Review by: Schmeil, Andreas (2008-08-12)

With this book chapter Hansen et al. contribute to the understanding of collaborative knowledge construction. They motivate their research saying that, in spite of the fact that geographically dispersed groups are known to have more problems in collaboratively constructing knowledge than groups that have the possibility to collaborate face-to-face, too little consideration is given to matching tools that support collaboration with the processes that are sought to be supported. The authors investigate and compare two present day examples: a pedagogy distance learning project (CSCL) and international research collaboration, within an EU project (CSCW).

The first part of the chapter introduces factors that contribute to the lack of success of tools supporting collaboration. These are hardware limitations, software limitations, user resistance and the lack of ability to choose and apply the right tool for a given task. After stating that shared knowledge is constructed through the creation and interpretation of communication, the authors name one of the most important aims in designing systems for collaboration: Support a shared understanding among users (collaborators) and create and maintain a common ground. Collaboration systems should relate functional features to social aspects of team work because each functionality has an impact on the work behavior of group members.

The authors consider "richness" to be one important dimension of a communication channel; they define it as the "potential information-carrying capacity of data" on the media and show in brief several media and combinations thereof stressing their advantages and disadvantages.

Furthermore, collaboration tools are found to have two roles: First they compensate for difficulties in group work and second they facilitate new processes. From this distinction the authors derive, another important dimension to distinguish tools for group work: This dimension of "transparency" is explained by the three "existing levels": (1) Full transparency tools operate as an extension of the user's body; (2) opaque tools, in contrast, are separate from the user' s body and have an own identity. The so-called (3) translucent medium level stands between full transparency and opaqueness.

Finally, it is found that there is a new group of tools evolving, originally developed for facilitation, but with integrated communication and collaboration support (examples: collaborative drawing tools, whiteboards, and multi-user virtual environments).

The second part of the chapter describes the two model cases. The investigation of case 1, a problem-oriented pedagogy project designed as computer-supported colla-borative learning (CSCL), led to the findings that tele-conferencing was good for some technical and planning functions, but was clearly not sufficient for more ab-stract functions, e. g. problem setting. It is said that groups with an already existing common ground are more likely to overcome the burdens of communication and coordination and actually gain productivity.

Case 2, a research group doing computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW), yielded similar results: face-to-face meetings were necessary for abstract tasks, for functional tasks tele-conferencing was sufficient.

The last part of the chapter deals with communication theories to better understand collaborative knowledge construction (CKC). After briefly introducing Vgotsky's activity theory basics, CHAT (Cultural-Historical psychology/Activity Theory) is presented, according to which every human activity is a system of (at least) a subject, a tool, an object, one or more other subjects, and all the relations amongst them. Engeström's "learning by expanding" theory is explained, as well as Vgotsky's zone of proximal development. After this theoretical excursus, the authors apply a blended theory to a new example, concerning the booking of hospital rooms. They discuss group issues, using Engeström's "learning by expanding" model. In the case studies the authors noticed a lack of interaction (some participants did not read messages), which worked fine in face-to-face meetings – so the tools actually reduced productivity. The authors conclude that tools are needed that are more transparent, as well as boundary objects have to be created (e. g. a good problem formulation) in order to support interaction. Furthermore it is found that the focus of group activity shifts over time (from intentional to functional to operational). This suggests that the use of different tools for different phases of group work could increase productivity. In their conclusion, the authors note that new collaboration services were being de-veloped that are more transparent and facilitate human thought besides compensat-ing for obstacles.

The reviewed book chapter is divided into three parts that are only connected margi-nally with each other. As such, the parts would have been more illuminating and consistent as separate publications. This chapter's title and its abstract promised more of a "whole package" to understand CKC more profoundly.