Panel

							         Other People’s
       Thoughts Influence
       One’s Own Actions
   (‘Morals by Agreement’ David Gauthier, 1989)


When one is engaged in interaction such that others’ actions can
affect one’s own interests, and vice versa, one does better if one acts
cooperatively (The Prisoner’s dilemma).
Sociability & Usability for
Contribution based on
Situated Informal Learning and
Consensus Knowledge Building
in Online Communities
                   Niki Lambropoulos
         Interaction Design Consultant
             Intelligenesis Consultancy

                       nikilambropoulos.org
           Contents
           • Key concepts
                • I: LPP in Online Communities
                • II: Situated Informal Learning
                • III: Sociability and Usability

           • The study: Greek Teachers’ Focus Group
                • Greek context results: Reasons for
                   • lurking, LPP
                   • People
                   • Purposes
                   • Practices
           • Matching Sociability and Usability (I-D)
           • Synopsis
           • Conclusions
nikilambropoulos.org      HCII-2005 Las Vegas - Monday 25 July 2005 10:30-12:30
           Key Concept I: Learning occurs in situ
           • Discourse is cognition is discourse
               (Resnick et al, 1991)
           • From joho tsushin (information
             communication) to ishiki tsushin
               (conscious communication) (Morioka,
               1993)
           • Extraction of meaning, abstraction,
             internalisation (Salomon, 1989, Miyake,
             1997) – externalisation–negotiation
               (Chi et al., 1994)
           • Consensus Community Knowledge
             Building
nikilambropoulos.org     HCII-2005 Las Vegas - Monday 25 July 2005 10:30-12:30
           Key Concept II: Informal Learning for
           Consensus knowledge Building in OnCom

           • Informal learning includes anything
             you do to gain knowledge, skill or
             understanding what interests the
             individual
           • Informal Learning: basic, technical,
             transversal skills
           • Can we identify Informal Learning
             as Community Knowledge Building
             and vice versa?

nikilambropoulos.org   HCII-2005 Las Vegas - Monday 25 July 2005 10:30-12:30
           Key concept III: Sociability  Usability


                 Sociability (People, Purposes and
                 Practices) defines decision making
                    on Technology and Usability




nikilambropoulos.org    HCII-2005 Las Vegas - Monday 25 July 2005 10:30-12:30
           EEEP Focus Group
           • Aim: Identify the Greek Teachers’
             context for contribution
           • Greek Teachers: 14 subjects as the
             focus group to explore sociability and
             usability in the Greek context, EEEP –
             65 members in July, 2004
           • Data Analysis:
                • Discourse Analysis
                • Evaluation Criteria Catalogue


nikilambropoulos.org    HCII-2005 Las Vegas - Monday 25 July 2005 10:30-12:30
           Results: Common Reasons
           for lurking
         (Blair Nonnecke, 2000) (Takahashi et al., today) (Lambropoulos, today)


         o Uncomfortable in public (Nonnecke)
         o Fear of public, judgement (Lambropoulos)

         o Learning about the group (Nonnecke)
         o Information needed for participation (Lambropoulos)

          Active Lurking (Takahashi)
          Active Waiting/Observation (Lambropoulos)

          Transfer of knowledge outside the community
           (Takahashi)
          Transfer of knowledge in the classroom and make
           choices e.g. on educational software (Lambropoulos)

nikilambropoulos.org        HCII-2005 Las Vegas - Monday 25 July 2005 10:30-12:30
           Results: LPP
           • Process of Participation
                •      active observation/waiting
                •      first contact
                •      aporia (wondering without judgment)
                •      familiarisation with community
                •      negotiation of meaning
                •      agreement and alignment
                •      finding interesting topic
                •      send a message
                (what tools to use?)
nikilambropoulos.org         HCII-2005 Las Vegas - Monday 25 July 2005 10:30-12:30
           Results: Purposes
           • Organisation and founding members
             define the initial purposes (interests,
             needs, targets, common visions)
           • The main community purposes need to
             appear on the interface before the
             registration processes
           • Initial activity is information-based than
             interactions-based
           • Intention and motivation for sharing
             knowledge

nikilambropoulos.org   HCII-2005 Las Vegas - Monday 25 July 2005 10:30-12:30
           Results
           • Consensus Knowledge Building
                • learn from the active members (42,9%)
                • moderator (21,4%)
                • specific suggestions for changes in the
                  educational system from 6 subjects (42,9%)
                  (what tools to use?)
           • Socio-emotional relationship
                • 42,9% developed negative feelings
                • 35% stressed the importance of active
                  participation (almost the same respondents)
                  (what tools to use?)

nikilambropoulos.org     HCII-2005 Las Vegas - Monday 25 July 2005 10:30-12:30
           Results: People - Policies
           People
           • Different cultures suggest different types
             of communities
           • Different types of participants
           • Different levels of participation

           Policies
           • Policy makers and moderators need to
             support the members on an individual
             basis
           • Delurking is the last weapon

nikilambropoulos.org   HCII-2005 Las Vegas - Monday 25 July 2005 10:30-12:30
           Results: Practices I
           • The first week of registration defines
             members’ initial intention
           • A good moderator is of great importance
                • Cooperation via personal communication
                • New suggestions based on the previous
                  messages
                • Community Support
                • Feedback: if the feedback is positive the
                  communication continues, if negative, s/he
                  returns to the previous observational and active
                  lurking
                • Projects support discussions

nikilambropoulos.org      HCII-2005 Las Vegas - Monday 25 July 2005 10:30-12:30
           Results: Practices II
           • Active Observation of Discussions
                • First contact with the community
                • Active lurking for active observation
                • Aporia, hesitation, doubt, insecurity
                • Familiarisation with the community
                • Finding the minimum level of agreement with
                  community
                • Find interesting information - topics
           • Personal Judgment
                • Interest & agreement on expressing interest for a
                  topic
                • Define personal enquiries
                • Decisions on what to do next


nikilambropoulos.org       HCII-2005 Las Vegas - Monday 25 July 2005 10:30-12:30
           Matching Usability and Sociability
           • A. Before Registration: Acquiring information -
             Informative Front Page
           • B. Registration – Enrolment: minimum agreement
             with the community, encourage and motivate the
             newcomers.
           • C. After Registration – Maintenance: Search for
             existing discussion topics, sub-groups
           • Participation Process for each post
                •      active observation and lurking
                •      reading
                •      engagement
                •      decisions on withdrawal
                •      contact of technical support
                •      suggestions to developers & moderators


nikilambropoulos.org           HCII-2005 Las Vegas - Monday 25 July 2005 10:30-12:30
           Conclusions for the…

       Policy Makers: know the needs of
        the community and be based on
        both Sociability and Usability (I-D)
        for methods and tools
        Members and the social
        contribution paradox: public
        participation is not prerequisite
        although necessary

nikilambropoulos.org   HCII-2005 Las Vegas - Monday 25 July 2005 10:30-12:30
           Thank you…

           For your attention!



                                              niki lambropoulos

                                              nikilambropoulos.org
                                            niki@lambropoulos.org



nikilambropoulos.org   HCII-2005 Las Vegas - Monday 25 July 2005 10:30-12:30
Photo by Jennifer Risley