Computer Science 547 - Presentation Report

CSCW and Groupware

Jason Cornick and Stephen Leung

What is CSCW?

• The study of the utilization of computers as a tool to facilitate projects being worked upon by multiple persons
• A discipline examining the effects of computers on cooperative work

What is Groupware?

• The actual software and hardware that is used by people to work together using computers.
• Groupware is the implementation of the theories we get from CSCW

Why do people use it?

• Increased Efficiency
  • Lotus claims Notes creates a return on investment that averages 179%
• Reducing Geographic Barriers
  • Allows people anywhere in the world to work together
• Faster Cooperation
  • Enhances the interchange of ideas and work in a group setting

How do people use it?

• Process Support
  • Communication Infrastructure
• Process Structure
  • Agenda or Methodology
• Task Support
  • Informational and Computational Support
• Task Structure
  • Analysis and Decision Support

Who is using it? Where?

• The modern corporation is becoming a much more global entity, and this has sparked a huge growth in commercial groupware
• Research and educational facilities are also using groupware to enhance "production"

When is it used?

One of the nice things about groupware is the way it can allow people to overcome not only geographic barriers, but temporal barriers

• The use of the computer allows participants to work asynchronously, or at the same time, depending upon their requirements

Please go to Stephen's Section to see what some elements of groupware are, and to look at some examples.

Continue with Jason's next section