This graduate class covers issues related to computer support for cooperative work (CSCW). We analyze the official and unofficial goals of such systems and how they work in relationship to real people and actual settings. We draw on understandings of people and social groups from: philosophy; social, personality and cognitive psychology; psycholinguistics; sociology; and anthropology. “Collaboration”, “work” and even “computer support” are taken very broadly, not necessarily tied to economic remuniration or to interfaces which dominate interaction, reflecting the new push towards ubiquitous and disappearing user interfaces. Purposeful collaborative activities such as writing, design, meetings, communication, and decision-making will be discussed but so too will learning related activities and informal mediated social interactions. We also review and critique of state-of-the-art computing systems supporting cooperative work. The concepts are applied in design projects. Students will find it useful to see the instructor's rubric for the course.

Learning Objectives

· become familiar with major frameworks for conceptualizing, designing and evaluating CSCW systems;

· develop a repertoire of techniques for analyzing cooperative work situations and for applying the resulting analyses to system design and redesign;

· understand the usage implications of relevant technologies and architectures for developing CSCW systems;

· become familiar with state-of-the-art research issues and themes in the analysis, design and evaluation of CSCW systems; and

· apply the CSCW concepts and methods learned to analysis and design of CSCW systems.

Instructor: Dr. Deborah Tatar, McBryde 508, x8457, tatar@cs.vt.edu. Office hours: MW 3:30-4:30pm or by appointment.

GTA: Jamika Burge, jaburge@vt.edu. Office hours: M 11:30am-12:30pm or by appointment, in McB 565.

Special Needs: If you have any special needs as a student please contact me during the first week of classes.