TY - JOUR
T1 - Using social interaction trace data and context to predict collaboration quality and creative fluency in collaborative design learning environments
AU - Zhou, Ninger
AU - Kisselburgh, Lorraine
AU - Chandrasegaran, Senthil
AU - Badam, S. Karthik
AU - Elmqvist, Niklas
AU - Ramani, Karthik
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - Engineering design typically occurs as a collaborative process situated in specific context such as computer-supported environments, however there is limited research examining the dynamics of design collaboration in specific contexts. In this study, drawing from situative learning theory, we developed two analytic lenses to broaden theoretical insights into collaborative design practices in computer-supported environments: (a) the role of spatial and material context, and (b) the role of social interactions. We randomly assigned participants to four conditions varying the material context (paper vs. tablet sketching tools) and spatial environment (private room vs commons area) as they worked collaboratively to generate ideas for a toy design task. We used wearable sociometric badges to automatically and unobtrusively collect social interaction data. Using partial least squares regression, we generated two predictive models for collaboration quality and creative fluency. We found that context matters materially to perceptions of collaboration, where those using collaboration-support tools perceived higher quality collaboration. But context matters spatially to creativity, and those situated in private spaces are more fluent in generating ideas than those in commons areas. We also found that interaction dynamics differ: synchronous interaction is important to quality collaboration, but reciprocal interaction is important to creative fluency. These findings provide important insights into the processual factors in collaborative design in computer-supported environments, and the predictive role of context and conversation dynamics. We discuss the theoretical contributions to computer-supported collaborative design, the methodological contributions of wearable sensor tools, and the practical contributions to structuring computer-supported environments for engineering design practice.
AB - Engineering design typically occurs as a collaborative process situated in specific context such as computer-supported environments, however there is limited research examining the dynamics of design collaboration in specific contexts. In this study, drawing from situative learning theory, we developed two analytic lenses to broaden theoretical insights into collaborative design practices in computer-supported environments: (a) the role of spatial and material context, and (b) the role of social interactions. We randomly assigned participants to four conditions varying the material context (paper vs. tablet sketching tools) and spatial environment (private room vs commons area) as they worked collaboratively to generate ideas for a toy design task. We used wearable sociometric badges to automatically and unobtrusively collect social interaction data. Using partial least squares regression, we generated two predictive models for collaboration quality and creative fluency. We found that context matters materially to perceptions of collaboration, where those using collaboration-support tools perceived higher quality collaboration. But context matters spatially to creativity, and those situated in private spaces are more fluent in generating ideas than those in commons areas. We also found that interaction dynamics differ: synchronous interaction is important to quality collaboration, but reciprocal interaction is important to creative fluency. These findings provide important insights into the processual factors in collaborative design in computer-supported environments, and the predictive role of context and conversation dynamics. We discuss the theoretical contributions to computer-supported collaborative design, the methodological contributions of wearable sensor tools, and the practical contributions to structuring computer-supported environments for engineering design practice.
KW - Computer-supported collaborative design
KW - Conversation dynamics
KW - Material context
KW - Situative learning theory
KW - Spatial context
KW - Wearable sensors
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85076467740&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ijhcs.2019.102378
DO - 10.1016/j.ijhcs.2019.102378
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85076467740
SN - 1071-5819
VL - 136
JO - International Journal of Human Computer Studies
JF - International Journal of Human Computer Studies
M1 - 102378
ER -