CSCW: Computer Supported Collaborative Work
Fall 2007
In Computer Supported Collaborative Work, taught by Jim Laffey, Ph.D., we learned to design systems that supported people in different fields of work. For example, a classmate who works as a high school vice-principal designed a tool which notifies administration of urgent situations.
Final Project
My final project was the Revised Prototype of the Sakai Widget (PDF), a desktop widget designed to improve the Sakai learning environment.
Artifacts
Artifacts include:
- A prospectus of the widget.
- A protocol for testing.
- Results of the prototype testing.
- A possible scenario (PDF) for its use.
Reflection
Design Work
The two aspects that I enjoyed the most were my classmates interviewing me and building the prototype. Being interviewed was a valuable experience because telling something as a story solidifies an event and puts it into a new perspective. Building the prototype was an excellent way to see an idea come to life and give it "realness."
I also enjoyed writing the scenario for someone else's prototype. I learned a lot about writing for a situation that is completely unlike my own.
Troublesome aspects were typical issues: teamwork not distributed equally and not having enough time to produce the quality of work I would like to produce. I will probably handle both situations in similar manners in the future since I was still effective, despite these aspects.
The teamwork problem is not easily solved with a clean answer in a brief reflection. Horses don't pull a carriage equally but the carriage still moves. A group is like an amoeba, constantly moving and morphing. Sharing work equally can be difficult inside an amoeba. The time crunch aspect is a just a part of life, like it is for most people. We learn how to learn quickly and produce on the fly.
Personal Learning and Growth for the Course
"... in what ways have you grown and how do you feel about your growth and competence? In what areas do you need and desire further development?" I have grown in my ability to speak up. I am one to accept everything and make the best of it. In this course, I realized that I did not have to accept everything and I could speak up more.
I have grown in my ability to work with new people immediately without an icebreaker period so we could accomplish our tasks. Because we had short time frames to complete the activities, I was more decisive and outspoken than usual. In previous courses where I had the same team for a semester, I put more energy into being polite. In this course, I focused more on the goals and less on politesse.
I need more development in supporting my own ideas and feelings. I want to find more research to add strength to my opinions. I want to be more confident in my intellectual contributions and my ability to be a leader.
The most valuable aspect of this course for me was just being a part of it—experiencing how it is to be valued and taken seriously in this community of bright and hard-working people.
