Collaborative Virtual Environments intranets, wikis, blogs

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Collaborative Virtual Environmentsintranets,
wikis, blogs

• DECO2010 Collaborative Virtual Environments
• Figen Gul
• 29nd March 2006

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What are Collaborative Virtual Environments
(CVE)?

• CVEs are distributed virtual reality systems that
  offer graphically realized, potentially infinite,
  digital landscapes. Within these landscapes,
  individuals can share information through
  interaction with each other and through
  individual and collaborative interaction with
  data representation.
• Form Neuromancer (Gibson, 1989)

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Definitions

• Computer-based
• Distributed
• Virtual space or set of places.
• Meet and interact with others, with agents or
  with virtual objects.
• 3D graphical spaces
• 2D environments
• Text based environments
• Access
• Desktop devices
• Mobile or wearable devices
• Public kiosk (Snowdon et. al. 2001)

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Places for action and interaction

• Users can interact with each other and with the
  environment. All actions, movements, expressions,
  are transmitted to all participating sites.
• Users have the impression of being in the same,
  unique environment.

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Andrew Hudson-Smith
http//www.activeworlds.com/edu/awedu.asp
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• Applications of collaborative work in virtual
  spaces should support
• Shared context
• Awareness of others
• Negotiation and communication
• Flexible and multiple viewpoints

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Sharing context

• Can mean
• shared knowledge of each others current
  activities,
• shared knowledge of each others past activities,
• Shared artefacts and
• Shared environments
• Shared understanding

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Awareness of others

• understanding of the activities of others, which
  provides a context for your own activity
  (Dourish and Bellotti, 1992)

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Negotiation and Communication

• Conversation is crucial
• Task related content
• Task structure
• Roles
• Activities

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Flexible and multiple viewpoints

• Tasks often require use of multiple
  representations,
• Different points of view
• Different subtasks

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Some CVE tools

• Intranet
• Blogs
• Wikis

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What is an Intranet?

• An intranet is a private space that gives a group
  of people the ability to organize information,
  readily access that information, manage
  documents, share calendars and enable efficient
  collaboration, all in a familiar, browser-based
  environment.

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Examples of Intranets

• Faculty Student Intranet
• Woods Bagot

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What is a blog?

• A blog is a web page made up of usually short,
  frequently updated posts that are arranged
  chronologically like a what's new page or a
  journal. The content and purposes of blogs varies
  greatly from links and commentary about other
  web sites, to news about a company/person/idea,
  to diaries, photos, poetry, mini-essays, project
  updates, even fiction.

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Examples of Weblog Sites

• Graphic Design Forum
• Political Blogs
• Entertainment Blog

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What is a Wiki?

• A Wiki or wiki is a website that allows users to
  add content, as on an Internet forum, but also
  allows anyone to edit the content. "Wiki" also
  refers to the collaborative software used to
  create such a website.

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Examples of Wikis

• Wikipedia
• Digital Media Wiki
• Artificial Intelligence Wiki

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Comparison

• Blog
• Purpose Express yourself
• Requirements
• Aesthetics
• Variable and interesting
• Minimal navigation
• Implementation
• Authentication possible
• Simple database structure
• Forms for adding text
• Type of content free form, structured
• User can add content

• Intranet
• Purpose Share resources in a closed community
• Requirements
• Clarity of structure
• Efficient navigation
• Shared resources
• Implementation
• Authentication essential
• Structured database
• File/doc upload/download
• Selection of technology
• User cannot change content directly

• Wiki
• Purpose Create and edit shared knowledge
• Requirements
• Easy to read
• Common interest topic
• Minimal navigation
• Implementation
• Authentication possible
• No database needed
• Forms for adding text
• Type of content free form, structured
• User can change and add content

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Tutorial 3 Setting up a blogTo Do Today

• Set up a blog for the group
• Upload images and create links
• Send URL of blog to lgul3679_at_mail by 5pm
• You can use the following sites to set up a blog
• http//learnerblogs.org/
• http//edublogs.org/
• http//www.blogger.com/start
• http//spaces.msn.com/
• http//www.livehouse.com.au/home.php

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Group Task To Do Today

• have chapters of the CVEs book
• read the chapters
• prepare 10 -15 minute power point presentation as
  group
• 4-5 slides per group
• A possible outline of a talk would be
• Introduce your group
• Introduce your topic
• Summarise the main idea/s
• Finish it with a conclusion

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Group Task To Do Next Week

• In week 5, next week
• give a short talk
• 10-15 minutes for each group
• each person will participate in the presentation

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Collaborative Design Task 2 To Do Today

• See the instructions on the class website
• Collaborate on MSN/ Windows messenger
• 1 hour design session
• Save your communication text regularly
• Finish by 5 pm

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Submission 1 To Do Next Week

• See the submission information on the class
  website
• Submit your analysis on the 5th April 12pm