SCHOOL OF INFORMATION. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Bridging Distance in Collaborations Lessons Learned from a Broad Look at Collaborations in Science & Engineering and in the corporate world Judith S. Olson Richard W. Pew Professor of Human-Computer Interaction School of Information Ross School of Business University of Michigan SCHOOL OF INFORMATION. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Whats the problem? n Organizations are constructing teams of people from geographically dispersed locations Thats where the expertise is Experts wont relocate They throw technology at itwith attachments Video conferencing Shared databases n It doesnt work well SCHOOL OF INFORMATION. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN The solution n One size does not fit all n Understand the situation The tasks The technologies The social/organizational situations n Design New technologies, new combinations of existing technologies New social practices n Evaluate n Reflect SCHOOL OF INFORMATION. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN A Mix of Research Methods Traditional Support New Support FieldLab SCHOOL OF INFORMATION. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Distributed work n Upper Atmospheric Physics n Clinical Radiology n HIV/AIDS research n Brain research n Design engineering n Earthquake engineering n Corporate financial reporting n Global telecommunications software design n Automobile transmission design SCHOOL OF INFORMATION. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Long-Distance Auto Engineering: Audio Conferencing SCHOOL OF INFORMATION. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Long-Distance Auto Engineering: Video Conferencing SCHOOL OF INFORMATION. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Great Lakes CFAR: Virtual Lab Meeting SCHOOL OF INFORMATION. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN IARC: Remote meetings SCHOOL OF INFORMATION. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Ambient mic (tabletop) Presenter mic Presenter camera Audience camera Access Grid Nodes (ANL) SCHOOL OF INFORMATION. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN UARC/SPARC: Real time access to remote instruments and chat SCHOOL OF INFORMATION. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN UIUCU of Colorado NEES: Shared instruments SCHOOL OF INFORMATION. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Electronic Notebook SCHOOL OF INFORMATION. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN IARC: Shared coordination tools SCHOOL OF INFORMATION. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN SCHOOL OF INFORMATION. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Science of Collaboratories Project Perform a comparative analysis of collaboratory projects Develop general principles and design methods Test these principles on existing or upcoming collaboratories Develop of a Collaboratory Knowledge Base technical and social data and detailed findings from existing collaboratory projects SCHOOL OF INFORMATION. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN SCHOOL OF INFORMATION. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Collaboratories at a Glance n Collect a large set of collaboratories We have identified almost 200 examples n Collect a basic set of information n Note similarities and differences on both technical and social dimensions SCHOOL OF INFORMATION. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN SCHOOL OF INFORMATION. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN In-depth n SPARC/UARC n GLR CFAR n Bugscope n EMSL n NEESgrid n InterMed n GriPhyN n iVDGL n AfCS n BIRN SCHOOL OF INFORMATION. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Taxonomy of Collaboratories n Research focus Distributed Research Center Shared Instrumentation Community Data Systems Open Community Contribution System n Practice focus Virtual Community of Practice Virtual Learning Community Expert Consultation SCHOOL OF INFORMATION. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Distributed Research Center n Functions like a University research center, but at a distance. n Most communication human-human n Project is unified by a topic area of interest, and includes a number of joint projects in that area. n No single product as the focus n Alliance for Cellular Signaling SCHOOL OF INFORMATION. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Shared Instrument n Increases access to a scientific instrument n Often remote access to an expensive instrument n Often supplemented with other technology to support communication n Keck observatory SCHOOL OF INFORMATION. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Community Data System n Information resource that is created, maintained, or improved by a distributed community n Information is semi-public, of wide interest. n Zebrafish information network SCHOOL OF INFORMATION. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Open Community Contribution System n Micro contributions to a project n Modeled on open source software development n Open Mind Initiative n NASA Ames Clickworkers SCHOOL OF INFORMATION. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Virtual Community of Practice n A network of individuals who share a research area and communicate about it online n Share news of professional interest, advice, techniques. n Not focused on joint projects n Ocean US SCHOOL OF INFORMATION. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Virtual Learning Community n Main focus is on increasing the knowledge of the participants Not to do original research n Can be inservice or professional development n Ecology Circuit Collaboration SCHOOL OF INFORMATION. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Expert Consultation n Provides increased access to an expert or set of experts n The flow of information is mainly one way, rather than two way as in a distributed center n TeleInViVo SCHOOL OF INFORMATION. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN What is Success? n Effects on the Science itself n Effects on Science Careers n Enhanced Science Education n Inspiration to others n Public perception n Reuse of collaboratory tools SCHOOL OF INFORMATION. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Factors That Affect Success n The Nature of the Work n Common Ground n Collaboration Readiness n Management, Planning and Decision Making n Technology Readiness SCHOOL OF INFORMATION. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Technical readiness n Right functionality, easy to use n Comfortable with the technology People cant make too big a leap n Technology gives benefit to participants n Reliable n Common platform n Adequate networking SCHOOL OF INFORMATION. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Technical readiness n Technical support at each location n Technical coordinator n If data sharing: defacto standards n If instrument sharing: certify remote users SCHOOL OF INFORMATION. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN The nature of the work n The more partitionable the work, the easier it is to do long distance May not want total independence Need interaction to avoid drift Some success with standardization SCHOOL OF INFORMATION. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Common Ground n Mutual knowledge, beliefs and assumptions n People who have worked together before successfully presumably have worked this out n Common vocabulary n Common management or working style SCHOOL OF INFORMATION. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Veinott et al study n The less common ground you have, the more you need high bandwidth and rapid interaction for communication Pairs of Native English speakers do not need video to communicate Pairs of Non-native English speakers are much better when they have video as well as audio SCHOOL OF INFORMATION. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Collaboration readiness n The community has to have a spirit of collaboration. n Motivation to work together: Mix of skills Greater productivity Like working together Something in it for everyone NOT Mandate from the funder The only way to get the money Asymmetries in value, etc. SCHOOL OF INFORMATION. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Collaboration Readiness n Trust Reliable Produce high quality work Have their best interests at heart n Goals aligned n Group self-efficacy SCHOOL OF INFORMATION. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Management, Planning, and Decision Making n Principals have time to do the work n Distributed participants can communicate in real time > 4 hrs a day n There is a critical mass at each location And a point person at each location SCHOOL OF INFORMATION. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Management, Planning, and Decision Making n Management plan n Project manager is respected and has project management experience n Communication plan n Plan has room for reflection and redirection SCHOOL OF INFORMATION. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Management, Planning, and Decision Making n No legal issues remain n No financial issues remain n Knowledge management system n Decision making is Free of favoritism Fair and open Everyone has opportunity to influence SCHOOL OF INFORMATION. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Summary n Technical readiness n The nature of the work n Common ground n Collaboration readiness n Management, planning and decision making SCHOOL OF INFORMATION. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN The Collaboration Wizard n The theory as a set of questions n Remedies n Red flags SCHOOL OF INFORMATION. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Promise and Perils n Promise Better, more ambitious science Better science education Greater outreach Benefits beyond science & engineering n Perils Success not inevitable as technologies evolve Success is a mix of social and technical factors Likely to be unanticipated effects Science often on the leading edge SCHOOL OF INFORMATION. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Further information n nfor papers n