacilitate the process of developing and implementing research. A generic model of the research process is used to describe specific suggestions and examples-including three scenarios-for improving researcher efficiency and effectiveness. GSS can provide a variety of benefits to researchers, including basic meeting support for multiple researchers in developing elements of a research project; electronic recording of data from subjects; data analysis; and integration of information and data across the entire research process. Benefits of using GSS to facilitate/support the research process, the limitations of this approach, and the use of GSS to extend the research process beyond its current boundaries are reviewed.

Using group support systems to facilitate the research process

Group support systems (GSS) and their effects on group processes and outcomes have been an object of intense study over the past ten years (1982-92). The purpose of the authors is to take a different perspective with respect to GSS research. Rather than discussing research about GSS, they discuss the capabilities of GSS tools to support the process of doing research. A model of the steps involved in the research process is discussed and specific suggestions for the application of GSS tools are mapped to these research steps. GSS can provide a variety of benefits to researchers, including basic meeting support for multiple researchers in developing elements of the research project, electronically recording data from subjects, performing data analysis, and integrating information and data across the entire research process.<<ETX>>

Identifying the root causes of data and systems planning problems: an application of the PLEXSYS electronic meeting support system

The authors report on a field study that involved experienced data and system planners from one company in a collaborative task of brainstorming, idea generation categorizing, and ranking data and systems planning issues and root causes. The PLEXSYS electronic meeting support environment was used to facilitate this session and to collect and analyze research data. The authors discuss the conduct and results of this group work session, and provide insight into this application of group work technology in research. In particular, they indicate new or modified pitfalls that were discovered, and the results of various problem reduction, rating, grouping, and prioritization steps, leading to the identification and ranking of root causes.<<ETX>>