Stefan Werner Knoll

Changing the Perspective: Improving Generate thinkLets for Ideation

Creativity techniques provide a variety of approaches for supporting an ideation process. These techniques can be executed using a Group Support System (GSS), thus allowing the ideation process to be distributed across geographical distances. However, experience is necessary for the selection of an appropriate creativity technique, its implementation in a GSS, and the facilitation during the ideation process itself. To tackle these problems, 101 creativity techniques were analysed with respect to their underlying cognitive processes. The results show that there are only three cognitive principles that stimulate the ideation process by providing a change of perspective. Change of perspective can be used to formalize the cognitive process of creativity techniques. The paper shows how this change of perspective can be used to implement an ideation process with a GSS via Generate thinkLets and discuss how this formalisation can improve the applicability of GSS for ideation processes.

Applying a ThinkLet- and ThinXel-based Group Process Modeling Language: A Prototype of a Universal Group Support System

Group Support Systems (GSS) can improve the productivity of Group Work by offering a variety of tools to assist a virtual group across geographical distances. Experience shows that the value of a GSS depends on how purposefully and skillfully it is used. We present a framework for a universal GSS based on a thinkLet- and thinXel-based Group Process Modeling Language (GPML). Our framework approach uses the GPML to describe different kinds of group processes in an unambiguous and compact representation and to guide the participants automatically through these processes. We assume that a GSS based on this GPML can provide the following advantages: to support the user by designing and executing a collaboration process and to increase the applicability of GSSs for different kinds of group processes. We will present a prototype and use different kinds of group processes to illustrate the application of a GPML for a universal GSS.

Changing the Perspective: Using a Cognitive Model to Improve thinkLets for Ideation

In the field of collaboration engineering, thinkLets describe reusable and transferable collaborative activities to reproduce known patterns of collaboration. This paper focuses on thinkLets of the pattern Generate, which define collaboration activities to produce and share new contributions by a group. We address the question whether the small number of published Generate thinkLets can adequately represent the various approaches contained in published idea generation techniques. We used a cognitive model to analyze 101 idea generation techniques with regard to the underlying mental principles that stimulate the ideation process by deliberately activating larger areas of the knowledge network. We present three changes of perspective based on these principles, which can be used to formalize the underlying mechanisms of idea generation techniques. The paper shows how these three principles can be used to improve Generate thinkLets and discusses how this formalization can improve the applicability of information systems for ideation processes.

A Context-Sensitive Intervention Approach for Collaboration in Dynamic Environments

Complex design and engineering processes are characterized by dynamic requirements, like changing process goals or group constellations. To deal with these dynamics, a context-sensitive approach is needed to consider a changing environment and provides teams with the support they need. This paper describes research about a context-sensitive intervention approach to support collaboration in dynamic environments. Based on a review of existing approaches for context modeling in collaboration, a semantic model is presented to describe a collaboration process design as well as contextual process information. Using existing theories on collaboration performance, the paper discusses how the semantic model can be used to monitor group performance during collaboration. Thereby, a rule concept is introduced to derive interventions for dynamic collaboration processes and discusses their application to build new context-sensitive collaboration support systems.

Idea Engineering: A Case Study of a Practically Oriented University Course in Innovation

This paper describes a course in innovation offered to students at the University of Magdeburg in Germany. The course is based on the premise that idea generation can be viewed as a methodical discipline, and offers a unique combination of the psychological framework for creative thinking, the business background for innovation and state-of-the-art creativity techniques. The course derives much of its impact from close cooperation with an innovation consulting company and enables the students to solve real-life ideation tasks supplied by local corporations and other organizations. The paper describes the goals and design of the course, its innovative features, its reception by students and concludes with benefits and experiences gained.

A Semantic Model for Adaptive Collaboration Support Systems

Dynamic environments characterize today’s world. In complex design and engineering processes, dynamic environments influence the requirements of an ongoing collaboration process. They lead to process goal changes or reduce the time available to achieve a collaborative goal. In such a case, collaboration support and processes need to be adapted. Various collaboration support systems assist groups by providing technological support to structure activities, generate and share data, and to improve group communication. However, current support systems often prescribe or assume a fixed process and a known group composition. As result, collaboration support is needed that considers the changing environment and provides groups with the support they need. Such support can range from a fixed process and tool configuration to an open collaboration environment that enables groups to interact in a self-organized way. This chapter introduces an elastic collaboration approach that comprises a continuum of collaboration support, ranging from prescribed collaboration to new emerging forms of collaboration. The chapter discusses how the concept of elastic collaboration can be implemented in an adaptive collaboration support system using a semantic model to capture, manage and analyze a collaboration environment. Based on this model, a sample application of the semantic model is presented along with a collaborative problem-solving model.

The Impact of Analogical Distance as a Mental Stimulus in Ideation Processes Using Change of Perspective: Jumping

Over several decades, a variety of studies have analysed analogical thinking as a cognitive mechanism, in which the individual transfers information from similar situations or problems and uses it to solve problems. However, less research is given that focuses on the use of predefined analogies as external stimuli for the ideation process. As a result, there has been very little information available on how to use analogies in practice, i.e. During an ideation workshop. This paper reports the results of an experiment that analysed the influence of predefined analogies on ideation processes using analogical thinking. Twenty-three students individually used analogous thinking in an ideation workshop with predefined near and far analogies as external stimuli. Results show some first indications that the distance of the analogies as well as the level of detail have an influence on the ideation outcomes.

Context and Collaborative Work: A Context-Sensitive Intervention Approach for Collaboration in Dynamic Environment

The context of complex design and engineering processes is characterized by dynamic requirements, like changing process goals or group constellations. To deal with these dynamics in a virtual environment, a context-sensitive collaboration support system needs to consider a changing context and provide virtual teams with the support they need. Such elastic collaboration support can range from a fixed process and tool configuration to an open collaboration environment that enables groups to interact in a self-organized way. In this chapter, research about a context-sensitive intervention approach is described that intends to support elastic collaboration in dynamic environments. Based on a review of existing theories on collaboration performance, the use of contextual process information to monitor group performance during collaboration is discussed. Thereby, a rule concept is introduced to derive interventions for elastic collaboration processes compared to existing approaches for context modeling in collaboration.

How Not to Select Ideas for Innovations: A Critique of the Scoring Method

We are interested in the problem of evaluating and selecting one or more ideas to be pursued in the idea stage of the innovation process. The so-called scoring method, which is based on Multi-Attribute Utility Theory is very commonly used for this task. We know of many corporations that select their innovation projects using this technique. We present original arguments from three different sources that illustrate some of the severe difficulties associated with this method: theoretical considerations, simulation experiments and laboratory studies. We conclude that the scoring method should not be used for this task and consider instead the little-known lexicographic approach, which does not suffer from the disadvantages of the scoring method. We suggest that the lexicographic method may be the method of choice for the given application.

A transfer approach for facilitation knowledge in computer-supported collaboration

Collaboration is an important process for companies to combine the potential and expertise of their employees. Groupware can improve the productivity of collaboration by coordinating activities and improving group communication. Considering the possible complexity of a collaboration process, the faithful appropriation of a groupware technology is fundamental to design predictable and efficient collaboration. This paper presents ongoing research on how to improve technological support for collaboration by formalizing the workflow of a collaboration process into a machine-readable process description. We will present a knowledge transfer approach for the adaptation of a logical process design by an inexperienced user. This approach transfers facilitation knowledge for the selection and configuration of a collaboration process and provides rules for instructional writing to support an inexperienced user in defining clear and explicit instructions. A software application was used to evaluate the knowledge transfer approach in a quasi-experiment with inexperienced participants.