Single Display Groupware

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Single Display Groupware

• Ana Zanella
• - CPSC 601.13 -

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Definition

• Single Display Groupware (SDG) is a class of CSCW
  applications that supports multiple simultaneous
  users interacting co-located on a single shared
  display, usually using multiple input devices
  (MID)
• Stewart

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Groups Interactions

• What are the types of functions groups execute
  during the work?
• How do groups interact in terms of shared
  artifacts being manipulated?
• How do groups communicate in a face-to-face
  situation?

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Groups Behaviors

• Visible behaviors (Whittaker)
• Gesture
• Posture
• Eye gaze
• Facial expressions

• Shared surface actions (Tang)
• List
• Draw
• Gesture
• Talk

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Grounding Communication

• Grounding changes with purpose and medium (Clark)

• Mediate communication
• Store information
• Explain a concept
• Create a reminder
• Reference something
• Emphasize a talk
• Simulate ordered events

• Face-to-face
• Telephone
• E-mail
• Fax
• Video/audio
• Computer tool

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Characteristics of SDG Applications

• Support to face-to-face interaction
• Shared and coupled view
• Shared user interface
• Shared feedback
• Multiple cursors
• Different types of input devices
• No privileged devices
• No global data
• Per user or per device

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Potential Advantages

• Maintaining face-to-face interactions
• Enabling collaboration that was inhibited by
  social barriers
• Enabling types of collaborations that require
  multiple users
• Enriching existing collaborations
• Reducing/eliminating conflicts
• Encouraging peer learning/teaching
• Strengthening communication skills

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Potential Disadvantages

• It may take longer to complete tasks
• Navigation may be frustrating
• Applications may be slower
• Applications may not be portable
• Screen real state problem
• Adding technology may add constrains to
  face-to-face interactions

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Types of SDG Applications

• Childrens Application
• games, educational tools
• Software demonstration
• Meeting Tools
• brainstorming, discussing and design tasks
• SDG Editors
• text, drawing
• Multiple Input Device Systems
• two handed input

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SDG Applications

• MidDraw MID Bederson

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SDG Applications

• KidPad MID Bederson

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SDG Applications

• PebblesDraw Pebbles Myers

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SDG Applications

• MID Editor Zanella uses MIDFrame Shoemaker

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SDG Applications

• Connect the Dots games Zanella uses MIDFrame
  Shoemaker

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Issues in SDG Design

• Technological issues
• Input devices
• Output devices
• Widgets issues
• Data issues

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Issue Input Devices

• Multiple users and input
• Operating Systems do not allow several inputs at
  the same time mouse vs. keyboard
• Simultaneous input data to be treated
• Average of the inputs

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Issue Input Devices

• Multiple input devices and multiple pointers
• Operating System allows one cursor only
• Two mice connected, input is the average of both
• Several pointers
• One pointer per user in the room
• Confusion
• More users than pointers
• Who is interacting and who is not

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Issue Input Devices

• Multiple input devices
• Turn taking vs. Simultaneous access
• One user per device
• Parallel work collaboration may not occur
• More users than devices
• Some turn-taking may encourage users to
  collaborate more, even though some are working in
  parallel

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Issue Input Devices

• Different types of input devices
• Treat different devices inputs
• Different issues
• Mouse, joystick restricts gestures, do not
  avoid interference, not much awareness
• PDAs personal screen, restricts gestures
• Pens allows some gestures, awareness of users,
  avoid interference
• Touch screen allows gestures, awareness of
  users, avoid interference

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Issue Architectural Setting

• Tabletop
• Whiteboard
• Multiple whiteboards side by side
• Tabletop and whiteboards
• Monitor
• Laptop

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Architectural setting

• Scalability (display size)
• Monitor
• Small display screen real state, people are
  closer, looking possible to the same information
• Mouse or keyboard
• Whiteboard
• People are more far away, less integrated to work
  together, can be looking at or working on a
  different parts of the display
• Pen or touch screen

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Issue Output Devices

• Screen real state problem
• Several users at the same time
• working on different information
• On the screen
• Too much data
• Coupled view
• If a user scrolls to an empty area, other may not
  be able to see their work

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Issue Output Devices

• Orientation
• Monitor, whiteboard
• Unique orientation
• Tabletop
• Orientation mediates collaboration
• Read and write upside-down
• Orientation is extremely important for some tasks
• Location in maps
• Interior design
• Floor plans

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Issue Widgets

• Interference
• Monitor
• Small work area
• Mouse, keyboard
• Whiteboard
• Larger work area
• Touch screen, pen, mouse
• Tabletop
• Larger work area
• Pen, touch screen, mouse

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Issue Widgets

• Awareness
• What others are doing
• Many information is captured outside the system
• What is important to be embedded into the system?
• Modes?
• Global actions messaging?

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Issue Widgets

• User identification
• Who is and who is not interacting?
• (More users that input devices)
• Which cursor is mine?
• Whose cursors are the others?
• Name
• Picture
• Icon
• Color

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Issue Widgets

• Personal vs. Global actions
• Personal may not affect others
• Mode change
• Global related to all users, everybody must be
  aware
• Social protocols?
• Clear screen
• Save

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Issue Widgets

• Joint actions
• KidPad
• Educational applications
• How does it apply to meetings? (real world
  applications)
• Marking important topics
• Persistent data

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Other Widgets Issues

• Personal widgets menus, popup menus?
• Multiple selection of tools
• Undo
• Scroll bar
• Menu selection and menu option selection

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Issue Data

• Multiple selection of data at a time
• Move
• Delete
• Modify
• Data per user
• Can others delete my data?
• When I undo does it undo my last action or
  general last action?

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Restriction on the Definition

• One display
• Single display groupware
• Vs.
• Co-located groupware
• Multiple screens
• Multiple input devices some with own display
• Some issues apply to both, but new ones can be
  added with the addition of several displays

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Conclusions

• Based on face-to-face interactions
• Some aspects are maintained
• When technology is added some behaviors may
  change
• Multiple input devices is necessary
• Simultaneity
• Operating Systems do not support multiple input
  devices
• Applications have to treat MID
• Non portable applications

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Conclusions

• Several issues have not been studied in detail
• Different types of devices
• Scalability
• Interference
• Orientation
• Co-located groupware several displays

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What I Am Doing

• Widgets
• Interference
• Architecture for SDG multiple types of devices

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Interference

• Transparent popup menus

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One Pair Data