Computational Psychometrics for the Measurement of Collaborative Problem Solving Skills

Science.gov (United States)

Polyak, Stephen T.; von Davier, Alina A.; Peterschmidt, Kurt

2017-01-01

This paper describes a psychometrically-based approach to the measurement of collaborative problem solving skills, by mining and classifying behavioral data both in real-time and in post-game analyses. The data were collected from a sample of middle school children who interacted with a game-like, online simulation of collaborative problem solving tasks. In this simulation, a user is required to collaborate with a virtual agent to solve a series of tasks within a first-person maze environment. The tasks were developed following the psychometric principles of Evidence Centered Design (ECD) and are aligned with the Holistic Framework developed by ACT. The analyses presented in this paper are an application of an emerging discipline called computational psychometrics which is growing out of traditional psychometrics and incorporates techniques from educational data mining, machine learning and other computer/cognitive science fields. In the real-time analysis, our aim was to start with limited knowledge of skill mastery, and then demonstrate a form of continuous Bayesian evidence tracing that updates sub-skill level probabilities as new conversation flow event evidence is presented. This is performed using Bayes' rule and conversation item conditional probability tables. The items are polytomous and each response option has been tagged with a skill at a performance level. In our post-game analysis, our goal was to discover unique gameplay profiles by performing a cluster analysis of user's sub-skill performance scores based on their patterns of selected dialog responses. PMID:29238314

Computational Psychometrics for the Measurement of Collaborative Problem Solving Skills

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephen T. Polyak

2017-11-01

Full Text Available This paper describes a psychometrically-based approach to the measurement of collaborative problem solving skills, by mining and classifying behavioral data both in real-time and in post-game analyses. The data were collected from a sample of middle school children who interacted with a game-like, online simulation of collaborative problem solving tasks. In this simulation, a user is required to collaborate with a virtual agent to solve a series of tasks within a first-person maze environment. The tasks were developed following the psychometric principles of Evidence Centered Design (ECD and are aligned with the Holistic Framework developed by ACT. The analyses presented in this paper are an application of an emerging discipline called computational psychometrics which is growing out of traditional psychometrics and incorporates techniques from educational data mining, machine learning and other computer/cognitive science fields. In the real-time analysis, our aim was to start with limited knowledge of skill mastery, and then demonstrate a form of continuous Bayesian evidence tracing that updates sub-skill level probabilities as new conversation flow event evidence is presented. This is performed using Bayes' rule and conversation item conditional probability tables. The items are polytomous and each response option has been tagged with a skill at a performance level. In our post-game analysis, our goal was to discover unique gameplay profiles by performing a cluster analysis of user's sub-skill performance scores based on their patterns of selected dialog responses.

Computational Psychometrics for the Measurement of Collaborative Problem Solving Skills.

Science.gov (United States)

Polyak, Stephen T; von Davier, Alina A; Peterschmidt, Kurt

2017-01-01

This paper describes a psychometrically-based approach to the measurement of collaborative problem solving skills, by mining and classifying behavioral data both in real-time and in post-game analyses. The data were collected from a sample of middle school children who interacted with a game-like, online simulation of collaborative problem solving tasks. In this simulation, a user is required to collaborate with a virtual agent to solve a series of tasks within a first-person maze environment. The tasks were developed following the psychometric principles of Evidence Centered Design (ECD) and are aligned with the Holistic Framework developed by ACT. The analyses presented in this paper are an application of an emerging discipline called computational psychometrics which is growing out of traditional psychometrics and incorporates techniques from educational data mining, machine learning and other computer/cognitive science fields. In the real-time analysis, our aim was to start with limited knowledge of skill mastery, and then demonstrate a form of continuous Bayesian evidence tracing that updates sub-skill level probabilities as new conversation flow event evidence is presented. This is performed using Bayes' rule and conversation item conditional probability tables. The items are polytomous and each response option has been tagged with a skill at a performance level. In our post-game analysis, our goal was to discover unique gameplay profiles by performing a cluster analysis of user's sub-skill performance scores based on their patterns of selected dialog responses.

Perfecting Scientists' Collaboration and Problem-Solving Skills in the Virtual Team Environment

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Jabro, A.; Jabro, J.

2012-04-01

PPerfecting Scientists' Collaboration and Problem-Solving Skills in the Virtual Team Environment Numerous factors have contributed to the proliferation of conducting work in virtual teams at the domestic, national, and global levels: innovations in technology, critical developments in software, co-located research partners and diverse funding sources, dynamic economic and political environments, and a changing workforce. Today's scientists must be prepared to not only perform work in the virtual team environment, but to work effectively and efficiently despite physical and cultural barriers. Research supports that students who have been exposed to virtual team experiences are desirable in the professional and academic arenas. Research supports establishing and maintaining established protocols for communication behavior prior to task discussion provides for successful team outcomes. Research conducted on graduate and undergraduate virtual teams' behaviors led to the development of successful pedagogic practices and assessment strategies.

The Strength of the Strongest Ties in Collaborative Problem Solving

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

de Montjoye, Yves-Alexandre; Stopczynski, Arkadiusz; Shmueli, Erez

2014-01-01

Complex problem solving in science, engineering, and business has become a highly collaborative endeavor. Teams of scientists or engineers collaborate on projects using their social networks to gather new ideas and feedback. Here we bridge the literature on team performance and information networks...... by studying teams' problem solving abilities as a function of both their within-team networks and their members' extended networks. We show that, while an assigned team's performance is strongly correlated with its networks of expressive and instrumental ties, only the strongest ties in both networks have...... an effect on performance. Both networks of strong ties explain more of the variance than other factors, such as measured or self-evaluated technical competencies, or the personalities of the team members. In fact, the inclusion of the network of strong ties renders these factors non...

Medium Moderates the Message. How Users Adjust Their Communication Trajectories to Different Media in Collaborative Task Solving.

Science.gov (United States)

Lisiecka, Karolina; Rychwalska, Agnieszka; Samson, Katarzyna; Łucznik, Klara; Ziembowicz, Michał; Szóstek, Agnieszka; Nowak, Andrzej

2016-01-01

Rapid development of information and communications technologies (ICT) has triggered profound changes in how people manage their social contacts in both informal and professional contexts. ICT mediated communication may seem limited in possibilities compared to face-to-face encounters, but research shows that puzzlingly often it can be just as effective and satisfactory. We posit that ICT users employ specific communication strategies adapted to particular communication channels, which results in a comparable effectiveness of communication. In order to maintain a satisfactory level of conversational intelligibility they calibrate the content of their messages to a given medium's richness and adjust the whole conversation trajectory so that every stage of the communication process runs fluently. In the current study, we compared complex task solving trajectories in chat, mobile phone and face-to-face dyadic conversations. Media conditions did not influence the quality of decision outcomes or users' perceptions of the interaction, but they had impact on the amount of time devoted to each of the identified phases of decision development. In face-to-face contacts the evaluation stage of the discussion dominated the conversation; in the texting condition the orientation-evaluation-control phases were evenly distributed; and the phone condition provided a midpoint between these two extremes. The results show that contemporary ICT users adjust their communication behavior to the limitations and opportunities of various media through the regulation of attention directed to each stage of the discussion so that as a whole the communication process remains effective.

Medium Moderates the Message. How Users Adjust Their Communication Trajectories to Different Media in Collaborative Task Solving

Science.gov (United States)

Rychwalska, Agnieszka; Samson, Katarzyna; Łucznik, Klara; Ziembowicz, Michał; Szóstek, Agnieszka; Nowak, Andrzej

2016-01-01

Rapid development of information and communications technologies (ICT) has triggered profound changes in how people manage their social contacts in both informal and professional contexts. ICT mediated communication may seem limited in possibilities compared to face-to-face encounters, but research shows that puzzlingly often it can be just as effective and satisfactory. We posit that ICT users employ specific communication strategies adapted to particular communication channels, which results in a comparable effectiveness of communication. In order to maintain a satisfactory level of conversational intelligibility they calibrate the content of their messages to a given medium’s richness and adjust the whole conversation trajectory so that every stage of the communication process runs fluently. In the current study, we compared complex task solving trajectories in chat, mobile phone and face-to-face dyadic conversations. Media conditions did not influence the quality of decision outcomes or users’ perceptions of the interaction, but they had impact on the amount of time devoted to each of the identified phases of decision development. In face-to-face contacts the evaluation stage of the discussion dominated the conversation; in the texting condition the orientation-evaluation-control phases were evenly distributed; and the phone condition provided a midpoint between these two extremes. The results show that contemporary ICT users adjust their communication behavior to the limitations and opportunities of various media through the regulation of attention directed to each stage of the discussion so that as a whole the communication process remains effective. PMID:27337037

Medium Moderates the Message. How Users Adjust Their Communication Trajectories to Different Media in Collaborative Task Solving.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karolina Lisiecka

Full Text Available Rapid development of information and communications technologies (ICT has triggered profound changes in how people manage their social contacts in both informal and professional contexts. ICT mediated communication may seem limited in possibilities compared to face-to-face encounters, but research shows that puzzlingly often it can be just as effective and satisfactory. We posit that ICT users employ specific communication strategies adapted to particular communication channels, which results in a comparable effectiveness of communication. In order to maintain a satisfactory level of conversational intelligibility they calibrate the content of their messages to a given medium's richness and adjust the whole conversation trajectory so that every stage of the communication process runs fluently. In the current study, we compared complex task solving trajectories in chat, mobile phone and face-to-face dyadic conversations. Media conditions did not influence the quality of decision outcomes or users' perceptions of the interaction, but they had impact on the amount of time devoted to each of the identified phases of decision development. In face-to-face contacts the evaluation stage of the discussion dominated the conversation; in the texting condition the orientation-evaluation-control phases were evenly distributed; and the phone condition provided a midpoint between these two extremes. The results show that contemporary ICT users adjust their communication behavior to the limitations and opportunities of various media through the regulation of attention directed to each stage of the discussion so that as a whole the communication process remains effective.

Addressing Complex Challenges through Adaptive Leadership: A Promising Approach to Collaborative Problem Solving

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, Tenneisha; Squires, Vicki

2017-01-01

Organizations are faced with solving increasingly complex problems. Addressing these issues requires effective leadership that can facilitate a collaborative problem solving approach where multiple perspectives are leveraged. In this conceptual paper, we critique the effectiveness of earlier leadership models in tackling complex organizational…

COMMUNICATION ETHICS IBN MISKAWAIH AND ITS RELEVANCE TO THE SOLVING OF MORAL PROBLEMS IN INDONESIA

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Muhammad Taufiq

2017-08-01

communication and also mass communication. In the context of the solving of morality problems in Indonesia, the communication ethics written by Ibn Miskawaih in The Tahdzib Al-Akhlak was also became a strategic solution to be applied, moreover Indonesia is in the condition of multi dimensional moral degradation. The Tahdzib Al-Akhlak by Ibnmiskwaih contains thoughts and moral teachings that were based on the noble moral values, collaboration between the study of theoretical philosophy and practical guidance, where the segment of education and teaching were more prominent. So in this context, IbnMiskwaih communicated various thoughts as a solution approach. Firstly, moral degradation was changed through the education. Secondly, Communication Ethics IbnMiskawaih And Its Relevance To The Solving Of Moral Problems In Indonesia 120 the importance of education for children and adults. Thirdly, a fair leader in order to prevent the nation's moral degradation due to the role of a just leader is needed. Fourthly, the government's attention to the society became as the father's relationship with his son. Fifthly, choose a good friend as an effort to prevent the moral degradation. Sixthly, social virtue was also an important step in the solution of nation degradation. Seventhly, maintain mental health. This step was also quite strategic in solving the nation's degradation. At least internally there is an attempt to prevent the soul from becoming healthy and not easily contaminated with bad behaviors that can cause moral degradation in congregation.

Disparities in collaborative patient-provider communication about human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination.

Science.gov (United States)

Moss, Jennifer L; Gilkey, Melissa B; Rimer, Barbara K; Brewer, Noel T

2016-06-02

Healthcare providers may vary their communications with different patients, which could give rise to differences in vaccination coverage. We examined demographic disparities in parental report of collaborative provider communication and implications for human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination. Participants were 4,124 parents who completed the National Immunization Survey-Teen about daughters ages 13-17. We analyzed disparities in collaborative communication (mutual information exchange, deliberation, and decision) and whether they mediated the relationship between demographic characteristics and HPV vaccine initiation. Half of parents (53%) in the survey reported collaborative communication. Poor, less educated, Spanish-speaking, Southern, and rural parents, and parents of non-privately insured and Hispanic adolescents, were least likely to report collaborative communication (all pcommunication accounted for geographic variation in HPV vaccination, specifically, the higher rates of uptake in the Northeast versus the South (mediation z=2.31, pcommunication showed widespread disparities, being least common among underserved groups. Collaborative communication helped account for differences-and lack of differences-in HPV vaccination among some subgroups of adolescent girls. Leveraging patient-provider communication, especially for underserved demographic groups, could improve HPV vaccination coverage.

The Strength of the Strongest Ties in Collaborative Problem Solving

Science.gov (United States)

de Montjoye, Yves-Alexandre; Stopczynski, Arkadiusz; Shmueli, Erez; Pentland, Alex; Lehmann, Sune

2014-06-01

Complex problem solving in science, engineering, and business has become a highly collaborative endeavor. Teams of scientists or engineers collaborate on projects using their social networks to gather new ideas and feedback. Here we bridge the literature on team performance and information networks by studying teams' problem solving abilities as a function of both their within-team networks and their members' extended networks. We show that, while an assigned team's performance is strongly correlated with its networks of expressive and instrumental ties, only the strongest ties in both networks have an effect on performance. Both networks of strong ties explain more of the variance than other factors, such as measured or self-evaluated technical competencies, or the personalities of the team members. In fact, the inclusion of the network of strong ties renders these factors non-significant in the statistical analysis. Our results have consequences for the organization of teams of scientists, engineers, and other knowledge workers tackling today's most complex problems.

Physician and nursing perceptions concerning interprofessional communication and collaboration.

Science.gov (United States)

Matziou, Vasiliki; Vlahioti, Efrosyni; Perdikaris, Pantelis; Matziou, Theodora; Megapanou, Efstathia; Petsios, Konstantinos

2014-11-01

The aim of the study was to investigate the physician and nursing perceptions regarding communication and collaboration as well as the factors that may influence these activities. A self-administered questionnaire survey was sent to a random sample of 93 physicians and 197 nurses based in two large public hospitals in Athens, Greece. Descriptive statistics, t-test and chi square test were performed with the SPSS 19.0 statistical package. Years of experience, the size of the clinic, the university degree and the postgraduate studies were found to be significant factors according to nurses' view (p clinic affected the communication and collaboration with the nursing staff significantly (p nurses and physicians do not share the same views concerning the effectiveness of their communication and nurses' role in the decision-making process of the patients' care. The most important barrier for the establishment of good relations between these professions, according to the physicians, was that they did not recognize the nurses' professional role. The study also indicated that the absence of interprofessional collaboration may result in a higher possibility of errors and omissions in patients' care. Therefore, in everyday practice, both nurses and physicians should acknowledge the importance of their effective communication and they should develop and implement interprofessional teamwork interventions to improve collaboration. Moreover, nurses have to constantly consolidate their role in the decision process and patients' care, especially in countries with limited interprofessional collaboration culture. In addition, factors that improve physicians' attitudes toward collaboration and effective communication should be further explored.

Collaborative communication protocols for wireless sensor networks

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dulman, S.O.; van Hoesel, L.F.W.; Nieberg, T.; Havinga, Paul J.M.

In this document, the design of communication within a wireless sensor network is discussed. The resource limitations of such a network, especially in terms of energy, require an integrated approach for all (traditional) layers of communication. We present such an integrated, collaborative approach

Exploring communication of resistance in cross-sector collaboration:

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Plotnikof, Mie

his study addresses the role of resistance in cross-sector collaboration. It explores how resistance is communicated during collaboration to better understand not just its destructive, but also constructive effects on organizing cross-sector collaboration. In so doing, the paper conceptualizes...... to the process. Thereby, the study contributes with theorizing resistance and offers analytical insights on its dynamics and effects on organizing cross-sector collaboration....

Material Mediation: Tools and Representations Supporting Collaborative Problem-Solving Discourse

Science.gov (United States)

Katic, Elvira K.; Hmelo-Silver, Cindy E.; Weber, Keith H.

2009-01-01

This study investigates how a variety of resources mediated collaborative problem solving for a group of preservice teachers. The participants in this study completed mathematical, combinatorial tasks and then watched a video of a sixth grader as he exhibited sophisticated reasoning to recognize the isomorphic structure of these problems. The…

Improving Communicative Competence through Synchronous Communication in Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Environments: A Systematic Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xi Huang

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Computer-supported collaborative learning facilitates the extension of second language acquisition into social practice. Studies on its achievement effects speak directly to the pedagogical notion of treating communicative practice in synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC: real-time communication that takes place between human beings via the instrumentality of computers in forms of text, audio and video communication, such as live chat and chatrooms as socially-oriented meaning construction. This review begins by considering the adoption of social interactionist views to identify key paradigms and supportive principles of computer-supported collaborative learning. A special focus on two components of communicative competence is then presented to explore interactional variables in synchronous computer-mediated communication along with a review of research. There follows a discussion on a synthesis of interactional variables in negotiated interaction and co-construction of knowledge from psycholinguistic and social cohesion perspectives. This review reveals both possibilities and disparities of language socialization in promoting intersubjective learning and diversifying the salient use of interactively creative language in computer-supported collaborative learning environments in service of communicative competence.

The Effects of Case Libraries in Supporting Collaborative Problem-Solving in an Online Learning Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Tawfik, Andrew A.; Sánchez, Lenny; Saparova, Dinara

2014-01-01

Various domains require practitioners to encounter and resolve ill-structured problems using collaborative problem-solving. As such, problem-solving is an essential skill that educators must emphasize to prepare learners for practice. One potential way to support problem-solving is through further investigation of instructional design methods that…

Learning and Teaching in a Synchronous Collaborative Environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Marjanovic, Olivera

1999-01-01

Describes a new synchronous collaborative environment that combines interactive learning and Group Support Systems for computer-mediated collaboration. Illustrates its potential to improve critical thinking, problem solving, and communication skills, and describes how teachers' roles are changed. (Author/LRW)

Collaborative Referencing between Individuals with Aphasia and Routine Communication Partners.

Science.gov (United States)

Hengst, Julie A.

2003-01-01

This study examined how four adults with aphasia collaborated with routine communication partners. Overall, these pairs completed the referencing task trials with accuracy and displayed referencing processes that conformed to the collaborative referencing model of communication. However, the pairs also used diverse verbal and nonverbal resources,…

Communication and Collaboration in Subsidiaries in China

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Søderberg, Anne-Marie; Worm, Verner

2011-01-01

The purpose of this article is to explore how Chinese and expatriate managers, working in subsidiaries of five MNCs, communicate and collaborate, what kind of cultural encounters they talk about and give prominence to in their accounts of critical incidents, how they reflect upon them/explain them......, and how they cope with perceived similarities and differences to improve cross-cultural communication and collaboration within a global organisation. Using an inductive qualitative methodology and thematic analysis, the study draws on in-depth narrative interviews with 29 expatriate and 39 Chinese......, flexible and open-minded people, who are ready and have the capabilities to conduct cross-cultural leadership....

Collaborative Dialogue in Synchronous Computer-Mediated Communication and Face-to-Face Communication

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Zeng, Gang

2017-01-01

Previous research has documented that collaborative dialogue promotes L2 learning in both face-to-face (F2F) and synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC) modalities. However, relatively little research has explored modality effects on collaborative dialogue. Thus, motivated by sociocultual theory, this study examines how F2F compares…

Collaboration Layer for Robots in Mobile Ad-hoc Networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Borch, Ole; Madsen, Per Printz; Broberg, Jacob Honor´e

2009-01-01

In many applications multiple robots in Mobile Ad-hoc Networks are required to collaborate in order to solve a task. This paper shows by proof of concept that a Collaboration Layer can be modelled and designed to handle the collaborative communication, which enables robots in small to medium size...

Integrating design and communication in engineering education: a collaboration between Northwestern University and the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago.

Science.gov (United States)

Hirsch, Penny L; Yarnoff, Charles

2011-01-01

The required course for freshmen in Northwestern University's engineering school - a 2-quarter sequence called Engineering Design and Communication (EDC) - is noteworthy not only for its project-based focus on user-centered design, but also for its innovative integrated approach to teaching communication, teamwork, and ethics. Thanks to the collaboration between EDC faculty and staff at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, EDC students, at the beginning of their education, experience the excitement of solving problems for real clients and users. At the same time, these authentic design projects offer an ideal setting for teaching students how to communicate effectively to different audiences and perform productively as team members and future leaders in engineering.

Simulating the Cost of Cooperation: A Recipe for Collaborative Problem-Solving

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Andrea Guazzini

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Collective problem-solving and decision-making, along with other forms of collaboration online, are central phenomena within ICT. There had been several attempts to create a system able to go beyond the passive accumulation of data. However, those systems often neglect important variables such as group size, the difficulty of the tasks, the tendency to cooperate, and the presence of selfish individuals (free riders. Given the complex relations among those variables, numerical simulations could be the ideal tool to explore such relationships. We take into account the cost of cooperation in collaborative problem solving by employing several simulated scenarios. The role of two parameters was explored: the capacity, the group’s capability to solve increasingly challenging tasks coupled with the collective knowledge of a group, and the payoff, an individual’s own benefit in terms of new knowledge acquired. The final cooperation rate is only affected by the cost of cooperation in the case of simple tasks and small communities. In contrast, the fitness of the community, the difficulty of the task, and the groups sizes interact in a non-trivial way, hence shedding some light on how to improve crowdsourcing when the cost of cooperation is high.

Multilateral collaboration between technical communicators and translators

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vandepitte, Sonia; Maylath, Bruce; Mousten, Birthe

2016-01-01

This article describes a multilateral international project (Thompson and Carter 1973, Moreno-Lopez 2004) in technical communication and translator training programmes and discusses its use of technologies in what is seen as the largest and most complex international learning-by-doing collaboration...... to date. The project is a student collaboration involving two sets of cross-cultural virtual teams who either translate from Danish and Dutch into English and review (or edit) into American English or who are involved in international collaborative writing by Spaniards and Americans, usability testing...

Collaborative Algortihms for Communication in Wireless Sensor Networks

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nieberg, T.; Dulman, S.O.; Havinga, Paul J.M.; van Hoesel, L.F.W.; Wu Jian, W.J.

In this paper, we present the design of the communication in a wireless sensor network. The resource limitations of a wireless sensor network, especially in terms of energy, require an integrated, and collaborative approach for the different layers of communication. In particular, energy-efficient

Collaborative Algorithms for Communication in Wireless Sensor Networks

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nieberg, T.; Dulman, S.O.; Havinga, Paul J.M.; van Hoesel, L.F.W.; Wu Jian, W.J.; Basten, Twan; Geilen, Marc; de Groot, Harmke

2003-01-01

In this paper, we present the design of the communication in a wireless sensor network. The resource limitations of a wireless sensor network, especially in terms of energy, require an integrated, and collaborative approach for the different layers of communication. In particular, energy-efficient

Distributed Collaborative Learning Communities Enabled by Information Communication Technology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

H.L. Alvarez (Heidi Lee)

2006-01-01

textabstractHow and why can Information Communication Technology (ICT) contribute to enhancing learning in distributed Collaborative Learning Communities (CLCs)? Drawing from relevant theories concerned with phenomenon of ICT enabled distributed collaborative learning, this book identifies gaps in

Mobile Augmented Communication for Remote Collaboration in a Physical Work Context

Science.gov (United States)

Pejoska-Laajola, Jana; Reponen, Sanna; Virnes, Marjo; Leinonen, Teemu

2017-01-01

Informal learning in a physical work context requires communication and collaboration that build on a common ground and an active awareness of a situation. We explored whether mobile video conversations augmented with on-screen drawing features were beneficial for improving communication and remote collaboration practices in the construction and…

Spread Spectrum Based Energy Efficient Collaborative Communication in Wireless Sensor Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghani, Anwar; Naqvi, Husnain; Sher, Muhammad; Khan, Muazzam Ali; Khan, Imran; Irshad, Azeem

2016-01-01

Wireless sensor networks consist of resource limited devices. Most crucial of these resources is battery life, as in most applications like battle field or volcanic area monitoring, it is often impossible to replace or recharge the power source. This article presents an energy efficient collaborative communication system based on spread spectrum to achieve energy efficiency as well as immunity against jamming, natural interference, noise suppression and universal frequency reuse. Performance of the proposed system is evaluated using the received signal power, bit error rate (BER) and energy consumption. The results show a direct proportionality between the power gain and the number of collaborative nodes as well as BER and signal-to-noise ratio (Eb/N0). The analytical and simulation results of the proposed system are compared with SISO system. The comparison reveals that SISO perform better than collaborative communication in case of small distances whereas collaborative communication performs better than SISO in case of long distances. On the basis of these results it is safe to conclude that collaborative communication in wireless sensor networks using wideband systems improves the life time of nodes in the networks thereby prolonging the network's life time.

Reducing Teacher Stress by Implementing Collaborative Problem Solving in a School Setting

Science.gov (United States)

Schaubman, Averi; Stetson, Erica; Plog, Amy

2011-01-01

Student behavior affects teacher stress levels and the student-teacher relationship. In this pilot study, teachers were trained in Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS), a cognitive-behavioral model that explains challenging behavior as the result of underlying deficits in the areas of flexibility/adaptability, frustration tolerance, and problem…

Online Collaborative Learning and Communication Media

Science.gov (United States)

Havard, Byron; Du, Jianxia; Xu, Jianzhong

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study is to examine the dynamics of online collaborative learning and communication media regarding team projects. Media richness and social presence theories are well-accepted rational theories that explain media choices and media behaviors, and serve as the theoretical framework. Quantitative and qualitative data collection…

Using a Standardized Patient to Improve Collaboration and Problem Solving Skills With CPAP Usage in the Home.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Margaret G; Ruhs, Joan

2017-06-01

A review of literature revealed a lack of research pertaining to nurses' or student nurses' knowledge of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and the ability to troubleshoot CPAP malfunction. This study sought to answer the following questions: What are associate degree nursing (ADN) students' knowledge, interdisciplinary communication, and problem-solving skills regarding patients' home use of CPAP? Is there a change after participation in a simulation with a patient on CPAP in home setting? Twenty-one ADN students enrolled in small Midwest college participated. A preexperimental design of one group pretest posttest was used. Each student completed a demographic questionnaire, Mayo High Performance Teamwork Scale, Interprofessional collaborative simulation experience survey, and a CPAP knowledge base survey before and upon completion of the simulation. There were no changes in students' comfort, baseline knowledge, and basic understanding regarding CPAP. However, after the simulation, students described more detailed problem-solving skills, which included using respiratory therapists, durable medical equipment providers, and community resources. On the Mayo High Performance Teamwork Scale, all 16 items demonstrated improved scores (baseline mean = 21.65 and postsimulation mean = 25.6).

Improving Communicative Competence through Synchronous Communication in Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Environments: A Systematic Review

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Xi

2018-01-01

Computer-supported collaborative learning facilitates the extension of second language acquisition into social practice. Studies on its achievement effects speak directly to the pedagogical notion of treating communicative practice in synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC): real-time communication that takes place between human beings…

SHARING RESOURCES THROUGH COLLABORATION USING TECHNOLOGY

Science.gov (United States)

In response to changing social and economic conditions, instant communication, emerging technology, and decreasing resources for libraries, there is a need for librarians to use collaborative methods, strategies, and technologies to solve common problems or produce common produ...

Communication and collaboration among return-to-work stakeholders.

Science.gov (United States)

Russell, Elizabeth; Kosny, Agnieszka

2018-05-17

Workers who are injured or become ill on the job are best able to return-to-work when stakeholders involved in their case collaborate and communicate. This study examined health care providers' and case managers' engagement in rehabilitation and return-to-work following workplace injury or illness. In-depth interviews were conducted with 97 health care providers and 34 case managers in four Canadian provinces about their experiences facilitating rehabilitation and return-to-work, and interacting with system stakeholders. A qualitative thematic content analysis demonstrated two key findings. Firstly, stakeholders were challenged to collaborate as a result of: barriers to interdisciplinary and cross-professional communication; philosophical differences about the timing and appropriateness of return-to-work; and confusion among health care providers about the workers' compensation system. Secondly, these challenges adversely affected the co-ordination of patient care, and consequentially, injured workers often became information conduits, and effective and timely treatment and return-to-work was sometimes negatively impacted. Communication challenges between health care providers and case managers may negatively impact patient care and alienate treating health care providers. Discussion about role clarification, the appropriateness of early return-to-work, how paperwork shapes health care providers' role expectations, and strengthened inter-professional communication are considered. Implications for Rehabilitation Administrative and conceptual barriers in workers' compensation systems challenge collaboration and communication between health care providers and case managers. Injured workers may become conduits of incorrect information, resulting in adversarial relationships, overturned health care providers' recommendations, and their disengagement from rehabilitation and return-to-work. Stakeholders should clarify the role of health care providers during

Improving together: collaborative learning in science communication

Science.gov (United States)

Stiller-Reeve, Mathew

2015-04-01

Most scientists today recognise that science communication is an important part of the scientific process. Despite this recognition, science writing and communication are generally taught outside the normal academic schedule. If universities offer such courses, they are generally short-term and intensive. On the positive side, such courses rarely fail to motivate. At no fault of their own, the problem with such courses lies in their ephemeral nature. The participants rarely complete a science communication course with an immediate and pressing need to apply these skills. And so the skills fade. We believe that this stalls real progress in the improvement of science communication across the board. Continuity is one of the keys to success! Whilst we wait for the academic system to truly integrate science communication, we can test and develop other approaches. We suggest a new approach that aims to motivate scientists to continue nurturing their communication skills. This approach adopts a collaborative learning framework where scientists form writing groups that meet regularly at different institutes around the world. The members of the groups learn, discuss and improve together. The participants produce short posts, which are published online. In this way, the participants learn and cement basic writing skills. These skills are transferrable, and can be applied to scientific articles as well as other science communication media. In this presentation we reflect on an ongoing project, which applies a collaborative learning framework to help young and early career scientists improve their writing skills. We see that this type of project could be extended to other media such as podcasts, or video shorts.

Improving Classroom Learning by Collaboratively Observing Human Tutoring Videos while Problem Solving

Science.gov (United States)

Craig, Scotty D.; Chi, Michelene T. H.; VanLehn, Kurt

2009-01-01

Collaboratively observing tutoring is a promising method for observational learning (also referred to as vicarious learning). This method was tested in the Pittsburgh Science of Learning Center's Physics LearnLab, where students were introduced to physics topics by observing videos while problem solving in Andes, a physics tutoring system.…

Towards effective partnerships in a collaborative problem-solving task.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmitz, Megan J; Winskel, Heather

2008-12-01

Collaborative learning is recognized as an effective learning tool in the classroom. In order to optimize the collaborative learning experience for children within a collaborative partnership, it is important to understand how to match the children by ability level, and whether assigning roles within these dyads is beneficial or not. The current study investigated the effect of partnering children with different task-specific abilities and assigning or not assigning helping roles within the dyads on the quality of talk used in a collaborative learning task. The participants in this study comprised 54 year 6 pupils from a Western Sydney government primary school (boys=26, girls=28). The ages ranged from 10 years 10 months to 12 years 4 months with a mean age of 11 years 4 months. The children were formed into 27 single sex dyads of low-middle- and low-high-ability partnerships. In half of each of these dyads the higher ability partner was asked to help the lower ability partner, which was compared with just asking partners to work together. The quality of talk used by the dyads while working collaboratively on the problem-solving task was analysed using a language analysis framework developed by Mercer and colleagues (e.g. Littleton et al., 2005; Mercer, 1994, 1996). Results of this study found that children who worked collaboratively in the low-middle-ability dyad condition demonstrated significantly more high-quality exploratory talk than those in the low-high-ability dyad condition. Although there was no significant difference between dyads who were assigned roles and those who were asked to work together, there was an interaction trend which suggests that low-high-ability dyads, who were given the roles of helper and learner, showed more exploratory talk than dyads who were asked just to work together. Mercer's re-conceptualization of Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) in terms of the Intermental Development Zone (IDZ), which is reliant on

The Effects of Peer-Controlled or Moderated Online Collaboration on Group Problem Solving and Related Attitudes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ke Zhang

2003-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract. This study investigated the relative benefits of peer-controlled and moderated online collaboration during group problem solving. Thirty-five self-selected groups of four or five students were randomly assigned to the two conditions, which used the same online collaborative tool to solve twelve problem scenarios in an undergraduate statistics course. A score for the correctness of the solutions and a reasoning score were analyzed. A survey was administered to reveal differences in students' related attitudes. Three conclusions were reached: 1. Groups assigned to moderated forums displayed significantly higher reasoning scores than those in the peer-controlled condition, but the moderation did not affect correctness of solutions. 2. Students in the moderated forums reported being more likely to choose to use an optional online forum for future collaborations. 3. Students who reported having no difficulty during collaboration reported being more likely to choose to use an optional online forum in the future.

Information Seeking When Problem Solving: Perspectives of Public Health Professionals.

Science.gov (United States)

Newman, Kristine; Dobbins, Maureen; Yost, Jennifer; Ciliska, Donna

2017-04-01

Given the many different types of professionals working in public health and their diverse roles, it is likely that their information needs, information-seeking behaviors, and problem-solving abilities differ. Although public health professionals often work in interdisciplinary teams, few studies have explored their information needs and behaviors within the context of teamwork. This study explored the relationship between Canadian public health professionals' perceptions of their problem-solving abilities and their information-seeking behaviors with a specific focus on the use of evidence in practice settings. It also explored their perceptions of collaborative information seeking and the work contexts in which they sought information. Key Canadian contacts at public health organizations helped recruit study participants through their list-servs. An electronic survey was used to gather data about (a) individual information-seeking behaviors, (b) collaborative information-seeking behaviors, (c) use of evidence in practice environments, (d) perceived problem-solving abilities, and (e) demographic characteristics. Fifty-eight public health professionals were recruited, with different roles and representing most Canadian provinces and one territory. A significant relationship was found between perceived problem-solving abilities and collaborative information-seeking behavior (r = -.44, p public health professionals take a shared, active approach to problem solving, maintain personal control, and have confidence, they are more likely collaborate with others in seeking information to complete a work task. Administrators of public health organizations should promote collaboration by implementing effective communication and information-seeking strategies, and by providing information resources and retrieval tools. Public health professionals' perceived problem-solving abilities can influence how they collaborate in seeking information. Educators in public health

Opportunities and Challenges in Using Research to Facilitate Climate Communication Collaborations

Science.gov (United States)

Akerlof, K.; Johnson, B. B.; Nackerman, C. J.; Maibach, E.

2014-12-01

Climate change represents the worst of wicked environmental problems, requiring collaborations among individuals and groups that cross public, private and voluntary sectors on a global scale to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prepare for impacts. The Climate Communication Consortium of Maryland represents such a collaboration on a state level for the purpose of supporting governments, non-profits, businesses and universities in communicating with the public about climate and energy within the context of multiple frames, such as public health, extreme weather, and coastal resilience. The collaboration was developed using communication research as an organizational framework - providing data from yearly public opinion surveys on Marylanders' attitudes, behaviors and policy support, and a variety of other qualitative and quantitative studies. In this presentation, we will highlight four dimensions of the use of research within collaborative organizational climate communication that can lead to success, or impediments: 1) individual organizational ability and resources for using audience data; 2) the linking of research questions to programmatic development goals and processes; 3) the weighing of audience- versus communicator-oriented values and priorities; and 4) identification of overarching communication objectives that span individual organizational interests. We will illustrate these dimensions using findings from surveys of our member organizations describing the types of barriers organizations face in communicating about climate change effectively, including their use of formative and evaluative research, and will discuss some of the findings from our public opinion and experimental research, illustrating the ways in which these findings influenced programmatic development and were used by Consortium member organizations.

Supporting Problem Solving with Case-Stories Learning Scenario and Video-based Collaborative Learning Technology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chun Hu

2004-04-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we suggest that case-based resources, which are used for assisting cognition during problem solving, can be structured around the work of narratives in social cultural psychology. Theories and other research methods have proposed structures within narratives and stories which may be useful to the design of case-based resources. Moreover, embedded within cases are stories which are contextually rich, supporting the epistemological groundings of situated cognition. Therefore the purposes of this paper are to discuss possible frameworks of case-stories; derive design principles as to “what” constitutes a good case story or narrative; and suggest how technology can support story-based learning. We adopt video-based Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL technology to support problem solving with case-stories learning scenarios. Our hypothesis in this paper is that well-designed case-based resources are able to aid in the cognitive processes undergirding problem solving and meaning making. We also suggest the use of an emerging video-based collaborative learning technology to support such an instructional strategy.

The Effect of Communication Skills and Interpersonal Problem Solving Skills on Social Self-Efficacy

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Erozkan, Atilgan

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine communication skills, interpersonal problem solving skills, and social self-efficacy perception of adolescents and the predictive role of communication skills and interpersonal problem solving skills on social self-efficacy. This study is a quantitative and relational study aimed at examining the…

Rasch Measurement of Collaborative Problem Solving in an Online Environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Harding, Susan-Marie E; Griffin, Patrick E

2016-01-01

This paper describes an approach to the assessment of human to human collaborative problem solving using a set of online interactive tasks completed by student dyads. Within the dyad, roles were nominated as either A or B and students selected their own roles. The question as to whether role selection affected individual student performance measures is addressed. Process stream data was captured from 3402 students in six countries who explored the problem space by clicking, dragging the mouse, moving the cursor and collaborating with their partner through a chat box window. Process stream data were explored to identify behavioural indicators that represented elements of a conceptual framework. These indicative behaviours were coded into a series of dichotomous items. These items represented actions and chats performed by students. The frequency of occurrence was used as a proxy measure of item difficulty. Then given a measure of item difficulty, student ability could be estimated using the difficulty estimates of the range of items demonstrated by the student. The Rasch simple logistic model was used to review the indicators to identify those that were consistent with the assumptions of the model and were invariant across national samples, language, curriculum and age of the student. The data were analysed using a one and two dimension, one parameter model. Rasch separation reliability, fit to the model, distribution of students and items on the underpinning construct, estimates for each country and the effect of role differences are reported. This study provides evidence that collaborative problem solving can be assessed in an online environment involving human to human interaction using behavioural indicators shown to have a consistent relationship between the estimate of student ability, and the probability of demonstrating the behaviour.

Pairing students in clinical assignments to develop collaboration and communication skills.

Science.gov (United States)

Bartges, Mali

2012-01-01

Skillful collaboration and communication among healthcare team members are associated with favorable patient outcomes. Student nurses need opportunities for supervised development of these crucial and intertwined skills. The author describes the implementation of a practice-change project for simultaneously developing collaboration and communication skills by pairing prelicensure student nurses in clinical assignments. This easily adapted strategy increases options for faculty looking to stimulate student acquisition of these professional skills.

An intervention to improve interprofessional collaboration and communications: a comparative qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Rice, Kathleen; Zwarenstein, Merrick; Conn, Lesley Gotlib; Kenaszchuk, Chris; Russell, Ann; Reeves, Scott

2010-07-01

Interprofessional communication and collaboration are promoted by policymakers as fundamental building blocks for improving patient safety and meeting the demands of increasingly complex care. This paper reports qualitative findings of an interprofessional intervention designed to improve communication and collaboration between different professions in general internal medicine (GIM) hospital wards in Canada. The intervention promoted self-introduction by role and profession to a collaborating colleague in relation to the shared patient, a question or communication regarding the patient, to be followed by an explicit request for feedback from the partner professional. Implementation and uptake of the intervention were evaluated using qualitative methods, including 90 hours of ethnographic observations and interviews collected in both intervention and comparison wards. Documentary data were also collected and analysed. Fieldnotes and interviews were transcribed and analysed thematically. Our findings suggested that the intervention did not produce the anticipated changes in communication and collaboration between health professionals, and allowed us to identify barriers to the implementation of effective collaboration interventions. Despite initially offering verbal support, senior physicians, nurses, and allied health professionals minimally explained the intervention to their junior colleagues and rarely role-modelled or reiterated support for it. Professional resistances as well as the fast paced, interruptive environment reduced opportunities or incentive to enhance restrictive interprofessional relationships. In a healthcare setting where face-to-face spontaneous interprofessional communication is not hostile but is rare and impersonal, the perceived benefits of improvement are insufficient to implement simple and potentially beneficial communication changes, in the face of habit, and absence of continued senior clinician and management support.

Improving Communicative Competence through Synchronous Communication in Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Environments: A Systematic Review

OpenAIRE

Xi Huang

2018-01-01

Computer-supported collaborative learning facilitates the extension of second language acquisition into social practice. Studies on its achievement effects speak directly to the pedagogical notion of treating communicative practice in synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC): real-time communication that takes place between human beings via the instrumentality of computers in forms of text, audio and video communication, such as live chat and chatrooms as socially-oriented meaning c...

Interprofessional working: communication, collaboration... perspiration!

Science.gov (United States)

Dawson, Sheila

2007-10-01

Palliative care is rarely delivered by one provider; for most patients their care will be managed by community and one or more hospital teams at the least. This can be problematic for patients, their family and friends, and health professionals. Evidence suggests that, in general, providers work in isolation from each other. Although formal processes are in place for transfer of information between the sectors on discharge between acute and community sectors, there is a de facto lack of communication and therefore a lack of appreciation of the working practices within each environment. This resulting lack of collaboration between teams can lead to disruptive care that detracts from the holistic philosophy purported to be the basis of supportive and palliative care (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) 2004; Department of Health (DH) 2000). In October 2005, 20% of a clinical nurse specialist's (CNS) full-time post was dedicated to working between the palliative care teams of Central Manchester and Manchester Children's NHS Trust (CMMC) and Central Manchester PCT (CMPCT). The aim was to improve communication and dialogue to promote more effective integrated working between the two sites and develop effective interprofessional working. This article will evaluate the impact of this new post, after 18 months, on collaboration between the teams, their practices and their patients. Finally, it will offer recommendations for future development.

Communications fabric for scientific collaboration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stillerman, J.; Baron, D.; Fredian, T.; Greenwald, M.; Schulzrinne, H.

2008-01-01

Today's fusion experiments are geographically and institutionally dispersed collaborations. This makes the need for good remote collaboration tools particularly acute. Informal interactions between scientists are particularly important and hard to realize with traditional communications approaches. We are testing existing packages based on the IETF SIP (session initiation protocol) standard and integrating them into our applications to address these issues. Development of additional tools may be needed to provide better integration and enhanced functionality. By providing a spectrum of tools encompassing instant messaging, voice, video, presence, event notification and application sharing, we hope to overcome technical hurdles and a natural reluctance, among researchers, to interact with colleagues who are not on site. Existing web pages, which support integrated and shared workspaces, such as electronic logbooks, code and experimental run management, records of presentations and publications, personnel databases, and physical site maps will be 'communications enabled', so that just as currently there are 'mailto' links we will be able to have 'speak to:', 'instant message to:', 'video to:', and 'share with:' links. Mechanisms will be provided for session portability; a conference might be moved from a hard phone to a soft phone so that video or application sharing could be enabled. This paper discusses our ongoing efforts in these areas, including a prototype implementation of some of these tools

Communications fabric for scientific collaboration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stillerman, J. [MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center, NW17-268 Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States)], E-mail: jas@psfc.mit.edu; Baron, D. [MIT Information Services and Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Fredian, T.; Greenwald, M. [MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center, NW17-268 Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Schulzrinne, H. [Columbia University Computer Science Department, New York, NY 10027 (United States)

2008-04-15

Today's fusion experiments are geographically and institutionally dispersed collaborations. This makes the need for good remote collaboration tools particularly acute. Informal interactions between scientists are particularly important and hard to realize with traditional communications approaches. We are testing existing packages based on the IETF SIP (session initiation protocol) standard and integrating them into our applications to address these issues. Development of additional tools may be needed to provide better integration and enhanced functionality. By providing a spectrum of tools encompassing instant messaging, voice, video, presence, event notification and application sharing, we hope to overcome technical hurdles and a natural reluctance, among researchers, to interact with colleagues who are not on site. Existing web pages, which support integrated and shared workspaces, such as electronic logbooks, code and experimental run management, records of presentations and publications, personnel databases, and physical site maps will be 'communications enabled', so that just as currently there are 'mailto' links we will be able to have 'speak to:', 'instant message to:', 'video to:', and 'share with:' links. Mechanisms will be provided for session portability; a conference might be moved from a hard phone to a soft phone so that video or application sharing could be enabled. This paper discusses our ongoing efforts in these areas, including a prototype implementation of some of these tools.

Communication Strategies with Digital Logic: Collaborative Intelligence and Meritocratic Order

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrea Hoare

2009-08-01

Full Text Available This paper is based on the research prior to my applying for the post of Assistant Professor in the Public Relations Department of the Social Communication School at the Universidad Central de Venezuela. Its aim is to contribute to the understanding of the digital logic implications in the contemporary organizations´ communications, and to collaborate, from an epistemic point of view, with its projected meaning in the communications area. In this sense, digital logic is defined as the dynamic organization resulting from user interaction, technology, practices, attitudes and values that develop at the same pace as the cyberspace. The main finding was that digital logic is a valuable model to characterize current communicational mutations, because it helps describe a scenario, where communicational bidirectionality prevails, and the network structure empowers the rebirth of self-protagonism. It is the self-organized feature from the digital platform, which encourages new organizing principles like collaborative intelligence and meritocratic order, centered on content relevance.

What Makes for Good Collaboration and Communication in Maternity Care? : A Scoping Study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Isabel van Helmond; Irene Korstjens; Jessica Mesman; Marianne Nieuwenhuijze; Klasien Horstman; Hubertina Scheepers; Mark Spaanderman; Judit Keulen; Raymond de Vries

2015-01-01

Problems with communication and collaboration among perinatal caregivers threaten the quality and safety of care given to mothers and babies. Good communication and collaboration are critical to safe care for mothers and babies. In this study the researchers focused on studies examining the factors

Collaborative Communication in Work Based Learning Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Wagner, Stephen Allen

2017-01-01

This basic qualitative study, using interviews and document analysis, examined reflections from a Work Based Learning (WBL) program to understand how utilizing digital collaborative communication tools influence the educational experience. The Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework was used as a theoretical frame promoting the examination of the…

Learning To Collaborate: Can Young Children Develop Better Communication Strategies through Collaboration with a More Popular Peer.

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, Suzanne; Faulkner, Dorothy

2000-01-01

Investigates whether pairing unpopular five- to six-year old children with more popular peers would promote more effective collaboration. Examines the differences in verbal and nonverbal communication of the popular and unpopular children. Explains that the children were filmed playing a collaborative game. (CMK)

Agent-Based Modeling of Collaborative Problem Solving. Research Report. ETS RR-16-27

Science.gov (United States)

Bergner, Yoav; Andrews, Jessica J.; Zhu, Mengxiao; Gonzales, Joseph E.

2016-01-01

Collaborative problem solving (CPS) is a critical competency in a variety of contexts, including the workplace, school, and home. However, only recently have assessment and curriculum reformers begun to focus to a greater extent on the acquisition and development of CPS skill. One of the major challenges in psychometric modeling of CPS is…

Electronic communication and collaboration in a health care practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Safran, C; Jones, P C; Rind, D; Bush, B; Cytryn, K N; Patel, V L

1998-02-01

Using cognitive evaluation techniques, this study examines the effects of an electronic patient record and electronic mail on the interactions of health care providers. We find that the least structured communication methods are also the most heavily used: face-to-face, telephone, and electronic mail. Positive benefits of electronically-mediated interactions include improving communication, collaboration, and access to information to support decision-making. Negative factors include the potential for overloading clinicians with unwanted or unnecessary communications.

The Effect of Student Collaboration in Solving Physics Problems Using an Online Interactive Response System

OpenAIRE

Balta, Nuri; Awedh, Mohammad Hamza

2016-01-01

Advanced technology helps educational institutes to improve student learning performance and outcomes. In this study, our aim is to measure and assess student engagement and collaborative learning in engineering classes when using online technology in solving physics problems. The interactive response system used in this study is a collaborative learning tool that allows teachers to monitor their students’ response and progress in real time. Our results indicated that students have highly pos...

Multilateral collaboration between technical communicators and translators

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vandepitte, Sonia; Maylath, Bruce; Mousten, Birthe

2016-01-01

This article describes a multilateral international project (Thompson and Carter 1973, Moreno-Lopez 2004) in technical communication and translator training programmes and discusses its use of technologies in what is seen as the largest and most complex international learning-by-doing collaboration...... to date. The project is a student collaboration involving two sets of cross-cultural virtual teams who either translate from Danish and Dutch into English and review (or edit) into American English or who are involved in international collaborative writing by Spaniards and Americans, usability testing...... by Finnish students, and translation from English into Dutch, French and Italian (Humbley et al. 2005; Maylath et al. 2008; Mousten et al. 2008; Mousten; Vandepitte et al. 2010; Mousten et al. 2010, Mousten et al. 2012, Maylath et al. 2013, Maylath et al. 2013b). While students use email, iChat and Skype...

Remote Laboratory Collaboration Plan in Communications Engineering

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Akram Ahmad Abu-aisheh

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Communications laboratories for electrical engineering undergraduates typically require that students perform practical experiments and document findings as part of their knowledge and skills development. Laboratory experiments are usally designed to support and reinforce theories presented in the classroom and foster independent thinking; however, the capital cost of equipment needed to sustain a viable laboratory environment is large and ongoing maintenance is an annual expense. Consequently, there is a need to identify and validate more economic solutions for engineering laboratories. This paper presents a remote laboratory collaboration plan for use in an elctrical engineering communications course.

The Influence of Game Design on the Collaborative Problem Solving Process: A Cross-Case Study of Multi-Player Collaborative Gameplay Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Yildirim, Nilay

2013-01-01

This cross-case study examines the relationships between game design attributes and collaborative problem solving process in the context of multi-player video games. The following game design attributes: sensory stimuli elements, level of challenge, and presentation of game goals and rules were examined to determine their influence on game…

Enhancing international collaboration among early-career researchers

Science.gov (United States)

Carroll, Jennifer K; Albada, Akke; Farahani, Mansoureh; Lithner, Maria; Neumann, Melanie; Sandhu, Harbinder; Shepherd, Heather L

2010-01-01

Objective The European Association of Communication in Healthcare (EACH) Early Career Researchers Network (ECRN) aims are to (1) promote international collaboration among young investigators and (2) provide a support network for future innovative communication research projects. In October 2009, Miami, USA at a workshop facilitated by the ECRN at the International Conference on Communication in Healthcare (ICCH) hosted by the American Academy of Communication in Healthcare we explored common facilitators and challenges faced by early career researchers in health communication research. Methods Attendees introduced themselves, their research area(s) of interest, and listed one facilitator and one barrier for their career development. EACH ECRN members then led a discussion of facilitators and challenges encountered in communication research projects and career development. We discussed potential collaboration opportunities, future goals, and activities. Results Having supportive collegial relationships, institutional support, job security, and funding are critical facilitators for early career investigators. Key challenges include difficulty with time management and prioritizing, limited resources, and contacts. Conclusion International collaboration among early career researchers is a feasible and effective means to address important challenges, by increasing opportunities for professional support and networking, problem-solving, discussion of data, and ultimately publishing. Practice Implications Future AACH-EACH Early Career Researcher Networks should continue to build collaborations by developing shared research projects, papers, and other scholarly products. PMID:20663630

Assessment of collaborative problem solving skills in Undergraduate Medical Students at Ziauddin College of Medicine, Karachi.

Science.gov (United States)

Mughal, Arsalan Manzoor; Shaikh, Sirajul Haque

2018-01-01

Collaborative Problem Solving Empirical Progressions from the Assessment and Teaching of 21st Century Skills (ATC21S) framework were used to determine the level of collaborative problem solving skills (CPS) in first, second and third year MBBS students at Ziauddin College of Medicine during Problem-Based Learning (PBL) sessions. Variations based on gender and roles were studied. It is an analytical comparative cross-sectional study in which seven PBL groups were selected per year by non-probability convenient sampling. Data was collected using the Collaborative Problem Solving Five Strands Empirical Progressions by the primary investigator through observation of the students during PBL sessions. Duration of study was six months. We found that in our students, development of social dimension skills is facilitated to a greater extent than the development of cognitive dimension skills through the process of PBL. These skills are generally better developed in the leader compared to the scribe and members in a group. They are also more developed in females compared to males. Modification in them is also observed as the year's progress. Although PBLs facilitate development of CPS skills' progression however in our curriculum, PBLs mainly focus on social skills development and have less emphasis on cognitive skill development. Thus, hybrid instructional strategies with components from TBL and mentorship are recommended for better development of CPS skills.

Assessment of collaborative problem solving skills in Undergraduate Medical Students at Ziauddin College of Medicine, Karachi

Science.gov (United States)

Mughal, Arsalan Manzoor; Shaikh, Sirajul Haque

2018-01-01

Objective: Collaborative Problem Solving Empirical Progressions from the Assessment and Teaching of 21st Century Skills (ATC21S) framework were used to determine the level of collaborative problem solving skills (CPS) in first, second and third year MBBS students at Ziauddin College of Medicine during Problem-Based Learning (PBL) sessions. Variations based on gender and roles were studied. Methods: It is an analytical comparative cross-sectional study in which seven PBL groups were selected per year by non-probability convenient sampling. Data was collected using the Collaborative Problem Solving Five Strands Empirical Progressions by the primary investigator through observation of the students during PBL sessions. Duration of study was six months. Results: We found that in our students, development of social dimension skills is facilitated to a greater extent than the development of cognitive dimension skills through the process of PBL. These skills are generally better developed in the leader compared to the scribe and members in a group. They are also more developed in females compared to males. Modification in them is also observed as the year's progress. Conclusion: Although PBLs facilitate development of CPS skills' progression however in our curriculum, PBLs mainly focus on social skills development and have less emphasis on cognitive skill development. Thus, hybrid instructional strategies with components from TBL and mentorship are recommended for better development of CPS skills. PMID:29643904

Integrative Technologies Complicate Communication during Development Work Context: Industry-Academy Collaboration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pauliina Mansikkamäki

2007-06-01

Full Text Available A competition in the electronics industry is hard. For most companies, strong technological know-how will be a competitiveness factor in the future. The future technologies will be increasingly based on a combination of innovations from several branches of science. Also, many innovations are based on external technology integration. The days are over when one company could internally create all of the technology it needs to maintain its competitiveness. One approach of promising framework for the development of a new integrative technology is an industrial R&D network combined with industrial-academic collaboration. However, this kind of collaboration is a challenging undertaking. Companies in a value network might have very different expectations regarding a new technology due to differences in their position in the value network or their company strategy. One of the main challenges in an R&D network is to translate the expectations of all parties involved into new technology solutions so that all in the R&D network feel they have obtained benefit. One of key factors on creating successful industrial-academic collaboration is open and trustful communication. But, there are communication challenges, intellectual property sharing problems, and discussions regarding the sharing of cost and benefits. Developing a new integrative technology structure requires seamless teamwork, holistic and interdisciplinary understanding, and open communication throughout the R&D team and the industrial-academic network. The focus of this paper is on network communication, knowledge communication and team communication. The results of this study indicate that successful communication in an industrial-academic R&D network to develop a new integrative technology improves knowledge creation and accelerates commercialization of the technology.

Moving towards the Assessment of Collaborative Problem Solving Skills with a Tangible User Interface

Science.gov (United States)

Ras, Eric; Krkovic, Katarina; Greiff, Samuel; Tobias, Eric; Maquil, Valérie

2014-01-01

The research on the assessment of collaborative problem solving (ColPS), as one crucial 21st Century Skill, is still in its beginnings. Using Tangible User Interfaces (TUI) for this purpose has only been marginally investigated in technology-based assessment. Our first empirical studies focused on light-weight performance measurements, usability,…

Retrospective Analysis of Communication Events - Understanding the Dynamics of Collaborative Multi-Party Discourse

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cowell, Andrew J.; Haack, Jereme N.; McColgin, Dave W.

2006-06-08

This research is aimed at understanding the dynamics of collaborative multi-party discourse across multiple communication modalities. Before we can truly make sig-nificant strides in devising collaborative communication systems, there is a need to understand how typical users utilize com-putationally supported communications mechanisms such as email, instant mes-saging, video conferencing, chat rooms, etc., both singularly and in conjunction with traditional means of communication such as face-to-face meetings, telephone calls and postal mail. Attempting to un-derstand an individual’s communications profile with access to only a single modal-ity is challenging at best and often futile. Here, we discuss the development of RACE – Retrospective Analysis of Com-munications Events – a test-bed prototype to investigate issues relating to multi-modal multi-party discourse.

Communicate and collaborate by using building information modeling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mondrup, Thomas Fænø; Karlshøj, Jan; Vestergaard, Flemming

Building Information Modeling (BIM) represents a new approach within the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry, one that encourages collaboration and engagement of all stakeholders on a project. This study discusses the potential of adopting BIM as a communication...... and collaboration platform. The discussion is based on: (1) a review of the latest BIM literature, (2) a qualitative survey of professionals within the industry, and (3) mapping of available BIM standards. This study presents the potential benefits, risks, and the overarching challenges of adopting BIM, and makes...... recommendations for its use, particularly as a tool for collaboration. Specifically, this study focuses on the issue of implementing standardized BIM guidelines across national borders (in this study Denmark and Sweden), and discusses the challenge of developing a common standard applicable and acceptable at both...

Communicating Climate Change: Lessons Learned from a Researcher-Museum Collaboration †

Science.gov (United States)

Parker, Christopher T.; Cockerham, Debbie; Foss, Ann W.

2018-01-01

The need for science education and outreach is great. However, despite the ever-growing body of available scientific information, facts are often misrepresented to or misunderstood by the general public. This can result in uninformed decisions that negatively impact society at both individual and community levels. One solution to this problem is to make scientific information more available to the public through outreach programs. Most outreach programs, however, focus on health initiatives, STEM programs, or young audiences exclusively. This article describes a collaboration between the Research and Learning Center at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History and an interdisciplinary team of researchers from the Dallas–Fort Worth (DFW) metroplex area. The collaboration was a pilot effort of a science communication fellowship and was designed to train researchers to effectively convey current science information to the public with a focus on lifelong learning. We focus on the broader idea of a university-museum collaboration that bridges the science communication gap as we outline the process of forming this collaboration, lessons we learned from the process, and directions that can support future collaborations. PMID:29904536

Collaborative Problem-Solving Environments; Proceedings for the Workshop CPSEs for Scientific Research, San Diego, California, June 20 to July 1, 1999

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chin, George

1999-01-11

A workshop on collaborative problem-solving environments (CPSEs) was held June 29 through July 1, 1999, in San Diego, California. The workshop was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and the High Performance Network Applications Team of the Large Scale Networking Working Group. The workshop brought together researchers and developers from industry, academia, and government to identify, define, and discuss future directions in collaboration and problem-solving technologies in support of scientific research.

Problem-solving skills, parent-adolescent communication, dyadic functioning, and distress among adolescents with cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Viola, Adrienne; Taggi-Pinto, Alison; Sahler, Olle Jane Z; Alderfer, Melissa A; Devine, Katie A

2018-05-01

Some adolescents with cancer report distress and unmet needs. Guided by the disability-stress-coping model, we evaluated associations among problem-solving skills, parent-adolescent cancer-related communication, parent-adolescent dyadic functioning, and distress in adolescents with cancer. Thirty-nine adolescent-parent dyads completed measures of these constructs. Adolescents were 14-20 years old on treatment or within 1 year of completing treatment. Better problem-solving skills were correlated with lower adolescent distress (r = -0.70, P communication problems and dyadic functioning were not significantly related to adolescent distress (rs < 0.18). Future work should examine use of problem-solving interventions to decrease distress for adolescents with cancer. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Use of Kanban to Alleviate Collaboration and Communication Challenges of Global Software Development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maureen Tanner

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Aim/Purpose: This paper aims to describe how various Kanban elements can help alleviate two prominent types of challenges, communication and collaboration in Global Software Development (GSD. Background: Iterative and Lean development methodologies like Kanban have gained significance in the software development industry, both in the co-located and globally distributed contexts. However, little is known on how such methodologies can help mitigate various challenges in that occur in a globally distributed software development context. Methodology: The study was conducted using a single-case study based on a general inductive approach to analysis and theory development. Through the literature review, collaboration and communication challenges that GSD teams face were identified. Data collected through semi-structured interviews was then inductively analyzed to describe how the case-study teams employed various Kanban elements to mitigate communication and collaboration challenges they face during GSD. Findings: The study found that some Kanban elements, when properly employed, can help alleviate collaboration and communication challenges that occur within GSD teams. These relate to Inclusion Criteria, Reverse Items, Kanban Board, Policies, Avatars, and Backlog. Contribution: The paper contributes to knowledge by proposing two simple concept maps that detail the specific types of communication and collaboration challenges which can be alleviated by the aforementioned Kanban elements in GSD. Recommendations for Practitioners: This paper is relevant to GSD teams who are seeking ways to enhance their team collaboration and communication as these are the most important elements that contribute to GSD project success. It is recommended that relevant Kanban elements be used to that effect, depending on the challenges that they aim to alleviate. Future Research: Future research can investigate the same research questions (or similar ones using a

A Day in the Professional Life of a Collaborative Biostatistician Deconstructed: Implications for Curriculum Design

Science.gov (United States)

Samsa, Gregory P.

2018-01-01

Collaborative biostatistics is the creative application of statistical tools to biomedical problems. The relatively modest literature about the traits of effective collaborative biostatisticians focuses on four core competencies: (a) technical and analytical; (b) substance-matter knowledge; (c) communication; and (d) problem solving and problem…

Online Collaboration in Design Education: An Experiment in Real-Time Manipulation of Prototypes and Communication

Science.gov (United States)

Dreamson, Neal

2017-01-01

The features of collaboration in design education include effective and efficient communication and reflection, and feasible manipulation of design objects. For collaborative design, information and communication technology offers educators the possibility to change design pedagogy. However, there is a paucity of literature on relative advantages…

Communication, Collaboration, and Enhancing the Learning Experience: Developing a Collaborative Virtual Enquiry Service in University Libraries in the North of England

Science.gov (United States)

Jolly, Liz; White, Sue

2016-01-01

This article uses the case study of developing a collaborative "out-of-hours" virtual enquiry service by members of the Northern Collaboration Group of academic libraries in the north of England to explore the importance of communication and collaboration between academic library services in enhancing student learning. Set within the…

Human-robot collaboration for a shared mission

OpenAIRE

Karami , Abir-Beatrice; Jeanpierre , Laurent; Mouaddib , Abdel-Illah

2010-01-01

International audience; We are interested in collaboration domains between a robot and a human partner, the partners share a common mission without an explicit communication about their plans. The decision process of the robot agent should consider the presence of its human partner. Also, the robot planning should be flexible to human comfortability and all possible changes in the shared environment. To solve the problem of human-robot collaborationwith no communication, we present a model th...

Development of a Communication Strategy to Increase Interprofessional Collaboration in the Outpatient Setting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chelsea Phillips Renfro

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Managing patient health is a complex task, requiring the support of an interprofessional healthcare team. Collaboration between neighboring community pharmacies and primary care practices can be an alternate solution for team-based patient care. The purpose of this project was to design and implement a communication strategy for patients with diabetes and hypertension between a community pharmacy and physician practice. An interprofessional team for the practice settings was formed to develop a strategy for collaboration. After agreeing on the common goals and target patient population for the disease states, the team devised a way to communicate via electronic health record (EHR. The communication strategy allowed for more frequent follow-up with the patients which has the potential to result in better clinical outcomes. A communication strategy between a community pharmacy and a physician practice office can be achieved using EHR technology. The greatest outcome of this project was the formation of the collaborative team between the practice settings that continues to work together on additional patient-centered initiatives. Further research is warranted to allow for incorporation of patient perspectives in development of communication strategies.

Making It Real: Using a Collaborative Simulation to Teach Crisis Communications

Science.gov (United States)

Olson, K. S.

2012-01-01

Even seasoned public relations (PR) practitioners can find it difficult to handle communications during a crisis situation when the consequences of making poor decisions may seem overwhelming. This article shares results from using a collaborative simulation to teach college students about crisis communications in an advanced-level PR course.…

Wiki Use that Increases Communication and Collaboration Motivation

Science.gov (United States)

Davidson, Robyn

2012-01-01

Communication and collaboration can be readily enabled by the use of many ICT tools. A wiki, which is an easily accessible and editable website, is one such platform that provides the opportunity for students to work on group projects without the barriers that arise from traditional group work. Whilst wiki use is becoming more common, its use in…

Emotions under discussion: gender, status and communication in online collaboration.

Science.gov (United States)

Iosub, Daniela; Laniado, David; Castillo, Carlos; Fuster Morell, Mayo; Kaltenbrunner, Andreas

2014-01-01

Despite the undisputed role of emotions in teamwork, not much is known about the make-up of emotions in online collaboration. Publicly available repositories of collaboration data, such as Wikipedia editor discussions, now enable the large-scale study of affect and dialogue in peer production. We investigate the established Wikipedia community and focus on how emotion and dialogue differ depending on the status, gender, and the communication network of the [Formula: see text] editors who have written at least 100 comments on the English Wikipedia's article talk pages. Emotions are quantified using a word-based approach comparing the results of two predefined lexicon-based methods: LIWC and SentiStrength. We find that administrators maintain a rather neutral, impersonal tone, while regular editors are more emotional and relationship-oriented, that is, they use language to form and maintain connections to other editors. A persistent gender difference is that female contributors communicate in a manner that promotes social affiliation and emotional connection more than male editors, irrespective of their status in the community. Female regular editors are the most relationship-oriented, whereas male administrators are the least relationship-focused. Finally, emotional and linguistic homophily is prevalent: editors tend to interact with other editors having similar emotional styles (e.g., editors expressing more anger connect more with one another). Emotional expression and linguistic style in online collaboration differ substantially depending on the contributors' gender and status, and on the communication network. This should be taken into account when analyzing collaborative success, and may prove insightful to communities facing gender gap and stagnation in contributor acquisition and participation levels.

INVESTIGATING AND COMMUNICATING TECHNOLOGY MATHEMATICS PROBLEM SOLVING EXPERIENCE OF TWO PRESERVICE TEACHERS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Kuzle

2012-04-01

Full Text Available In this paper, I report on preservice teachers’ reflections and perceptions on theirproblem-solving process in a technological context. The purpose of the study was to to investigatehow preservice teachers experience working individually in a dynamic geometry environment andhow these experiences affect their own mathematical activity when integrating content (nonroutineproblems and context (technology environment. Careful analysis of participants’ perceptionsregarding their thinking while engaged in problem solving, provided an opportunity to explorehow they explain the emergence of problem solving when working in a dynamic geometryenvironment. The two participants communicated their experience both through the lenses ofthemselves as problem solvers and as future mathematics educators. Moreover, the results of thestudy indicated that problem solving in a technology environment does not necessarily allow focuson decision-making, reflection, and problem solving processes as reported by previous research.

The Assessment of 21st Century Skills in Industrial and Organizational Psychology: Complex and Collaborative Problem Solving

OpenAIRE

Neubert, Jonas; Mainert, Jakob; Kretzschmar, André; Greiff, Samuel

2015-01-01

In the current paper, we highlight why and how industrial and organizational psychology can take advantage of research on 21st century skills and their assessment. We present vital theoretical perspectives, a suitable framework for assessment, and exemplary instruments with a focus on advances in the assessment of Human Capital. Specifically, Complex Problem Solving (CPS) and Collaborative Problem Solving (ColPS) are two transversal skills (i.e., skills that span multiple domains) that are...

Lay Theories Regarding Computer-Mediated Communication in Remote Collaboration

Science.gov (United States)

Parke, Karl; Marsden, Nicola; Connolly, Cornelia

2017-01-01

Computer-mediated communication and remote collaboration has become an unexceptional norm as an educational modality for distance and open education, therefore the need to research and analyze students' online learning experience is necessary. This paper seeks to examine the assumptions and expectations held by students in regard to…

An Effective Collaborative Mobile Weighted Clustering Schemes for Energy Balancing in Wireless Sensor Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Chengpei; Shokla, Sanesy Kumcr; Modhawar, George; Wang, Qiang

2016-02-19

Collaborative strategies for mobile sensor nodes ensure the efficiency and the robustness of data processing, while limiting the required communication bandwidth. In order to solve the problem of pipeline inspection and oil leakage monitoring, a collaborative weighted mobile sensing scheme is proposed. By adopting a weighted mobile sensing scheme, the adaptive collaborative clustering protocol can realize an even distribution of energy load among the mobile sensor nodes in each round, and make the best use of battery energy. A detailed theoretical analysis and experimental results revealed that the proposed protocol is an energy efficient collaborative strategy such that the sensor nodes can communicate with a fusion center and produce high power gain.

Negotiating Collaborative Governance Designs: A Discursive Approach

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Plotnikof, Mie

2015-01-01

This article addresses the design and implementation issues of collaborative governance, a public-management practice aimed at involving stakeholders in problem solving and public innovation. Although aspects of for example stakeholder inclusion and power are conceptualized in the literature......, these issues remain challenging in practice. Therefore, the interest in understanding the emerging processes of collaborative governance is growing. This article contributes to theorizing discursive aspects of such processes by conceptualizing and exploring the meaning negotiations through which collaborative...... governance designs emerge and change. The findings of a case study of local governments’ efforts to innovate quality management in education through collaborative governance suggest that such form of governance is continuingly negotiated in communication during both design and implementation phases. Through...

The social essentials of learning: an experimental investigation of collaborative problem solving and knowledge construction in mathematics classrooms in Australia and China

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Man Ching Esther; Clarke, David; Cao, Yiming

2018-03-01

Interactive problem solving and learning are priorities in contemporary education, but these complex processes have proved difficult to research. This project addresses the question "How do we optimise social interaction for the promotion of learning in a mathematics classroom?" Employing the logic of multi-theoretic research design, this project uses the newly built Science of Learning Research Classroom (ARC-SR120300015) at The University of Melbourne and equivalent facilities in China to investigate classroom learning and social interactions, focusing on collaborative small group problem solving as a way to make the social aspects of learning visible. In Australia and China, intact classes of local year 7 students with their usual teacher will be brought into the research classroom facilities with built-in video cameras and audio recording equipment to participate in purposefully designed activities in mathematics. The students will undertake a sequence of tasks in the social units of individual, pair, small group (typically four students) and whole class. The conditions for student collaborative problem solving and learning will be manipulated so that student and teacher contributions to that learning process can be distinguished. Parallel and comparative analyses will identify culture-specific interactive patterns and provide the basis for hypotheses about the learning characteristics underlying collaborative problem solving performance documented in the research classrooms in each country. The ultimate goals of the project are to generate, develop and test more sophisticated hypotheses for the optimisation of social interaction in the mathematics classroom in the interest of improving learning and, particularly, student collaborative problem solving.

Impact of information and communication technology on interprofessional collaboration for chronic disease management: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Barr, Neil; Vania, Diana; Randall, Glen; Mulvale, Gillian

2017-01-01

Objectives Information and communication technology is often lauded as the key to enhancing communication among health care providers. However, its impact on interprofessional collaboration is unclear. The objective of this study was to determine the extent to which it improves communication and, subsequently, enhances interprofessional collaboration in chronic disease management. Methods A systematic review of academic literature using two electronic platforms: HealthSTAR and Web of Science (core collection and MEDLINE). To be eligible for inclusion in the review, articles needed to be peer-reviewed; accessible in English and focused on how technology supports, or might support, collaboration (through enhanced communication) in chronic disease management. Studies were assessed for quality and a narrative synthesis conducted. Results The searches identified 289 articles of which six were included in the final analysis (three used qualitative methods, two were descriptive and one used mixed methods). Various forms of information and communication technology were described including electronic health records, online communities/learning resources and telehealth/telecare. Three themes emerged from the studies that may provide insights into how communication that facilitates collaboration in chronic disease management might be enhanced: professional conflict, collective engagement and continuous learning. Conclusions The success of technology in enhancing collaboration for chronic disease management depends upon supporting the social relationships and organization in which the technology will be placed. Decision-makers should take into account and work toward balancing the impact of technology together with the professional and cultural characteristics of health care teams.

The Impact of Visibility on Teamwork, Collaborative Communication, and Security in Emergency Departments: An Exploratory Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Gharaveis, Arsalan; Hamilton, D Kirk; Pati, Debajyoti; Shepley, Mardelle

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to examine the influence of visibility on teamwork, collaborative communication, and security issues in emergency departments (EDs). This research explored whether with high visibility in EDs, teamwork and collaborative communication can be improved while the security issues will be reduced. Visibility has been regarded as a critical design consideration and can be directly and considerably impacted by ED's physical design. Teamwork is one of the major related operational outcomes of visibility and involves nurses, support staff, and physicians. The collaborative communication in an ED is another important factor in the process of care delivery and affects efficiency and safety. Furthermore, security is a behavioral factor in ED designs, which includes all types of safety including staff safety, patient safety, and the safety of visitors and family members. This qualitative study investigated the impact of visibility on teamwork, collaborative communication, and security issues in the ED. One-on-one interviews and on-site observation sessions were conducted in a community hospital. Corresponding data analysis was implemented by using computer plan analysis, observation and interview content, and theme analyses. The findings of this exploratory study provided a framework to identify visibility as an influential factor in ED design. High levels of visibility impact productivity and efficiency of teamwork and communication and improve the chance of lowering security issues. The findings of this study also contribute to the general body of knowledge about the effect of physical design on teamwork, collaborative communication, and security.

Families Affected by Huntington's Disease Report Difficulties in Communication, Emotional Involvement, and Problem Solving.

Science.gov (United States)

Jona, Celine M H; Labuschagne, Izelle; Mercieca, Emily-Clare; Fisher, Fiona; Gluyas, Cathy; Stout, Julie C; Andrews, Sophie C

2017-01-01

Family functioning in Huntington's disease (HD) is known from previous studies to be adversely affected. However, which aspects of family functioning are disrupted is unknown, limiting the empirical basis around which to create supportive interventions. The aim of the current study was to assess family functioning in HD families. We assessed family functioning in 61 participants (38 HD gene-expanded participants and 23 family members) using the McMaster Family Assessment Device (FAD; Epstein, Baldwin and Bishop, 1983), which provides scores for seven domains of functioning: Problem Solving; Communication; Affective Involvement; Affective Responsiveness; Behavior Control; Roles; and General Family Functioning. The most commonly reported disrupted domain for HD participants was Affective Involvement, which was reported by 39.5% of HD participants, followed closely by General Family Functioning (36.8%). For family members, the most commonly reported dysfunctional domains were Affective Involvement and Communication (both 52.2%). Furthermore, symptomatic HD participants reported more disruption to Problem Solving than pre-symptomatic HD participants. In terms of agreement between pre-symptomatic and symptomatic HD participants and their family members, all domains showed moderate to very good agreement. However, on average, family members rated Communication as more disrupted than their HD affected family member. These findings highlight the need to target areas of emotional engagement, communication skills and problem solving in family interventions in HD.

Tools for collaborative decision-making

CERN Document Server

Zaraté, Pascale

2013-01-01

Decision-making has evolved recently thanks to the introduction of information and communication technologies in many organizations, which has led to new kinds of decision-making processes, called "collaborative decision-making", at the organizational and cognitive levels. This book looks at the development of the decision-making process in organizations. Decision-aiding and its paradigm of problem solving are defined, showing how decision-makers now need to work in a cooperative way. Definitions of cooperation and associated concepts such as collaboration and coordination are given and a framework of cooperative decision support systems is presented, including intelligent DSS, cooperative knowledge-based systems, workflow, group support systems, collaborative engineering, integrating with a collaborative decision-making model in part or being part of global projects. Several models and experimental studies are also included showing that these new processes have to be supported by new types of tools, several ...

Improving Outcomes for Children with Developmental Disabilities through Enhanced Communication and Collaboration between School Psychologists and Physicians

Science.gov (United States)

Ritzema, Anne M.; Sladeczek, Ingrid E.; Ghosh, Shuvo; Karagiannakis, Anastasia; Manay-Quian, Natalia

2014-01-01

A renewed call for enhanced communication and collaboration between school psychology and medicine is envisioned, in light of a transdisciplinary model, where school psychologists, family physicians, and other health professionals transcend disciplinary boundaries. Recommendations for optimal communication and collaboration are described, as well…

Comparability of Conflict Opportunities in Human-to-Human and Human-to-Agent Online Collaborative Problem Solving

Science.gov (United States)

Rosen, Yigal

2014-01-01

Students' performance in human-to-human and human-to-agent collaborative problem solving assessment task is investigated in this paper. A secondary data analysis of the research reported by Rosen and Tager (2013) was conducted in order to investigate the comparability of the opportunities for conflict situations in human-to-human and…

Communication in support of software sharing and collaborative development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knott, M.J.

1995-01-01

To be successful, software which is shared among several users requires a means of reporting trouble and receiving help. This is even more critical in the case of a collaborative software development effort. The Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System (EPICS) collaboration uses the Internet as its major communication medium. In addition to conventional electronic mail and occasional use of MBONE teleconferencing a distributed listserver system is used to announce releases, ask for aid, announce the discovery and disposal of bugs, and to converse generally about the future development directions of EPICS tools and methods. The EPICS listservers are divided into several subject categories, and since all questions, answers, and announcements are archived for future reference, some statistics can be gleaned from these records. Such statistics and information from the collaborators show that they make use of this system and find it helpful. As a manager, I have found that the system gives reassuring evidence that the collaboration is alive, responsive to calls for aid, and helpful even to those not actively participating in the question and answer activity

Using Wikis to Investigate Communication, Collaboration and Engagement in Capstone Engineering Design Projects

Science.gov (United States)

Berthoud, L.; Gliddon, J.

2018-01-01

In today's global Aerospace industry, virtual workspaces are commonly used for collaboration between geographically distributed multidisciplinary teams. This study investigated the use of wikis to look at communication, collaboration and engagement in 'Capstone' team design projects at the end of an engineering degree. Wikis were set up for teams…

A New Business Model for Problem Solving-Infusing Open Collaboration and Innovation Health and Human Services

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Jeffrey R.; Richard, Eliabeth E.; Fogarty, Jennifer A.; Rando, Cynthia M.

2011-01-01

This slide presentation reviews the Space Life Sciences Directorate (SLSD) new business model for problem solving, with emphasis on open collaboration and innovation. The topics that are discussed are: an overview of the work of the Space Life Sciences Directorate and the strategic initiatives that arrived at the new business model. A new business model was required to infuse open collaboration/innovation tools into existing models for research, development and operations (research announcements, procurements, SBIR/STTR etc). This new model involves use of several open innovation partnerships: InnoCentive, Yet2.com, TopCoder and NASA@work. There is also a new organizational structure developed to facilitate the joint collaboration with other NASA centers, international partners, other U.S. Governmental organizations, Academia, Corporate, and Non-Profit organizations: the NASA Human Health and Performance Center (NHHPC).

The influence of multiple trials and computer-mediated communication on collaborative and individual semantic recall.

Science.gov (United States)

Hinds, Joanne M; Payne, Stephen J

2018-04-01

Collaborative inhibition is a phenomenon where collaborating groups experience a decrement in recall when interacting with others. Despite this, collaboration has been found to improve subsequent individual recall. We explore these effects in semantic recall, which is seldom studied in collaborative retrieval. We also examine "parallel CMC", a synchronous form of computer-mediated communication that has previously been found to improve collaborative recall [Hinds, J. M., & Payne, S. J. (2016). Collaborative inhibition and semantic recall: Improving collaboration through computer-mediated communication. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 30(4), 554-565]. Sixty three triads completed a semantic recall task, which involved generating words beginning with "PO" or "HE" across three recall trials, in one of three retrieval conditions: Individual-Individual-Individual (III), Face-to-face-Face-to-Face-Individual (FFI) and Parallel-Parallel-Individual (PPI). Collaborative inhibition was present across both collaborative conditions. Individual recall in Recall 3 was higher when participants had previously collaborated in comparison to recalling three times individually. There was no difference between face-to-face and parallel CMC recall, however subsidiary analyses of instance repetitions and subjective organisation highlighted differences in group members' approaches to recall in terms of organisation and attention to others' contributions. We discuss the implications of these findings in relation to retrieval strategy disruption.

Collaboration versus communication: The Department of Energy's Amchitka Island and the Aleut Community

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burger, Joanna; Gochfeld, Michael; Pletnikoff, Karen

2009-01-01

Increasingly managers and scientists are recognizing that solving environmental problems requires the inclusion of a wide range of disciplines, governmental agencies, Native American tribes, and other stakeholders. Usually such inclusion involves communication at the problem-formulation phase, and at the end to report findings. This paper examines participatory research, the differences between the traditional stakeholder involvement method of communication (often one-way, at the beginning and the end), compared to full collaboration, where parties are actively involved in the scientific process. Using the Department of Energy's (DOE) Amchitka Island in the Aleutians as a case study, we demonstrate that the inclusion of Aleut people throughout the process resulted in science that was relevant not only to the agency's needs and to the interested and affected parties, but that led to a solution. Amchitka Island was the site of three underground nuclear tests from 1965 to 1971, and virtually no testing of radionuclide levels in biota, subsistence foods, or commercial fish was conducted after the 1970s. When DOE announced plans to close Amchitka, terminating its managerial responsibility, without any further testing of radionuclide levels in biota, there was considerable controversy, which resulted in the development of a Science Plan to assess the potential risks to the marine environment from the tests. The Consortium for Risk Evaluation with Stakeholder Participation (CRESP) was the principle entity that developed and executed the science plan. Unlike traditional science, CRESP embarked on a process to include the Alaskan Natives of the Aleutian Islands (Aleuts), relevant state and federal agencies, and other stakeholders at every phase. Aleuts were included in the problem-formulation, research design refinement, the research, analysis of data, dissemination of research findings, and public communication. This led to agreement with the results, and to developing a

Group Trust, Communication Media, and Interactivity: Toward an Integrated Model of Online Collaborative Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Jianxia; Wang, Chuang; Zhou, Mingming; Xu, Jianzhong; Fan, Xitao; Lei, Saosan

2018-01-01

The present investigation examines the multidimensional relationships among several critical components in online collaborative learning, including group trust, communication media, and interactivity. Four hundred eleven university students from 103 groups in the United States responded survey items on online collaboration, interactivity,…

Specification and implementation of a belief-desire-joint-intention architecture for collaborative problem solving

OpenAIRE

Jennings, NR

1993-01-01

Systems composed of multiple interacting problem solvers are becoming increasingly pervasive and have been championed in some quarters as the basis of the next generation of intelligent information systems. If this technology is to fulfill its true potential then it is important that the systems which are developed have a sound theoretical grounding. One aspect of this foundation, namely the model of collaborative problem solving, is examined in this paper. A synergistic review of existing mo...

Exploring Bridge-Engine Control Room Collaborative Team Communication

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aditi Kataria

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The EC funded CyClaDes research project is designed to promote the increased impact of the human element in shipping across the design and operational lifecycle. It addresses the design and operation of ships and ship systems. One of the CyClaDes’ tasks is to create a crew-centered design case-study examination of the information that is shared between the Bridge and Engine Control Room that helps the crew co-ordinate to ensure understanding and complete interconnected tasks. This information can be provided in various ways, including communication devices or obtained from a common database, display, or even the ship environment (e.g., the roll of the ship. A series of semi-structured interviews were conducted with seafarers of diverse ranks to get a better idea of what communication does, or should, take place and any problems or challenges existing in current operations, as seen from both the bridge and ECR operators’ perspectives. Included in the interview were both the standard communications and information shared during planning and executing a voyage, as well as special situations such as safety/casualty tasks or heavy weather. The results were analyzed in terms of the goals of the communication, the primary situations of interest for communication and collaboration, the communication media used, the information that is shared, and the problems experienced. The results of seafarer interviews are presented in the paper to explore on-board inter-departmental communication.

Information technology as a facilitator of suppliers’ collaborative communication, network governance and relationship longevity in supply chains

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Richard Chinomona

2013-08-01

Full Text Available There is an increasing awareness about the paramount importance of information technology within business in the context of large businesses. However, research about the investigation of the role of information technology resources in fostering collaborative communication, network governance and relationship longevity in the small and medium enterprise sector has remained scant. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the influence of information technology on collaborative communication, network governance and relationship longevity in Zimbabwe’s SME sector. Five research hypotheses were posited and sample data from 162 small and medium enterprise suppliers were collected and used to empirically test the hypotheses. The results of this study showed that information technology resources positively influenced small and medium enterprise suppliers’ collaborative communication, network governance and consequential relationship longevity with their buyers in a significant way. Overall, the current study findings provided tentative support to the proposition that information technology resources, collaborative communication and network governance should be recognised as significant antecedents for improved relationship longevity between suppliers and their buyers in the SME setting. Therefore, managers in the small and medium enterprise sector and small and medium enterprise owners need to pay attention to both collaborative communication and network governance in order to optimise information technology resource impact on their relationship longevity with their business counterparts. Limitations and future research directions were also indicated.

Families Affected by Huntington’s Disease Report Difficulties in Communication, Emotional Involvement, and Problem Solving

Science.gov (United States)

Jona, Celine M.H.; Labuschagne, Izelle; Mercieca, Emily-Clare; Fisher, Fiona; Gluyas, Cathy; Stout, Julie C.; Andrews, Sophie C.

2017-01-01

Background: Family functioning in Huntington’s disease (HD) is known from previous studies to be adversely affected. However, which aspects of family functioning are disrupted is unknown, limiting the empirical basis around which to create supportive interventions. Objective: The aim of the current study was to assess family functioning in HD families. Methods: We assessed family functioning in 61 participants (38 HD gene-expanded participants and 23 family members) using the McMaster Family Assessment Device (FAD; Epstein, Baldwin and Bishop, 1983), which provides scores for seven domains of functioning: Problem Solving; Communication; Affective Involvement; Affective Responsiveness; Behavior Control; Roles; and General Family Functioning. Results: The most commonly reported disrupted domain for HD participants was Affective Involvement, which was reported by 39.5% of HD participants, followed closely by General Family Functioning (36.8%). For family members, the most commonly reported dysfunctional domains were Affective Involvement and Communication (both 52.2%). Furthermore, symptomatic HD participants reported more disruption to Problem Solving than pre-symptomatic HD participants. In terms of agreement between pre-symptomatic and symptomatic HD participants and their family members, all domains showed moderate to very good agreement. However, on average, family members rated Communication as more disrupted than their HD affected family member. Conclusion: These findings highlight the need to target areas of emotional engagement, communication skills and problem solving in family interventions in HD. PMID:28968240

Advancing Flood Risk Communication and Management through Collaboration and Public Participation

OpenAIRE

Cheung, Wing

2017-01-01

Flooding has been a pressing problem for communities around the world. The problem is expected to worsen due to climate change and sea level rise. Despite decades of research on risk communication and management, the toll of flooding continues to mount. In order to advance flood management to minimize future damages, there is a need to foster collaboration among research communities, promote the genuine engagement of local stakeholders, and co-develop targeted risk communication and mitigatio...

Research Collaboration in a Communication Rights Campaign: Lessons Learned.

Science.gov (United States)

Ryan, Charlotte

2018-01-01

In building public support for social change, activists in communities of color routinely approach broader audiences via news media. Communities of color, however, routinely face disparities that limit their access to media including local news media outlets. This lack of access mirrors inequalities in political, social, and economic arenas and can slow public awareness campaigns to address disparities in health, environmental, and other quality-of-life issues. I describe two community-based collaborative action research studies that documented and challenged how local television newscasts underrepresented and misrepresented three communities of color in Boston. The linkage between communication rights and campaigns to address quality-of-life issues is presented, as well as unresolved challenges in the collaborative research process. The study has implications for environmental health campaigns.

I've Gathered a Basket of Communication and Collaboration Tools

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, May

2004-01-01

In this article, the author, a Web development librarian at North Carolina State University (NCSU) Libraries, recounts how she initiated the implementation of a series of open source communication and collaboration applications for the Libraries' Web site and intranet, and how she gathered a number of tried and tested C&C tools that can…

Virtual collaboration: face-to-face versus videoconference, audioconference, and computer-mediated communications

Science.gov (United States)

Wainfan, Lynne; Davis, Paul K.

2004-08-01

As we increase our reliance on mediated communication, it is important to be aware the media's influence on group processes and outcomes. A review of 40+ years of research shows that all media-videoconference, audioconference, and computer-mediated communication--change the context of the communication to some extent, reducing cues used to regulate and understand conversation, indicate participants' power and status, and move the group towards agreement. Text-based computer-mediated communication, the "leanest" medum, reduces status effects, domination, and consensus. This has been shown useful in broadening the range of inputs and ideas. However, it has also been shown to increase polarization, deindividuation, and disinhibition, and the time to reach a conclusion. For decision-making tasks, computer-mediated communication can increase choice shift and the likelihood of more risky or extreme decisions. In both videoconference and audioconference, participants cooperate less with linked collaborators, and shift their opinions toward extreme options, compared with face-to-face collaboration. In videoconference and audioconference, local coalitions can form where participants tend to agree more with those in the same room than those on the other end of the line. There is also a tendency in audioconference to disagree with those on the other end of the phone. This paper is a summary of a much more extensive forthcoming report; it reviews the research literature and proposes strategies to leverage the benefits of mediated communication while mitigating its adverse effects.

Learning Opportunities in Synchronous Computer-Mediated Communication and Face-to-Face Interaction

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Hye Yeong

2014-01-01

This study investigated how synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC) and face-to-face (F2F) oral interaction influence the way in which learners collaborate in language learning and how they solve their communicative problems. The findings suggest that output modality may affect how learners produce language, attend to linguistic forms,…

Editorial. Dialogue, Communication and Collaboration: Aspects of Philosophy and Communication

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jovilė Barevičiūtė

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Acting as a usual means of everyday communication and collaboration, dialogue is also a fundamental mode of human presence in the world. It is innate and, therefore, feels organic to people. Nothing but a dialogue determines and defines the inborn human potential of reflexivity, empathy and communitivity. Naturally, it is hardly surprising that as a phenomenon, a dialogue constantly fell within the purview of most prominent European thinkers and throughout different historical epochs, in the spaces of philosophy and communication, it unfolded in a diverse and multidimensional manner. Ancient Greek philosopher Plato wrote in the form of dialogue, this way opening the possibility to a reader to learn about the world and the order of things as well as defining a certain relationship between the perceiving subject and the perceivable object. In the early Middle Ages, writings of Saint Augustine encouraged people to immerse into themselves and start a conversation with God, which established a certain living relationship between spaces empirical and transcendental. Much later, towards the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, German phenomenologist Edmund Husserl, who developed the theory of the intentionality of the consciousness, perceived that no living relationship between people is feasible without intersubjectivity. In this case, the communication is conditioned on the focus of at least two subjects on a certain object. This object, in particular, ensures the potential of the meaning, content and the purpose of communication. Another German author Martin Buber treated the dialogue as a phenomenon, in which an individual establishes a personal relationship with the Christian God, and this gives rise to a certain immediacy: a confrontation with the Ruler of the Kingdom of Heaven gives meaning to all the other interpersonal relationships. These are but few different philosophical interpretations of dialogue as a phenomenon. The

Solving Environmental Problems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ørding Olsen, Anders; Sofka, Wolfgang; Grimpe, Christoph

2017-01-01

for Research and Technological Development (FP7), our results indicate that the problem-solving potential of a search strategy increases with the diversity of existing knowledge of the partners in a consortium and with the experience of the partners involved. Moreover, we identify a substantial negative effect...... dispersed. Hence, firms need to collaborate. We shed new light on collaborative search strategies led by firms in general and for solving environmental problems in particular. Both topics are largely absent in the extant open innovation literature. Using data from the European Seventh Framework Program...

SOLVING GLOBAL PROBLEMS USING COLLABORATIVE DESIGN PROCESSES

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lenau, Torben Anker; Mejborn, Christina Okai

2011-01-01

In this paper we argue that use of collaborative design processes is a powerful means of bringing together different stakeholders and generating ideas in complex design situations. The collaborative design process was used in a workshop with international participants where the goal was to propos...

Collaboration, interdisciplinary thinking, and communication: new approaches to K-12 ecology education

Science.gov (United States)

Ecologists often engage in global-scale research through partnerships among scientists from many disciplines. Such research projects require collaboration, interdisciplinary thinking, and strong communication skills. We advocate including these three practices as an integral part of ecology educatio...

Collaborative Aerial-Drawing System for Supporting Co-Creative Communication

Science.gov (United States)

Osaki, Akihiro; Taniguchi, Hiroyuki; Miwa, Yoshiyuki

This paper describes the collaborative augmented reality (AR) system with which multiple users can handwrite 3D lines in the air simultaneously and manipulate the lines directly in the real world. In addition, we propose a new technique for co-creative communication utilizing the 3D drawing activity. Up to now, the various 3D user interfaces have been proposed. Although most of them aim to solve the specific problems in the virtual environments, the possibility of the 3D drawing expression has not been explored yet. Accordingly, we paid special attention to the interaction with the real objects in daily life, and considered to manipulate real objects and 3D lines without any distinctions by the same action. The developed AR system consists of a stereoscopic head-mounted display, a drawing tool, 6DOF sensors measuring three-dimensional position and Euler angles, and the 3D user interface, which enables to push, grasp and pitch 3D lines directly by use of the drawing tool. Additionally users can pick up desired color from either a landscape or a virtual line through the direct interaction with this tool. For sharing 3D lines among multiple users at the same place, the distributed-type AR system has been developed that mutually sends and receives drawn data between systems. With the developed system, users can proceed to design jointly in the real space through arranging each 3D drawing by direct manipulation. Moreover, a new application to the entertainment has become possible to play sports like catch, fencing match, or the like.

The Enhancement of Communication Skill and Prediction Skill in Colloidal Concept by Problem Solving Learning

OpenAIRE

Anggraini, Agita Dzulhajh; Fadiawati, Noor; Diawati, Chansyanah

2012-01-01

Accuracy educators in selecting and implementing learning models influence students' science process skills. Models of learning that can be applied to improve science process skills and tend constructivist among athers learning model of problem solving. This research was conducted to describe the effectiveness of the learning model of problem solving in improving communication skills and prediction skills. Subjects in this research were students of high school YP Unila Bandar Lampung Even ...

An exploratory study of healthcare professionals' perceptions of interprofessional communication and collaboration

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verhaegh, Kim J.; Seller-Boersma, Annamarike; Simons, Robert; Steenbruggen, Jeanet; Geerlings, Suzanne E.; de Rooij, Sophia E.; Buurman, Bianca M.

2017-01-01

Interprofessional communication and collaboration during hospitalisation is critically important to provide safe and effective care. Clinical rounds are an essential interprofessional process in which the clinical problems of patients are discussed on a daily basis. The objective of this exploratory

An exploratory study of healthcare professionals' perceptions of interprofessional communication and collaboration

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verhaegh, Kim J.; Seller-Boersma, Annamarike; Simons, Robert; Steenbruggen, Jeanet; Geerlings, Suzanne E.; de Rooij, Sophia E.; Buurman, Bianca M.

Interprofessional communication and collaboration during hospitalisation is critically important to provide safe and effective care. Clinical rounds are an essential interprofessional process in which the clinical problems of patients are discussed on a daily basis. The objective of this exploratory

The Virtual Table: A Framework for Online Teamwork, Collaboration, and Communication.

Science.gov (United States)

Endersby, Lisa; Phelps, Kirstin; Jenkins, Dan

2017-03-01

This chapter reviews the complex relationship between technology and leadership, focusing on how technology affects the development and demonstration of skills in communication, teamwork, and collaboration. The chapter also proposes a framework for identifying and assessing key leadership competencies in the digital space. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company.

Capacity of Wireless Ad Hoc Networks with Opportunistic Collaborative Communications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simeone O

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Optimal multihop routing in ad hoc networks requires the exchange of control messages at the MAC and network layer in order to set up the (centralized optimization problem. Distributed opportunistic space-time collaboration (OST is a valid alternative that avoids this drawback by enabling opportunistic cooperation with the source at the physical layer. In this paper, the performance of OST is investigated. It is shown analytically that opportunistic collaboration outperforms (centralized optimal multihop in case spatial reuse (i.e., the simultaneous transmission of more than one data stream is not allowed by the transmission protocol. Conversely, in case spatial reuse is possible, the relative performance between the two protocols has to be studied case by case in terms of the corresponding capacity regions, given the topology and the physical parameters of network at hand. Simulation results confirm that opportunistic collaborative communication is a promising paradigm for wireless ad hoc networks that deserves further investigation.

Capacity of Wireless Ad Hoc Networks with Opportunistic Collaborative Communications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. Simeone

2007-03-01

Full Text Available Optimal multihop routing in ad hoc networks requires the exchange of control messages at the MAC and network layer in order to set up the (centralized optimization problem. Distributed opportunistic space-time collaboration (OST is a valid alternative that avoids this drawback by enabling opportunistic cooperation with the source at the physical layer. In this paper, the performance of OST is investigated. It is shown analytically that opportunistic collaboration outperforms (centralized optimal multihop in case spatial reuse (i.e., the simultaneous transmission of more than one data stream is not allowed by the transmission protocol. Conversely, in case spatial reuse is possible, the relative performance between the two protocols has to be studied case by case in terms of the corresponding capacity regions, given the topology and the physical parameters of network at hand. Simulation results confirm that opportunistic collaborative communication is a promising paradigm for wireless ad hoc networks that deserves further investigation.

An interprofessional workshop for students to improve communication and collaboration skills in end-of-life care.

Science.gov (United States)

Erickson, Jeanne M; Blackhall, Leslie; Brashers, Valentina; Varhegyi, Nikole

2015-12-01

Interprofessional care is critical for patients at the end of life (EOL), but programs to teach communication skills to medical and nursing students are rare. The aims of this study were to determine whether an interprofessional workshop improves (1) student attitudes toward teamwork and (2) self-efficacy for communicating in difficult situations. Nursing and medical students attended a workshop with collaborative role play of an EOL conversation. Before the workshop, students showed different attitudes toward teamwork and collaboration and varying levels of confidence about communication skills. After the workshop, both groups reported more positive attitudes toward teamwork but a mixed picture of confidence in communication. Experiential interprofessional education workshops enhance perceptions about the benefits of teamwork, but further teaching and evaluation methods are needed to maximize the effectiveness. © The Author(s) 2014.

Toward High-Performance Communications Interfaces for Science Problem Solving

Science.gov (United States)

Oviatt, Sharon L.; Cohen, Adrienne O.

2010-12-01

From a theoretical viewpoint, educational interfaces that facilitate communicative actions involving representations central to a domain can maximize students' effort associated with constructing new schemas. In addition, interfaces that minimize working memory demands due to the interface per se, for example by mimicking existing non-digital work practice, can preserve students' attentional focus on their learning task. In this research, we asked the question: What type of interface input capabilities provide best support for science problem solving in both low- and high- performing students? High school students' ability to solve a diverse range of biology problems was compared over longitudinal sessions while they used: (1) hardcopy paper and pencil (2) a digital paper and pen interface (3) pen tablet interface, and (4) graphical tablet interface. Post-test evaluations revealed that time to solve problems, meta-cognitive control, solution correctness, and memory all were significantly enhanced when using the digital pen and paper interface, compared with tablet interfaces. The tangible pen and paper interface also was the only alternative that significantly facilitated skill acquisition in low-performing students. Paradoxically, all students nonetheless believed that the tablet interfaces provided best support for their performance, revealing a lack of self-awareness about how to use computational tools to best advantage. Implications are discussed for how pen interfaces can be optimized for future educational purposes, and for establishing technology fluency curricula to improve students' awareness of the impact of digital tools on their performance.

Effects of case-based learning on communication skills, problem-solving ability, and learning motivation in nursing students.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoo, Moon-Sook; Park, Hyung-Ran

2015-06-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of case-based learning on communication skills, problem-solving ability, and learning motivation in sophomore nursing students. In this prospective, quasi-experimental study, we compared the pretest and post-test scores of an experimental group and a nonequivalent, nonsynchronized control group. Both groups were selected using convenience sampling, and consisted of students enrolled in a health communication course in the fall semesters of 2011 (control group) and 2012 (experimental group) at a nursing college in Suwon, South Korea. The two courses covered the same material, but in 2011 the course was lecture-based, while in 2012, lectures were replaced by case-based learning comprising five authentic cases of patient-nurse communication. At post-test, the case-based learning group showed significantly greater communication skills, problem-solving ability, and learning motivation than the lecture-based learning group. This finding suggests that case-based learning is an effective learning and teaching method. © 2014 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Face-to-face versus computer-mediated communication in a primary school setting

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meijden, H.A.T. van der; Veenman, S.A.M.

2005-01-01

Computer-mediated communication is increasingly being used to support cooperative problem solving and decision making in schools. Despite the large body of literature on cooperative or collaborative learning, few studies have explicitly compared peer learning in face-to-face (FTF) versus

A Case Study on the Communication of Older Adolescents

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Lauren; Spencer, Elizabeth; Ferguson, Alison

2011-01-01

This study compared the communication of two older male adolescents (aged 17 and 19 years) with each other (peer interaction) and with a teacher (non-peer interaction) in three different types of activity (casual conversation, providing/listening to a recount and collaborative problem-solving). Conversation analysis, selected analyses from the…

Negotiating Collaborative Governance Designs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Plotnikof, Mie

2017-01-01

This chapter addresses the design and implementation issues of collaborative governance, a public management practice aimed at involving stakeholders in problem-solving and public innovation.......This chapter addresses the design and implementation issues of collaborative governance, a public management practice aimed at involving stakeholders in problem-solving and public innovation....

Can Collaborative Consultation, Based on Communicative Theory, Promote an Inclusive School Culture?

Science.gov (United States)

von Ahlefeld Nisser, Désirée

2017-01-01

This article contributes to furthering our knowledge of how collaborative consultation, based on communicative theory, can make teachers' learning from, and with, each other an inclusive process, and thus promote an inclusive school culture. The aim is to study special education professionals' experiences of, and reflections on, leading…

Communication and Collaboration: The Role of the Teacher in the Workplace Classroom.

Science.gov (United States)

MacMaster, Don

Designed to illustrate the role of the instructor in workplace education, this paper describes the educational strategies employed in a communication and collaboration class given by an Alpena Community College (Michigan) workplace education director at a small automobile parts manufacturing plant. First, the qualities of workplace instructors are…

Human-Robot Teaming: Communication, Coordination, and Collaboration

Science.gov (United States)

Fong, Terry

2017-01-01

In this talk, I will describe how NASA Ames has been studying how human-robot teams can increase the performance, reduce the cost, and increase the success of a variety of endeavors. The central premise of our work is that humans and robots should support one another in order to compensate for limitations of automation and manual control. This principle has broad applicability to a wide range of domains, environments, and situations. At the same time, however, effective human-robot teaming requires communication, coordination, and collaboration -- all of which present significant research challenges. I will discuss some of the ways that NASA Ames is addressing these challenges and present examples of our work involving planetary rovers, free-flying robots, and self-driving cars.

Preschool children's Collaborative Science Learning Scaffolded by Tablets

Science.gov (United States)

Fridberg, Marie; Thulin, Susanne; Redfors, Andreas

2017-06-01

This paper reports on a project aiming to extend the current understanding of how emerging technologies, i.e. tablets, can be used in preschools to support collaborative learning of real-life science phenomena. The potential of tablets to support collaborative inquiry-based science learning and reflective thinking in preschool is investigated through the analysis of teacher-led activities on science, including children making timelapse photography and Slowmation movies. A qualitative analysis of verbal communication during different learning contexts gives rise to a number of categories that distinguish and identify different themes of the discussion. In this study, groups of children work with phase changes of water. We report enhanced and focused reasoning about this science phenomenon in situations where timelapse movies are used to stimulate recall. Furthermore, we show that children communicate in a more advanced manner about the phenomenon, and they focus more readily on problem solving when active in experimentation or Slowmation producing contexts.

Growing geometric reasoning in solving problems of analytical geometry through the mathematical communication problems to state Islamic university students

Science.gov (United States)

Mujiasih; Waluya, S. B.; Kartono; Mariani

2018-03-01

Skills in working on the geometry problems great needs of the competence of Geometric Reasoning. As a teacher candidate, State Islamic University (UIN) students need to have the competence of this Geometric Reasoning. When the geometric reasoning in solving of geometry problems has grown well, it is expected the students are able to write their ideas to be communicative for the reader. The ability of a student's mathematical communication is supposed to be used as a marker of the growth of their Geometric Reasoning. Thus, the search for the growth of geometric reasoning in solving of analytic geometry problems will be characterized by the growth of mathematical communication abilities whose work is complete, correct and sequential, especially in writing. Preceded with qualitative research, this article was the result of a study that explores the problem: Was the search for the growth of geometric reasoning in solving analytic geometry problems could be characterized by the growth of mathematical communication abilities? The main activities in this research were done through a series of activities: (1) Lecturer trains the students to work on analytic geometry problems that were not routine and algorithmic process but many problems that the process requires high reasoning and divergent/open ended. (2) Students were asked to do the problems independently, in detail, complete, order, and correct. (3) Student answers were then corrected each its stage. (4) Then taken 6 students as the subject of this research. (5) Research subjects were interviewed and researchers conducted triangulation. The results of this research, (1) Mathematics Education student of UIN Semarang, had adequate the mathematical communication ability, (2) the ability of this mathematical communication, could be a marker of the geometric reasoning in solving of problems, and (3) the geometric reasoning of UIN students had grown in a category that tends to be good.

NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Paper 32: A new era in international technical communication: American-Russian collaboration

Science.gov (United States)

Flammia, Madelyn; Barclay, Rebecca O.; Pinelli, Thomas E.; Keene, Michael L.; Burger, Robert H.; Kennedy, John M.

1993-01-01

Until the recent dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Communist Party exerted a strict control of access to and dissemination of scientific and technical information (STI). This article presents models of the Soviet-style information society and the Western-style information society and discusses the effects of centralized governmental control of information on Russian technical communication practices. The effects of political control on technical communication are then used to interpret the results of a survey of Russian and U.S. aerospace engineers and scientists concerning the time devoted to technical communication, their collaborative writing practices and their attitudes toward collaboration, the kinds of technical documents they produce and use, their views regarding the appropriate content for an undergraduate technical communication course, and their use of computer technology. Finally, the implications of these findings for future collaboration between Russian and U.S. engineers and scientists are examined.

NASA/DoD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. XXXII - A new era in international technical communication: American-Russian collaboration

Science.gov (United States)

Flammia, Madelyn; Barclay, Rebecca O.; Pinelli, Thomas E.; Keene, Michael L.; Burger, Robert H.; Kennedy, John M.

1993-01-01

Until the recent dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Communist Party exerted a strict control of access to and dissemination of scientific and technical information. This article presents models of the Soviet-style information society and the Western-style information society and discusses the effects of centralized governmental control of information on Russian technical communication practices. The effects of political control on technical communication are then used to interpret the results of a survey of Russian and U.S. aerospace engineers and scientists concerning the time devoted to technical communication, their collaborative writing practices and their attitudes toward collaboration, the kinds of technical documents they produce and use, their views regarding the appropriate content for an undergraduate technical communication course, and their use of computer technology. Finally, the implications of these findings for future collaboration between Russian and U.S. engineers and scientists are examined.

Facilitating interaction, communication and collaboration in online courses

Science.gov (United States)

McNeil, Sara G.; Robin, Bernard R.; Miller, Robert M.

2000-07-01

As the Internet evolves into a truly world wide communications medium, the roles of faculty and students at institutions of higher learning are changing. Traditional face-to-face classes are being converted to an online setting, where materials from syllabi to lectures to assignments are available at the click of a mouse. New technological options are challenging and changing the very nature of teaching as faculty migrate from being deliverers of information to facilitators and mentors. Students are also undergoing a transformation from passive recipients to participants in an active learning environment. Interactions are at the heart of this revolution as students and faculty create new methodologies for the online classroom. New types of interactions are emerging between faculty and students, between students and other students and between students and the educational resources they are exploring. As the online teaching and learning environment expands and matures, new social and instructional interactions are replacing the traditional occurrences in face-to-face classrooms. New communication options are also evolving as a critical component of the online classroom. The shift from a synchronous to an asynchronous communication structure has also had a significant impact on the way students and faculty interact. The use of e-mail, listservs and web-based conferencing has given teachers and learners new flexibility and has fostered a climate where learning takes place wherever and whenever it is convenient. HyperGroups, a communication tool that was developed at the University of Houston, allows students and faculty to seamlessly participate in course-related discussions and easily share multimedia resources. This article explores the many issues associated with facilitating interaction, communication and collaboration in online courses.

Effects of face-to-face versus chat communication on performance in a collaborative inquiry modeling task

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sins, P.H.M.; Savelsbergh, E.R.; van Joolingen, W.R.; van Hout-Wolters, B.H.A.M.

2011-01-01

In many contemporary collaborative inquiry learning environments, chat is being used as a means for communication. Still, it remains an open issue whether chat communication is an appropriate means to support the deep reasoning process students need to perform in such environments. Purpose of the

Gender and (UnSustainability—Can Communication Solve a Conflict of Norms?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Angela Franz-Balsen

2014-04-01

Full Text Available In theory, and even more in the practice of sustainability communications, the gender dimension of sustainability has been neglected relative to other fields of the science. The aim of this paper is to show the relevance of gender as an analytical category for research and the importance of gender competence as an indispensable skill for professional sustainability communicators. Understanding how gender norms have contributed to inhibiting sustainable development is key to well-targeted means to communicate visions of sustainable ways of life. Traditional norms of masculinity are clearly in tension with the ethical, ecological and social implications of Sustainable Development, whereas the norms of femininity work against empowerment and participation of women. Current changes in gender relations and gender identities in the western world do not automatically solve this conflict of norms. Therefore, sustainability communication must and can contribute to shaping the social construction of gender towards new “sustainable” norms and ideals for the various gender identities in western societies. In order to achieve this, gender mainstreaming (GM needs to be implemented in the field of sustainability communication, from capacity building for communicators to project design and research. Gender and diversity competence is to become a professional requirement, assuring that traditional “doing gender” is avoided, cultural diversity respected and structural inequalities are made visible. Visions of sustainable societies should include changes in gender relations. The argument is based on sociological studies, gender theories, gender policies, and environmental and sustainability communication studies, empirically supported by biographical studies and media analyses over the last twenty years in Western Europe, mainly Germany.

Social Media and Networking Technologies: An Analysis of Collaborative Work and Team Communication

Science.gov (United States)

Okoro, Ephraim A.; Hausman, Angela; Washington, Melvin C.

2012-01-01

Digital communication increases students' learning outcomes in higher education. Web 2.0 technologies encourages students' active engagement, collaboration, and participation in class activities, facilitates group work, and encourages information sharing among students. Familiarity with organizational use and sharing in social networks aids…

Stuck in the middle: the impact of collaborative interprofessional communication on patient expectations.

Science.gov (United States)

Stewart, Michael Adrian

2018-01-01

A central aim of modern day healthcare is to deliver a high quality, patient-centred service that addresses the expectations of its service users. However, mounting research evidence highlights a lack of patient satisfaction across a range of healthcare settings, with an overwhelming proportion of complaints relating to interprofessional communication. The link between interprofessional miscommunication and poor patient outcomes has been well documented. All too often, patients are left feeling stuck in the middle between opposing opinions, differing diagnoses and conflicting clinical outlooks. This article aims to highlight the issues surrounding interprofessional communication in healthcare, at the same time as addressing the potential facilitators and barriers for developing improved collaborative links between healthcare providers. Several key questions will be considered: (i) what are the underlying causes of interprofessional miscommunication; (ii) what do patients expect from healthcare professionals; and (iii) how might we reduce the risk of miscommunication and develop interprofessional collaboration?

A Flipped Pedagogy for Expert Problem Solving

Science.gov (United States)

Pritchard, David

The internet provides free learning opportunities for declarative (Wikipedia, YouTube) and procedural (Kahn Academy, MOOCs) knowledge, challenging colleges to provide learning at a higher cognitive level. Our ``Modeling Applied to Problem Solving'' pedagogy for Newtonian Mechanics imparts strategic knowledge - how to systematically determine which concepts to apply and why. Declarative and procedural knowledge is learned online before class via an e-text, checkpoint questions, and homework on edX.org (see http://relate.mit.edu/physicscourse); it is organized into five Core Models. Instructors then coach students on simple ``touchstone problems'', novel exercises, and multi-concept problems - meanwhile exercising three of the four C's: communication, collaboration, critical thinking and problem solving. Students showed 1.2 standard deviations improvement on the MIT final exam after three weeks instruction, a significant positive shift in 7 of the 9 categories in the CLASS, and their grades improved by 0.5 standard deviation in their following physics course (Electricity and Magnetism).

WINDS (KIZUNA)-based Collaborative e-Learning Project in Thailand, Malaysia and Japan

Science.gov (United States)

Hisanaga, Makoto; Takahashi, Shin; Kameyama, Keisuke; Fukui, Yukio; Kitawaki, Nobuhiko

The expanding digital divide deprives students in developing countries with opportunities for education. Advanced countries have the ability to enhance those opportunities. For this study, the authors set up and tested a remote lecture system using a commercial communication satellite beginning in 2002. This project attempted to solve issues in remote lecture systems using conventional satellite systems, and to build up a real-time collaborative lecture delivery system using a new satellite, called the Wideband InterNetworking engineering test and Demonstration Satellite (WINDS). This work proposes a remote education system using satellites, enabling the issues raised in the pilot experiments to be solved. Principal outcomes in this project include improvements of the quality of image and sound, and the communication delay. The authors also demonstrate the usefulness of WINDS in the education field.

The Improvement of Communication and Inference Skills in Colloid System Material by Problem Solving Learning Model

OpenAIRE

maisarera, yunita; diawati, chansyanah; fadiawati, noor

2012-01-01

The aim of this research is to describe the effectiveness of problem solving learning in improving communication and inference skills in colloid system material. Subjects in this research were students of XIIPA1 and XI IPA2 classrooms in Persada Junior High School in Bandar Lampung in academic year 2011-2012 where students of both classrooms had the same characteristics. This research used quasi experiment method and pretest-posttest control group design. Effectiveness of problem solving le...

If it takes two to tango, then why not teach both partners to dance? Collaboration instruction for all educators.

Science.gov (United States)

Hudson, P; Glomb, N

1997-01-01

Being able to collaborate effectively is important for teachers who work together to serve students with learning disabilities in general education classrooms. Effective collaboration requires that teachers have knowledge and skills in how to effectively communicate and share their technical expertise for the purpose of solving classroom problems and providing continuity across instructional settings. Although both special education and general education preparation programs provide preservice teachers with the technical expertise for their respective areas of certification, few programs provide both special education and general education majors with instruction in interpersonal communication skills and collaboration strategies. The purpose of this article is to suggest guidelines and strategies to help teacher preparation programs move toward collaboration instruction for all educators. Suggestions for what to teach and how to teach it are offered, as well as an overview of factors that influence the implementation of collaboration instruction for all educators.

Contested collaboration: A descriptive model of intergroup communication in information system design

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sonnenwald, D.H.

1995-01-01

. The model describes design phases, roles, themes, and intergroup communication networks as they evolve throughout the design process and characterizes design as a process of ''contested collaboration.'' It is a first step towards a predictive design model that suggests strategies which may help participants......Many information system design situations today include users, designers, and developers who, with their own unique group and individual perspectives, need to interact so that they can come to a working understanding of how the information system being developed will coexist with and ideally...... support patterns of work activities, social groups, and personal beliefs. In these situations, design is fundamentally an interactive process that requires communication among users, designers, and developers. However, communication among these groups is often difficult although of paramount importance...

Distributed Problem Solving: Adaptive Networks with a Computer Intermediary Resource. Intelligent Executive Computer Communication

Science.gov (United States)

1991-06-01

Proceedings of The National Conference on Artificial Intelligence , pages 181-184, The American Association for Aritificial Intelligence , Pittsburgh...Intermediary Resource: Intelligent Executive Computer Communication John Lyman and Carla J. Conaway University of California at Los Angeles for Contracting...Include Security Classification) Interim Report: Distributed Problem Solving: Adaptive Networks With a Computer Intermediary Resource: Intelligent

Thinking Tools for Successful Collaborative Initiatives - 13351

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boucher, Laurel A.

2013-01-01

Successful collaboration requires effective communication and collective problem solving. Regardless of the subject area --- environmental remediation, waste management, program planning and budgeting --- those involved must focus their efforts in an orderly and cooperative manner. A thinking tool is a technique used to get individuals to focus on specific components of the task at the same time and to eliminate the 'noise' that accompanies communications among individuals with different objectives and different styles of communicating. For example, one of these thinking tools is a technique which enables a working group to delineate its roles, responsibilities and communication protocols so that it can deliver the right information to the right people at the right time. Another enables a group to objectively and collectively evaluate and improve a policy, plan, or program. A third technique enables a group to clarify its purpose and direction while generating interest and buy-in. A fourth technique makes it possible for a group with polarized opinions to acknowledge their differences as well as what they have in common. A fifth technique enables a group to consider a subject of importance from all perspectives so as to produce a more comprehensive and sustainable solution. These thinking tools make effective communication and collective problem solving possible in radioactive waste management and remediation. They can be used by a wide spectrum of professionals including policy specialists, program administrators, program and project managers, and technical specialists. (author)

Reflective Learning and Prospective Teachers' Conceptual Understanding, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Mathematical Communication Skills

Science.gov (United States)

Junsay, Merle L.

2016-01-01

This is a quasi-experimental study that explored the effects of reflective learning on prospective teachers' conceptual understanding, critical thinking, problem solving, and mathematical communication skills and the relationship of these variables. It involved 60 prospective teachers from two basic mathematics classes of an institution of higher…

Development and Assessment of Collaboration, Teamwork, and Communication. TLTC Paper No. 4. CRLT Occasional Paper No. 35

Science.gov (United States)

Kusano, Stephanie M.; Conger, Amy J.; Wright, Mary C.

2016-01-01

This Occasional Paper focuses on fostering and assessing collaboration, teamwork, and communication. This involves encouraging students to appreciate and leverage diverse contributions to a task, developing their ability to cooperate with others towards common purposes, and increasing their capacity to communicate effectively with teammates,…

Developing Communication Confidence and Professional Identity in Chemistry through International Online Collaborative Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Skagen, Darlene; McCollum, Brett; Morsch, Layne; Shokoples, Brandon

2018-01-01

The use of online collaborative assignments (OCAs) between two flipped organic chemistry classrooms, one in Canada and the other in the United States, was examined for impact on learners. The intervention was designed to support content mastery, aid in increasing students' communication skills through chemistry drawing and verbalization,…

Effects of Face-to-Face versus Chat Communication on Performance in a Collaborative Inquiry Modeling Task

Science.gov (United States)

Sins, Patrick H. M.; Savelsbergh, Elwin R.; van Joolingen, Wouter R.; van Hout-Wolters, Bernadette H. A. M.

2011-01-01

In many contemporary collaborative inquiry learning environments, chat is being used as a means for communication. Still, it remains an open issue whether chat communication is an appropriate means to support the deep reasoning process students need to perform in such environments. Purpose of the present study was to compare the impact of chat…

Determinants of Teachers' Collaborative Use of Information and Communications Technology for Teaching and Learning: A European Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Drossel, Kerstin; Eickelmann, Birgit; Schulz-Zander, Renate

2017-01-01

Collaboration between teachers constitutes an important predictor for the successful implementation of digital media in schools and teaching. The present contribution examines the supporting conditions of ICT (information and communications technology)-related teacher collaboration as a feature of school quality in six selected European…

AN EVALUATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF COLLABORATIVE AND SOCIAL NETWORKING TECHNOLOGIES FOR COMPUTER EDUCATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ronnie Cheung

2011-06-01

Full Text Available We have developed a collaborative and social networking environment that integrates the knowledge and skills in communication and computing studies with a multimedia development project. The outcomes of the students’ projects show that computer literacy can be enhanced through a cluster of communication, social, and digital skills. Experience in implementing a web-based social networking environment shows that the new media is an effective means of enriching knowledge by sharing in computer literacy projects. The completed assignments, projects, and self-reflection reports demonstrate that the students were able to achieve the learning outcomes of a computer literacy course in multimedia development. The students were able to assess the effectiveness of a variety of media through the development of media presentations in a web-based, social-networking environment. In the collaborative and social-networking environment, students were able to collaborate and communicate with their team members to solve problems, resolve conflicts, make decisions, and work as a team to complete tasks. Our experience has shown that social networking environments are effective for computer literacy education, and the development of the new media is emerging as the core knowledge for computer literacy education.

Communication, Communication, Communication! Growth through Laboratory Instructing

Science.gov (United States)

Peterson, Jamie J.; DeAngelo, Samantha; Mack, Nancy; Thompson, Claudia; Cooper, Jennifer; Sesma, Arturo, Jr.

2014-01-01

This study examined gains undergraduate students made in their communication and collaboration skills when they served as peer teachers, i.e., laboratory instructors (LIs), for a General Psychology laboratory. Self-ratings of communication and collaboration skills were completed before and after teaching the laboratory. When compared to before the…

Making a mountain from a molehill: utility fastback management and communications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dixon, W.L.

1985-01-01

The OD strategy is discussed in which managers were asked to facilitate a program for the enhancement of management and communication among departments responsible for putting a nuclear power plant on line. The process variables include: increasing site open communication and collaboration in problem solving. The outcome variables included improved organizational performance and productivity. An internal diagnostic survey and criterion referenced objectives were used as performance indicators. A detailed project description is presented in this paper

An e-learning approach to informed problem solving

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Georg Weichhart

2012-06-01

Full Text Available When taking into account individualized learning processes not only content and interaction facilities need to be re-considered, but also the design of learning processes per se. Besides explicitness of learning objectives, interactive means of education need to enable intertwining content and communication elements as basic elements of active learning in a flexible way while preserving a certain structure of the learning process. Intelligibility Catchers are a theoretically grounded framework to enable such individualized processes. It allows learners and teachers agreeing and determining a desired learning outcome in written form. This type of e-learning contract enables students to individually explore content and participate in social interactions, while being guided by a transparent learning process structure. The developed implementation empowers learners in terms of creative problem-solving capabilities, and requires adaptation of classroom situations. The framework and its supporting semantic e-learning environment not only enables diverse learning and problem solving processes, but also supports the collaborative construction of e-learning contracts.

Scientific Management in Higher Education: Concerns and Using Collaborative School Management to Improve Communication.

Science.gov (United States)

Koermer, Chas; Petelle, John

1996-01-01

Explores problems associated with using "scientific management" ideals as a means of governance in higher education. Discusses hierarchial control, fitting in, paper bureaucracy, and committees. Describes the Collaborative School Management technique and how it fosters a more productive communication environment and facilitates…

Broadening participation in community problem solving: a multidisciplinary model to support collaborative practice and research.

Science.gov (United States)

Lasker, Roz D; Weiss, Elisa S

2003-03-01

Over the last 40 years, thousands of communities-in the United States and internationally-have been working to broaden the involvement of people and organizations in addressing community-level problems related to health and other areas. Yet, in spite of this experience, many communities are having substantial difficulty achieving their collaborative objective, and many funders of community partnerships and participation initiatives are looking for ways to get more out of their investment. One of the reasons we are in this predicament is that the practitioners and researchers who are interested in community collaboration come from a variety of contexts, initiatives, and academic disciplines, and few of them have integrated their work with experiences or literatures beyond their own domain. In this article, we seek to overcome some of this fragmentation of effort by presenting a multidisciplinary model that lays out the pathways by which broadly participatory processes lead to more effective community problem solving and to improvements in community health. The model, which builds on a broad array of practical experience as well as conceptual and empirical work in multiple fields, is an outgrowth of a joint-learning work group that was organized to support nine communities in the Turning Point initiative. Following a detailed explication of the model, the article focuses on the implications of the model for research, practice, and policy. It describes how the model can help researchers answer the fundamental effectiveness and "how-to" questions related to community collaboration. In addition, the article explores differences between the model and current practice, suggesting strategies that can help the participants in, and funders of, community collaborations strengthen their efforts.

Using Electronic Communication Tools in Online Group Activities to Develop Collaborative Learning Skills

Science.gov (United States)

Khalil, Hanan; Ebner, Martin

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of using synchronous and asynchronous communication tools in online group activities to develop collaborative learning skills. An experimental study was implemented on a sample of faculty of education students in Mansoura University. The sample was divided into two groups, a group studied…

Identifying barriers to recovery from work related upper extremity disorders: use of a collaborative problem solving technique.

Science.gov (United States)

Shaw, William S; Feuerstein, Michael; Miller, Virginia I; Wood, Patricia M

2003-08-01

Improving health and work outcomes for individuals with work related upper extremity disorders (WRUEDs) may require a broad assessment of potential return to work barriers by engaging workers in collaborative problem solving. In this study, half of all nurse case managers from a large workers' compensation system were randomly selected and invited to participate in a randomized, controlled trial of an integrated case management (ICM) approach for WRUEDs. The focus of ICM was problem solving skills training and workplace accommodation. Volunteer nurses attended a 2 day ICM training workshop including instruction in a 6 step process to engage clients in problem solving to overcome barriers to recovery. A chart review of WRUED case management reports (n = 70) during the following 2 years was conducted to extract case managers' reports of barriers to recovery and return to work. Case managers documented from 0 to 21 barriers per case (M = 6.24, SD = 4.02) within 5 domains: signs and symptoms (36%), work environment (27%), medical care (13%), functional limitations (12%), and coping (12%). Compared with case managers who did not receive the training (n = 67), workshop participants identified more barriers related to signs and symptoms, work environment, functional limitations, and coping (p Problem solving skills training may help focus case management services on the most salient recovery factors affecting return to work.

Comprehensive multiplatform collaboration

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Kundan; Wu, Xiaotao; Lennox, Jonathan; Schulzrinne, Henning G.

2003-12-01

We describe the architecture and implementation of our comprehensive multi-platform collaboration framework known as Columbia InterNet Extensible Multimedia Architecture (CINEMA). It provides a distributed architecture for collaboration using synchronous communications like multimedia conferencing, instant messaging, shared web-browsing, and asynchronous communications like discussion forums, shared files, voice and video mails. It allows seamless integration with various communication means like telephones, IP phones, web and electronic mail. In addition, it provides value-added services such as call handling based on location information and presence status. The paper discusses the media services needed for collaborative environment, the components provided by CINEMA and the interaction among those components.

Studies in interactive communication. I - The effects of four communication modes on the behavior of teams during cooperative problem-solving.

Science.gov (United States)

Chapanis, A.; Ochsman, R. B.; Parrish, R. N.; Weeks, G. D.

1972-01-01

Two-man teams solved credible, 'real-world' problems for which computer assistance has been or could be useful. Conversations were carried on in one of four modes of communication: (1) typewriting, (2) handwriting, (3) voice, and (4) natural, unrestricted communication. Two groups of subjects (experienced and inexperienced typists) were tested in the typewriting mode. Performance was assessed on three classes of dependent measures: time to solution, behavioral measures of activity, and linguistic measures. Significant and meaningful differences among the communication modes were found in each of the three classes of dependent variable. This paper is concerned mainly with the results of the activity analyses. Behavior was recorded in 15 different categories. The analyses of variance yielded 34 statistically significant terms of which 27 were judged to be practically significant as well. When the data were transformed to eliminate heterogeneity, the analyses of variance yielded 35 statistically significant terms of which 26 were judged to be practically significant.

Improving collaborative documentation in CMS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lassila-Perini, Kati; Salmi, Leena

2010-01-01

Complete and up-to-date documentation is essential for efficient data analysis in a large and complex collaboration like CMS. Good documentation reduces the time spent in problem solving for users and software developers. The scientists in our research environment do not necessarily have the interests or skills of professional technical writers. This results in inconsistencies in the documentation. To improve the quality, we have started a multidisciplinary project involving CMS user support and expertise in technical communication from the University of Turku, Finland. In this paper, we present possible approaches to study the usability of the documentation, for instance, usability tests conducted recently for the CMS software and computing user documentation.

Improving together: collaborative learning in science communication, ClimateSnack case study

Science.gov (United States)

Heuzé, C.; Reeve, M. A.

2016-02-01

Most scientists today recognize that science communication is an important part of the scientific process, yet science writing and communication are often taught outside the normal academic schedule. If universities offer such courses, they are generally intensive but short-term: the participants rarely complete a science communication course with an immediate and pressing need to apply these skills. So the skills fade, stalling real progress in science communication. Continuity is key to success! Whilst waiting for the academic system to truly integrate science communication, other methods can be tested. ClimateSnack / SciSnack is a new approach that aims to motivate scientists to develop their communication skills. It adopts a collaborative learning framework where scientists voluntarily form writing groups that meet regularly at different institutes around the world. The members of the groups learn, discuss and improve together. The participants produce short posts, which are published online, where they are further discussed and improved by the global ClimateSnack community. This way, the participants learn and cement basic science communication skills. These skills are transferrable, and can be applied both to scientific articles and broader science media. Some writing groups are highly productive, while others exist no more. The reasons for success are here investigated with respect to issues both internal and external to the different groups, in particular leadership strategies. Possible further development, in particular using the online community, is suggested. ClimateSnack is one solution to fill the critical gap left by a lack of adequate teaching in early-career scientists' curriculum.

Collaborative Visual Analytics: A Health Analytics Approach to Injury Prevention

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samar Al-Hajj

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Background: Accurate understanding of complex health data is critical in order to deal with wicked health problems and make timely decisions. Wicked problems refer to ill-structured and dynamic problems that combine multidimensional elements, which often preclude the conventional problem solving approach. This pilot study introduces visual analytics (VA methods to multi-stakeholder decision-making sessions about child injury prevention; Methods: Inspired by the Delphi method, we introduced a novel methodology—group analytics (GA. GA was pilot-tested to evaluate the impact of collaborative visual analytics on facilitating problem solving and supporting decision-making. We conducted two GA sessions. Collected data included stakeholders’ observations, audio and video recordings, questionnaires, and follow up interviews. The GA sessions were analyzed using the Joint Activity Theory protocol analysis methods; Results: The GA methodology triggered the emergence of ‘common ground’ among stakeholders. This common ground evolved throughout the sessions to enhance stakeholders’ verbal and non-verbal communication, as well as coordination of joint activities and ultimately collaboration on problem solving and decision-making; Conclusions: Understanding complex health data is necessary for informed decisions. Equally important, in this case, is the use of the group analytics methodology to achieve ‘common ground’ among diverse stakeholders about health data and their implications.

Collaborative Visual Analytics: A Health Analytics Approach to Injury Prevention.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Hajj, Samar; Fisher, Brian; Smith, Jennifer; Pike, Ian

2017-09-12

Background : Accurate understanding of complex health data is critical in order to deal with wicked health problems and make timely decisions. Wicked problems refer to ill-structured and dynamic problems that combine multidimensional elements, which often preclude the conventional problem solving approach. This pilot study introduces visual analytics (VA) methods to multi-stakeholder decision-making sessions about child injury prevention; Methods : Inspired by the Delphi method, we introduced a novel methodology-group analytics (GA). GA was pilot-tested to evaluate the impact of collaborative visual analytics on facilitating problem solving and supporting decision-making. We conducted two GA sessions. Collected data included stakeholders' observations, audio and video recordings, questionnaires, and follow up interviews. The GA sessions were analyzed using the Joint Activity Theory protocol analysis methods; Results : The GA methodology triggered the emergence of ' common g round ' among stakeholders. This common ground evolved throughout the sessions to enhance stakeholders' verbal and non-verbal communication, as well as coordination of joint activities and ultimately collaboration on problem solving and decision-making; Conclusion s : Understanding complex health data is necessary for informed decisions. Equally important, in this case, is the use of the group analytics methodology to achieve ' common ground' among diverse stakeholders about health data and their implications.

Communicating Science; a collaborative approach through Art, Dance, Music and Science

Science.gov (United States)

Smart, Sarah-Jane; Mortimer, Hugh

2016-04-01

A collaborative approach to communicating our amazing science. RAL Space at the Rutherford Appleton Lab, has initiated a unique collaboration with a team of award-winning performing artists with the aim of making space science research engaging and accessible to a wide audience. The collaboration has two distinct but connected strands one of which is the development of a contemporary dance work inspired by solar science and including images and data from the Space Physics Division of STFC RAL Space. The work has been commissioned by Sadler's Wells, one of the world's leading dance venues. It will be created by choreographer Alexander Whitley, video artist Tal Rosner and composers Ella Spira and Joel Cadbury and toured throughout the UK and internationally by the Alexander Whitley Dance Company (AWDC). The work will come about through collaboration with the work of the scientists of RAL Space and in particular the SOHO, CDS and STEREO missions, taking a particular interest in space weather. Choreographer Alexander Whitley and composers Ella Spira and Joel Cadbury will take their inspiration from the images and data that are produced by the solar science within RAL Space. Video artist Tal Rosner will use these spectacular images to create an atmospheric backdrop to accompany the work, bringing the beauty and wonder of space exploration to new audiences. Funding for the creation and touring of the work will be sought from Arts Council England, the British Council, partner organisations, trusts and foundations and private donors.The world premiere of the work will take place at Sadler's Wells in June 2017. It will then tour throughout the UK and internationally to theatres, science conferences and outreach venues with the aim of bringing the work of STFC RAL Space and the science behind solar science and space weather to new audiences. An education programme will combine concepts of choreography and space science aimed at young people in year 5 Key Stage 2 and be

An APF and MPC combined collaborative driving controller using vehicular communication technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Zichao; Wu, Qing; Ma, Jie; Fan, Shiqi

2016-01-01

Collaborative driving is a growing domain of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) which aim to navigate traffic both efficiently and safely. Cooperation between vehicles heavily rely on the comprehensive information collected. With the development of vehicular communication technologies, information can be shared between vehicles or infrastructures through Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V)/Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) data exchange. By taking advantage of data sharing between vehicles, this paper proposes an Artificial Potential Field (APF) and Model Predictive Control (MPC) combined controller to implement collaborative driving in complex environments. Firstly, an APF model ​containing three components is developed to describe the mutual effect and collaboration properties between vehicles and surrounding environments. Afterwards, a MPC cost function for optimized control, considering both kinematic characteristics and environmental effect conveyed by APF, is presented to address the problem of collaborative driving. Such controller is designed from the perspective of multi-objective and multi-constraint optimization which takes the vehicle motion constraints, safety and comfort requirements into consideration. The prominent advantage of the proposed approach is that it can deal with the problems of route planning and manipulating simultaneously. To validate the proposed approach, a variety of scenario simulations are conducted in MATLAB, and the performance of the proposed method are verified.

GRAPHIC DESIGN OF THE VISUAL COMMUNICATION OF THE EXHIBITION OF THE VILAKAS COUNTY MUSEUM

OpenAIRE

Miezite, Santa; Apele, Diāna

2018-01-01

Communication is a conversation, communication, the way information is provided. The museum's exposure language must be aesthetic, informative, cognitive process and memory stimulation.The designer, who designs and offers museum–oriented and up–to–date design solutions, plays a major role in solving the issues. The designer, in collaboration with the museum's staff, should prepare materials and programs for the society that are in line with the museum's goals and objectives and which society ...

Analysing student written solutions to investigate if problem-solving processes are evident throughout

Science.gov (United States)

Kelly, Regina; McLoughlin, Eilish; Finlayson, Odilla E.

2016-07-01

An interdisciplinary science course has been implemented at a university with the intention of providing students the opportunity to develop a range of key skills in relation to: real-world connections of science, problem-solving, information and communications technology use and team while linking subject knowledge in each of the science disciplines. One of the problems used in this interdisciplinary course has been selected to evaluate if it affords students the opportunity to explicitly display problem-solving processes. While the benefits of implementing problem-based learning have been well reported, far less research has been devoted to methods of assessing student problem-solving solutions. A problem-solving theoretical framework was used as a tool to assess student written solutions to indicate if problem-solving processes were present. In two academic years, student problem-solving processes were satisfactory for exploring and understanding, representing and formulating, and planning and executing, indicating that student collaboration on problems is a good initiator of developing these processes. In both academic years, students displayed poor monitoring and reflecting (MR) processes at the intermediate level. A key impact of evaluating student work in this way is that it facilitated meaningful feedback about the students' problem-solving process rather than solely assessing the correctness of problem solutions.

Using VoiceThread to Promote Collaborative Learning in On-Line Clinical Nurse Leader Courses.

Science.gov (United States)

Fox, Ola H

The movement to advance the clinical nurse leader (CNL) as an innovative new role for meeting higher health care quality standards continues with CNL programs offered on-line at colleges and universities nationwide. Collaborative learning activities offer the opportunity for CNL students to gain experience in working together in small groups to negotiate and solve care process problems. The challenge for nurse educators is to provide collaborative learning activities in an asynchronous learning environment that can be considered isolating by default. This article reports on the experiences of 17 CNL students who used VoiceThread, a cloud-based tool that allowed them to communicate asynchronously with one another through voice comments for collaboration and sharing knowledge. Participants identified benefits and drawbacks to using VoiceThread for collaboration as compared to text-based discussion boards. Students reported that the ability to hear the voice of their peers and the instructor helped them feel like they were in a classroom communicating with "real" instructor and peers. Students indicated a preference for on-line classes that used VoiceThread discussions to on-line classes that used only text-based discussion boards. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Effects of 10 Communication Modes on the Behavior of Teams During Co-Operative Problem-Solving

Science.gov (United States)

Ochsman, Richard B.; Chapanis, Alphonse

1974-01-01

Sixty teams of two college students each solved credible "real world" problems co-operatively. Conversations were carried on in one of 10 modes of communication: (1) typewriting only, (2) handwriting only, (3) handwriting and typewriting, (4) typewriting and video, (5) handwriting and video, (6) voice only, (7) voice and typewriting, (8) voice and…

Implementation of an interprofessional communication and collaboration intervention to improve care capacity for heart failure management in long-term care.

Science.gov (United States)

Boscart, Veronique M; Heckman, George A; Huson, Kelsey; Brohman, Lisa; Harkness, Karen I; Hirdes, John; McKelvie, Robert S; Stolee, Paul

2017-09-01

Heart failure affects up to 20% of nursing home residents and is associated with high morbidity, mortality, and transfers to acute care. A major barrier to heart failure management in nursing home settings is limited interprofessional communication. Guideline-based heart failure management programs in nursing homes can reduce hospitalisation rates, though sustainability is limited when interprofessional communication is not addressed. A pilot intervention, 'Enhancing Knowledge and Interprofessional Care for Heart Failure', was implemented on two units in two conveniently selected nursing homes to optimise interprofessional care processes amongst the care team. A core heart team was established, and participants received tailored education focused on heart failure management principles and communication processes, as well as weekly mentoring. Our previous work provided evidence for this intervention's acceptability and implementation fidelity. This paper focuses on the preliminary impact of the intervention on staff heart failure knowledge, communication, and interprofessional collaboration. To determine the initial impact of the intervention on selected staff outcomes, we employed a qualitative design, using a social constructivist interpretive framework. Findings indicated a perceived increase in team engagement, interprofessional collaboration, communication, knowledge about heart failure, and improved clinical outcomes. Individual interviews with staff revealed innovative ways to enhance communication, supporting one another with knowledge and engagement in collaborative practices with residents and families. Engaging teams, through the establishment of core heart teams, was successful to develop interprofessional communication processes for heart failure management. Further steps to be undertaken include assessing the sustainability and effectiveness of this approach with a larger sample.

Using collaborative technologies in remote lab delivery systems for topics in automation

Science.gov (United States)

Ashby, Joe E.

Lab exercises are a pedagogically essential component of engineering and technology education. Distance education remote labs are being developed which enable students to access lab facilities via the Internet. Collaboration, students working in teams, enhances learning activity through the development of communication skills, sharing observations and problem solving. Web meeting communication tools are currently used in remote labs. The problem identified for investigation was that no standards of practice or paradigms exist to guide remote lab designers in the selection of collaboration tools that best support learning achievement. The goal of this work was to add to the body of knowledge involving the selection and use of remote lab collaboration tools. Experimental research was conducted where the participants were randomly assigned to three communication treatments and learning achievement was measured via assessments at the completion of each of six remote lab based lessons. Quantitative instruments used for assessing learning achievement were implemented, along with a survey to correlate user preference with collaboration treatments. A total of 53 undergraduate technology students worked in two-person teams, where each team was assigned one of the treatments, namely (a) text messaging chat, (b) voice chat, or (c) webcam video with voice chat. Each had little experience with the subject matter involving automation, but possessed the necessary technical background. Analysis of the assessment score data included mean and standard deviation, confirmation of the homogeneity of variance, a one-way ANOVA test and post hoc comparisons. The quantitative and qualitative data indicated that text messaging chat negatively impacted learning achievement and that text messaging chat was not preferred. The data also suggested that the subjects were equally divided on preference to voice chat verses webcam video with voice chat. To the end of designing collaborative

An investigation of the effects of interventions on problem-solving strategies and abilities

Science.gov (United States)

Cox, Charles Terrence, Jr.

Problem-solving has been described as being the "heart" of the chemistry classroom, and students' development of problem-solving skills is essential for their success in chemistry. Despite the importance of problem-solving, there has been little research within the chemistry domain, largely because of the lack of tools to collect data for large populations. Problem-solving was assessed using a software package known as IMMEX (for Interactive Multimedia Exercises) which has an HTML tracking feature that allows for collection of problem-solving data in the background as students work the problems. The primary goal of this research was to develop methods (known as interventions) that could promote improvements in students' problem-solving and most notably aid in their transition from the novice to competent level. Three intervention techniques that were incorporated within the chemistry curricula: collaborative grouping (face-to-face and distance), concept mapping, and peer-led team learning. The face-to-face collaborative grouping intervention was designed to probe the factors affecting the quality of the group interaction. Students' logical reasoning abilities were measured using the Group Assessment of Logical Thinking (GALT) test which classifies students as formal, transitional, or concrete. These classifications essentially provide a basis for identifying scientific aptitude. These designations were used as the basis for forming collaborative groups of two students. The six possibilities (formal-formal, formal-transitional, etc.) were formed to determine how the group composition influences the gains in student abilities observed from collaborative grouping interventions. Students were given three assignments (an individual pre-collaborative, an individual post collaborative, and a collaborative assignment) each requiring them to work an IMMEX problem set. Similar gains in performance of 10% gains were observed for each group with two exceptions. The

Collaborative Service Arrangements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

J. May, Peter; Winter, Søren

While much of prior research on collaboration addresses the service delivery network as a whole, we address collaborative relationships between one type of organization—municipal employment services—and a range of governmental and non-governmental partners for employment services in Denmark....... Municipalities differ in the type, degree, and character of collaboration with these partners. As others have found in prior research, we find that organizational benefits, trust, and a variety of contextual factors help shape the extent of collaboration. But, the relevance of these and problem-solving benefits...

Working Collaboratively

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holder, Anna; Lovett, George

2009-01-01

identified as a transformative global force of the last decade, most notably in knowledge and information publishing, communication and creation. This paper presents a structured conversation on changing understandings of collaboration, and the realities of collaborative methodology in architectural work...

The use of interprofessional learning and simulation in undergraduate nursing programs to address interprofessional communication and collaboration: An integrative review of the literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Granheim, Benedikte M; Shaw, Julie M; Mansah, Martha

2018-03-01

To identify how simulation and interprofessional learning are used together in undergraduate nursing programs and undertaken in schools of nursing to address interprofessional communication and collaboration. An integrative literature review. The databases CINAHL, ProQuest, PubMed, Scopus, PsycInfo and Science Direct were searched to identify articles from 2006 to 2016 that reported on the use of IPL and simulation together in undergraduate nursing education. Whittemore and Knafl's five step process was used to guide the integrative review of quantitative and qualitative literature. Only peer reviewed articles written in English that addressed undergraduate nursing studies, were included in the review. Articles that did not aim to improve communication and collaboration were excluded. All articles selected were examined to determine their contribution to interprofessional learning and simulation in undergraduate nursing knowledge. The faculties of nursing used interprofessional learning and simulation in undergraduate nursing programs that in some cases were connected to a specific course. A total of nine articles, eight research papers and one narrative report, that focused on collaboration and communication were selected for this review. Studies predominantly used nursing and medical student participants. None of the included studies identified prior student experience with interprofessional learning and simulation. Four key themes were identified: communication, collaboration/teamwork, learning in practice and understanding of roles, and communication. This review highlights the identified research relating to the combined teaching strategy of interprofessional learning and simulation that addressed communication and collaboration in undergraduate nursing programs. Further research into the implementation of interprofessional learning and simulation may benefit the emergent challenges. Information drawn from this review can be used in informing education and

Collaborative partnerships between organic farmers in livestock-intensive areas of Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Asai, Masayasu; Langer, Vibeke

2014-01-01

as well as social connections and location. Trust and reciprocal relationships through high-quality communication and well-functioning institutional arrangements seem to play pivotal roles for partnerships to be maintained. As organic farmers are continuously facing global market conditions and tightening......Specialisation within organic agriculture in many western European countries has led to the decoupling of crop and animal systems, resulting in a shortfall in manure fertilisers on most farms and a surplus on others. One solution to solve a problem has been the establishment of collaborative...

Communicative Gestures Facilitate Problem Solving for Both Communicators and Recipients

Science.gov (United States)

Lozano, Sandra C.; Tversky, Barbara

2006-01-01

Gestures are a common, integral part of communication. Here, we investigate the roles of gesture and speech in explanations, both for communicators and recipients. Communicators explained how to assemble a simple object, using either speech with gestures or gestures alone. Gestures used for explaining included pointing and exhibiting to indicate…

Recommending Research Profiles for Multidisciplinary Academic Collaboration

Science.gov (United States)

Gunawardena, Sidath Deepal

2013-01-01

This research investigates how data on multidisciplinary collaborative experiences can be used to solve a novel problem: recommending research profiles of potential collaborators to academic researchers seeking to engage in multidisciplinary research collaboration. As the current domain theories of multidisciplinary collaboration are insufficient…

Buffering the Effects of Violence: Communication and Problem-Solving Skills as Protective Factors for Adolescents Exposed to Violence

Science.gov (United States)

LeBlanc, Monique; Self-Brown, Shannon; Shepard, Desti; Kelley, Mary Lou

2011-01-01

Although many adolescents exposed to violence evidence negative outcomes, some report few deleterious effects, indicating the presence of moderating variables. This study examined the moderating role of family communication and problem solving on positive and negative outcomes in adolescents exposed to school and neighborhood violence.…

Collaborative Posters Develop Students' Ability to Communicate about Undervalued Scientific Resources to Nonscientists.

Science.gov (United States)

Mayfield, Teresa J; Olimpo, Jeffrey T; Floyd, Kevin W; Greenbaum, Eli

2018-01-01

Scientists are increasingly called upon to communicate with the public, yet most never receive formal training in this area. Public understanding is particularly critical to maintaining support for undervalued resources such as biological collections, research data repositories, and expensive equipment. We describe activities carried out in an inquiry-driven organismal biology laboratory course designed to engage a diverse student body using biological collections. The goals of this cooperative learning experience were to increase students' ability to locate and comprehend primary research articles, and to communicate the importance of an undervalued scientific resource to nonscientists. Our results indicate that collaboratively created, research-focused informational posters are an effective tool for achieving these goals and may be applied in other disciplines or classroom settings.

Development and pilot testing the Family Conference Rating Scale: A tool aimed to assess interprofessional patient-centred communication and collaboration competencies.

Science.gov (United States)

Dojeiji, Sue; Byszewski, Anna; Wood, Tim

2015-01-01

There is a paucity of evidence-based literature on the essential communication and collaboration skills to guide health care teams in conducting and assessing their performance in the Family Conference (FC). The authors developed and collected validity evidence for a rating scale of team FC performance, the Family Conference Rating Scale (FCRS). In phase 1, essential FC communication and collaboration skills were identified through a review of existing communication tools and literature on team functioning; a draft 34-item scale was developed. In phase 2, the scale was narrowed to a 6-category, 9-point scale with descriptors of expected behaviours through an iterative process: testing of the scale on 10 FC transcripts by two experts, soliciting feedback from a focus group of seven health care providers, and testing by non-experts on 49 live FCs. In phase 3, scores on the revised scale were validated by 10 health care providers from different disciplines by rating three videos of FCs of variable quality. Raters were able to detect inter-video variation in FC quality. The reliability of the FCRS was 0.95 and the inter-rater reliability, 0.68. The FCRS may enhance the ability of health professions educators to teach and assess interprofessional patient-centred communication and collaboration competencies.

Developing Communicative and Cultural Competences in Portuguese through an Online Collaborative Project

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vanessa Cristina Revheim Cunha

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Lessons should provide opportunities to use language in relevant ways. Cultural awareness is essential, as studying a language implies learning its cultural values. ACTFL advocates that cultural understanding is vital to prepare students for the demands of today’s globalized world. The U.S. Dept. of Education National Education Technology Plan (2010 claims that learning by technology “prepares them [students] to be more productive members of a globally competitive workforce”(p. xi. In order to promote a communicative experience with a cultural focus, the concepts of collaboration and autonomy were applied in a project where students used a Brazilian website and learned about the importance of a community tradition called Amigo Secreto. Students write personal descriptions and interact online. On the last day of class, students describe their secret friends and the class must guess who they are. The objectives are for students to work collaboratively, use authentic language and improve cultural knowledge.

Inaugural Meeting of North American Pancreatic Cancer Organizations: Advancing Collaboration and Communication.

Science.gov (United States)

Kenner, Barbara J; Fleshman, Julie M; Goldberg, Ann E; Rothschild, Laura J

2015-11-01

A meeting of North American Pancreatic Cancer Organizations planned by Kenner Family Research Fund and Pancreatic Cancer Action Network was held on July 15-16, 2015, in New York City. The meeting was attended by 32 individuals from 20 nonprofit groups from the United States and Canada. The objectives of this inaugural convening were to share mission goals and initiatives, engage as leaders, cultivate potential partnerships, and increase participation in World Pancreatic Cancer Day. The program was designed to provide opportunities for informal conversations, as well as facilitated discussions to meet the stated objectives. At the conclusion of the meeting, the group agreed that enhancing collaboration and communication will result in a more unified approach within the field and will benefit individuals diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. As a first step, the group will actively collaborate to participate in World Pancreatic Cancer Day, which is planned for November 13, 2015, and seeks to raise the level of visibility about the disease globally.

Adaptive Collaboration Support Systems : Designing Collaboration Support for Dynamic Environments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Janeiro, J.; Knoll, S.W.; Lukosch, S.G.; Kolfschoten, G.L.

2012-01-01

Today, engineering systems offer a variety of local and webbased applications to support collaboration by assisting groups in structuring activities, generating and sharing data, and improving group communication. To ensure the quality of collaboration, engineering system design needs to analyze and

Utilizing constructivism learning theory in collaborative testing as a creative strategy to promote essential nursing skills.

Science.gov (United States)

Duane, Barbara T; Satre, Maria E

2014-01-01

In nursing education, students participate in individual learner testing. This process follows the instructionist learning theory of a system model. However, in the practice of nursing, success depends upon collaboration with numerous people in different capacities, critical thinking, clinical reasoning, and the ability to communicate with others. Research has shown that collaborative testing, a constructivism learning activity and a form of collaborative learning, enhances students' abilities to master these areas. Collaborative testing is a clear, creative strategy which constructivists would say supports the socio-linguistic base of their learning theory. The test becomes an active implementation of peer-mediated learning where individual knowledge is enhanced through problem solving or defense of an individual position with the collaborative method. There is criticism for the testing method's potential of grade inflation and for students to receive grade benefits with little effort. After a review of various collaborative testing methods, this nursing faculty implemented a collaborative testing format that addresses both the positive and negative aspects of the process. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A web-based online collaboration platform for formulating engineering design projects

Science.gov (United States)

Varikuti, Sainath

Effective communication and collaboration among students, faculty and industrial sponsors play a vital role while formulating and solving engineering design projects. With the advent in the web technology, online platforms and systems have been proposed to facilitate interactions and collaboration among different stakeholders in the context of senior design projects. However, there are noticeable gaps in the literature with respect to understanding the effects of online collaboration platforms for formulating engineering design projects. Most of the existing literature is focused on exploring the utility of online platforms on activities after the problem is defined and teams are formed. Also, there is a lack of mechanisms and tools to guide the project formation phase in senior design projects, which makes it challenging for students and faculty to collaboratively develop and refine project ideas and to establish appropriate teams. In this thesis a web-based online collaboration platform is designed and implemented to share, discuss and obtain feedback on project ideas and to facilitate collaboration among students and faculty prior to the start of the semester. The goal of this thesis is to understand the impact of an online collaboration platform for formulating engineering design projects, and how a web-based online collaboration platform affects the amount of interactions among stakeholders during the early phases of design process. A survey measuring the amount of interactions among students and faculty is administered. Initial findings show a marked improvement in the students' ability to share project ideas and form teams with other students and faculty. Students found the online platform simple to use. The suggestions for improving the tool generally included features that were not necessarily design specific, indicating that the underlying concept of this collaborative platform provides a strong basis and can be extended for future online platforms

Combining a Multi-Agent System and Communication Middleware for Smart Home Control: A Universal Control Platform Architecture.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Song; Zhang, Qi; Zheng, Rong; Huang, Bi-Qin; Song, Yi-Lin; Chen, Xin-Chu

2017-09-16

In recent years, the smart home field has gained wide attention for its broad application prospects. However, families using smart home systems must usually adopt various heterogeneous smart devices, including sensors and devices, which makes it more difficult to manage and control their home system. How to design a unified control platform to deal with the collaborative control problem of heterogeneous smart devices is one of the greatest challenges in the current smart home field. The main contribution of this paper is to propose a universal smart home control platform architecture (IAPhome) based on a multi-agent system and communication middleware, which shows significant adaptability and advantages in many aspects, including heterogeneous devices connectivity, collaborative control, human-computer interaction and user self-management. The communication middleware is an important foundation to design and implement this architecture which makes it possible to integrate heterogeneous smart devices in a flexible way. A concrete method of applying the multi-agent software technique to solve the integrated control problem of the smart home system is also presented. The proposed platform architecture has been tested in a real smart home environment, and the results indicate that the effectiveness of our approach for solving the collaborative control problem of different smart devices.

Combining a Multi-Agent System and Communication Middleware for Smart Home Control: A Universal Control Platform Architecture

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Song; Zhang, Qi; Zheng, Rong; Huang, Bi-Qin; Song, Yi-Lin; Chen, Xin-Chu

2017-01-01

In recent years, the smart home field has gained wide attention for its broad application prospects. However, families using smart home systems must usually adopt various heterogeneous smart devices, including sensors and devices, which makes it more difficult to manage and control their home system. How to design a unified control platform to deal with the collaborative control problem of heterogeneous smart devices is one of the greatest challenges in the current smart home field. The main contribution of this paper is to propose a universal smart home control platform architecture (IAPhome) based on a multi-agent system and communication middleware, which shows significant adaptability and advantages in many aspects, including heterogeneous devices connectivity, collaborative control, human-computer interaction and user self-management. The communication middleware is an important foundation to design and implement this architecture which makes it possible to integrate heterogeneous smart devices in a flexible way. A concrete method of applying the multi-agent software technique to solve the integrated control problem of the smart home system is also presented. The proposed platform architecture has been tested in a real smart home environment, and the results indicate that the effectiveness of our approach for solving the collaborative control problem of different smart devices. PMID:28926957

Combining a Multi-Agent System and Communication Middleware for Smart Home Control: A Universal Control Platform Architecture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Song Zheng

2017-09-01

Full Text Available In recent years, the smart home field has gained wide attention for its broad application prospects. However, families using smart home systems must usually adopt various heterogeneous smart devices, including sensors and devices, which makes it more difficult to manage and control their home system. How to design a unified control platform to deal with the collaborative control problem of heterogeneous smart devices is one of the greatest challenges in the current smart home field. The main contribution of this paper is to propose a universal smart home control platform architecture (IAPhome based on a multi-agent system and communication middleware, which shows significant adaptability and advantages in many aspects, including heterogeneous devices connectivity, collaborative control, human-computer interaction and user self-management. The communication middleware is an important foundation to design and implement this architecture which makes it possible to integrate heterogeneous smart devices in a flexible way. A concrete method of applying the multi-agent software technique to solve the integrated control problem of the smart home system is also presented. The proposed platform architecture has been tested in a real smart home environment, and the results indicate that the effectiveness of our approach for solving the collaborative control problem of different smart devices.

Virtual Teams and E-Collaboration Technology: A Case Study Investigating the Dynamics of Virtual Team Communication

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Mattison, Theresa

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine to what extent the use of e-collaboration tools when used as a primary channel of communication affected virtual team members' trust and motivation, in a spatially dispersed environment. Structured interviews were conducted with 18 project managers, who were responsible for leading virtual projects…

Communication, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving: A Suggested Course for All High School Students in the 21st Century

Science.gov (United States)

Carlgren, Terresa

2013-01-01

The skills of communication, critical thinking, and problem solving are essential to thriving as a citizen in the 21st century. These skills are required in order to contribute as a member of society, operate effectively in post-secondary institutions, and be competitive in the global market. Unfortunately they are not always intuitive or simple…

Science and Improv: Saying "YES" to Creative Collaboration and Scintillating Communication

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, G. J.

2015-12-01

Communicating research results to a non-specialist audience can be challenging. Strategies that work well in lab group meetings, such as using acronyms and jargon, may fall flat with 7th graders or Congressional staffers. Empowering real-world audiences with our stories helps raise awareness and inform decision-making, whether it's related to family food purchases or national policy. Ideally, we scientists, engineers and researchers directly connect with our audiences, responding spontaneously and actively, distilling our messages into conversational morsels that resonate with them. One tool that I have found useful is deeply rooted in the "tao" of improvisational theater. Why improv? Improv is dancing as if no one is watching, baking from scratch, and playing jazz flute. Improv is Iron Chef, MacGyver with a license to thrill, or the game-winning play. Research is inspired improvisation. And improv can teach us a lot about how to play, how to feel comfortable and present even while flailing, and how to truly listen. Effective science communicators listen. In fact, therein lies the power of "yes …", a building block of improvisational theater. "Yes …" is both collaborative ("yes, and …") and innovative ("yes, because …"), and investment in an attitude of saying "yes …" demonstrates an intent to listen. Improv is not any one specific thing so much as a process by which we do things. Skills that strengthen communication, such as spontaneity, authenticity and connectivity, are honed through philosophies inherent in improv. This presentation highlights improv-based activities that enhance science communication with purpose, vividness, and emotion.

A filter-mediated communication model for design collaboration in building construction.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jaewook; Jeong, Yongwook; Oh, Minho; Hong, Seung Wan

2014-01-01

Multidisciplinary collaboration is an important aspect of modern engineering activities, arising from the growing complexity of artifacts whose design and construction require knowledge and skills that exceed the capacities of any one professional. However, current collaboration in the architecture, engineering, and construction industries often fails due to lack of shared understanding between different participants and limitations of their supporting tools. To achieve a high level of shared understanding, this study proposes a filter-mediated communication model. In the proposed model, participants retain their own data in the form most appropriate for their needs with domain-specific filters that transform the neutral representations into semantically rich ones, as needed by the participants. Conversely, the filters can translate semantically rich, domain-specific data into a neutral representation that can be accessed by other domain-specific filters. To validate the feasibility of the proposed model, we computationally implement the filter mechanism and apply it to a hypothetical test case. The result acknowledges that the filter mechanism can let the participants know ahead of time what will be the implications of their proposed actions, as seen from other participants' points of view.

Collaboration Layer for Robots in Mobile Ad-hoc Networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Borch, Ole; Madsen, Per Printz; Broberg, Jacob Honor´e

2009-01-01

networks to solve tasks collaboratively. In this proposal the Collaboration Layer is modelled to handle service and position discovery, group management, and synchronisation among robots, but the layer is also designed to be extendable. Based on this model of the Collaboration Layer, generic services...... are provided to the application running on the robot. The services are generic because they can be used by many different applications, independent of the task to be solved. Likewise, specific services are requested from the underlying Virtual Machine, such as broadcast, multicast, and reliable unicast....... A prototype of the Collaboration Layer has been developed to run in a simulated environment and tested in an evaluation scenario. In the scenario five robots solve the tasks of vacuum cleaning and entrance guarding, which involves the ability to discover potential co-workers, form groups, shift from one group...

Laboratory and project based learning in the compulsory course Biological Chemistry enhancing collaboration and technical communication between groups

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Agersø, Yvonne; Bysted, Anette; Jensen, Lars Bogø

2011-01-01

The aim of this paper was to describe how changes of laboratory training and project based learning were implemented in order to train the students in making a study design, basic laboratory skills, handling of data, technical communication, collaboration and presentation....

Novel Problem Solving - The NASA Solution Mechanism Guide

Science.gov (United States)

Keeton, Kathryn E.; Richard, Elizabeth E.; Davis, Jeffrey R.

2014-01-01

Over the past five years, the Human Health and Performance (HH&P) Directorate at the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) has conducted a number of pilot and ongoing projects in collaboration and open innovation. These projects involved the use of novel open innovation competitions that sought solutions from "the crowd", non-traditional problem solvers. The projects expanded to include virtual collaboration centers such as the NASA Human Health and Performance Center (NHHPC) and more recently a collaborative research project between NASA and the National Science Foundation (NSF). These novel problem-solving tools produced effective results and the HH&P wanted to capture the knowledge from these new tools, to teach the results to the directorate, and to implement new project management tools and coursework. The need to capture and teach the results of these novel problem solving tools, the HH&P decided to create a web-based tool to capture best practices and case studies, to teach novice users how to use new problem solving tools and to change project management training/. This web-based tool was developed with a small, multi-disciplinary group and named the Solution Mechanism Guide (SMG). An alpha version was developed that was tested against several sessions of user groups to get feedback on the SMG and determine a future course for development. The feedback was very positive and the HH&P decided to move to the beta-phase of development. To develop the web-based tool, the HH&P utilized the NASA Tournament Lab (NTL) to develop the software with TopCoder under an existing contract. In this way, the HH&P is using one new tool (the NTL and TopCoder) to develop the next generation tool, the SMG. The beta-phase of the SMG is planed for release in the spring of 2014 and results of the beta-phase testing will be available for the IAC meeting in September. The SMG is intended to disrupt the way problem solvers and project managers approach problem solving and to increase the

The Effect of Dynamic Web Technologies on Student Academic Achievement in Problem-Based Collaborative Learning Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Korucu, Agâh Tugrul; Cakir, Hasan

2018-01-01

Some of the 21st century proficiencies expected from people are determined as collaborative working and problem solving. One way to gain these proficiencies is by using collaborative problem solving based on social constructivism theory. Collaborative problem solving is one of the methods allowing for social constructivism in the class. In…

Do action learning sets facilitate collaborative, deliberative learning?: A focus group evaluation of Graduate Entry Pre-registration Nursing (GEN) students' experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Maddison, Charlotte; Strang, Gus

2018-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate if by participating in action learning sets, Graduate Entry Pre-registration Nursing (GEN) students were able to engage in collaborative and deliberative learning. A single focus group interview involving eleven participants was used to collect data. Data analysis identified five themes; collaborative learning; reflection; learning through case study and problem-solving; communication, and rejection of codified learning. The themes are discussed and further analysed in the context of collaborative and deliberative learning. The evidence from this small scale study suggests that action learning sets do provide an environment where collaborative and deliberative learning can occur. However, students perceived some of them, particularly during year one, to be too 'teacher lead', which stifled learning. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Seven Affordances of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning: How to Support Collaborative Learning? How Can Technologies Help?

Science.gov (United States)

Jeong, Heisawn; Hmelo-Silver, Cindy E.

2016-01-01

This article proposes 7 core affordances of technology for collaborative learning based on theories of collaborative learning and CSCL (Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning) practices. Technology affords learner opportunities to (1) engage in a joint task, (2) communicate, (3) share resources, (4) engage in productive collaborative learning…

A Multi-Collaborative Ambient Assisted Living Service Description Tool

Science.gov (United States)

Falcó, Jorge L.; Vaquerizo, Esteban; Artigas, José Ignacio

2014-01-01

Collaboration among different stakeholders is a key factor in the design of Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) environments and services. Throughout several AAL projects we have found repeated difficulties in this collaboration and have learned lessons by the experience of solving real situations. This paper highlights identified critical items for collaboration among technicians, users, company and institutional stakeholders and proposes as a communication tool for a project steering committee a service description tool which includes information from the different fields in comprehensible format for the others. It was first generated in the MonAMI project to promote understanding among different workgroups, proven useful there, and further tested later in some other smaller AAL projects. The concept of scalable service description has proven useful for understanding of different disciplines and for participatory decision making throughout the projects to adapt to singularities and partial successes or faults of each action. This paper introduces such tool, relates with existing methodologies in cooperation in AAL and describes it with a example to offer to AAL community. Further work on this tool will significantly improve results in user-centered design of sustainable services in AAL. PMID:24897409

Towards collaborative filtering recommender systems for tailored health communications.

Science.gov (United States)

Marlin, Benjamin M; Adams, Roy J; Sadasivam, Rajani; Houston, Thomas K

2013-01-01

The goal of computer tailored health communications (CTHC) is to promote healthy behaviors by sending messages tailored to individual patients. Current CTHC systems collect baseline patient "profiles" and then use expert-written, rule-based systems to target messages to subsets of patients. Our main interest in this work is the study of collaborative filtering-based CTHC systems that can learn to tailor future message selections to individual patients based explicit feedback about past message selections. This paper reports the results of a study designed to collect explicit feedback (ratings) regarding four aspects of messages from 100 subjects in the smoking cessation support domain. Our results show that most users have positive opinions of most messages and that the ratings for all four aspects of the messages are highly correlated with each other. Finally, we conduct a range of rating prediction experiments comparing several different model variations. Our results show that predicting future ratings based on each user's past ratings contributes the most to predictive accuracy.

A window into learning: case studies of online group communication and collaboration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Richard E. Jones

2006-12-01

Full Text Available The two case studies presented explore the potential offered by in-depth qualitative analysis of students' online discussion to enhance our understanding of how students learn. Both cases are used to illustrate how the monitoring and moderation of online student group communication can open up a ‘window into learning', providing us with new insights into complex problem-solving and thinking processes. The cases offer examples of students' ‘thinking aloud' while problem-solving, showing how and why they arrived at particular outcomes and the underlying thought processes involved. It is argued that these insights into students' learning processes can in turn offer us the opportunity to adapt our own teaching practice in order to achieve a better pedagogical ‘fit' with the learning needs of our students; for example, through a more precise or more timely intervention. It is also suggested that looking through this ‘window' enables us to concentrate our assessment more closely on the process of task completion, rather than focusing solely on the end product.

Dueling Co-Authors: How Collaborators Create and Sometimes Solve Contributorship Conflicts

Science.gov (United States)

Youtie, Jan; Bozeman, Barry

2016-01-01

Publishing is central to the academic reward system. Contributorship issues loom large in this context. The need for fairness in authorship decisions is upheld in most collaborations, yet some collaborations are plagued by "nightmare" issues ranging from inappropriate authorship credit to author order issues to exploitation of students…

Online Collaboration and Communication in Contemporary Organizations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

for leaders in global organizations who lead and collaborate online and face challenges that are sometimes hard to understand and overcome. This book should be published in order to meet the needs for understanding the challenges in leading and collaborating online; and to meet the needs for suggestions...

Collaboratively Constructed Contradictory Accounts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tunby Gulbrandsen, Ib; Just, Sine Nørholm

2013-01-01

Based on a mixed-method case study of online communication about the Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk, this article argues that online communication plays out as a centrifugal narration process with centripetal consequences. Through a content analysis of communication about Novo Nordisk...... the theoretical and methodological implications of the empirical findings. It is argued that although the findings are not in themselves surprising, they adequately reflect that online meaning formation is, indeed, a collaborative process in which centrifugal forces have centripetal consequences. Furthermore......, the findings suggest that the chosen mixed-method case study successfully navigates the dilemma of studying online collaborative processes through the traces they leave behind....

Collaborative Data Mining

Science.gov (United States)

Moyle, Steve

Collaborative Data Mining is a setting where the Data Mining effort is distributed to multiple collaborating agents - human or software. The objective of the collaborative Data Mining effort is to produce solutions to the tackled Data Mining problem which are considered better by some metric, with respect to those solutions that would have been achieved by individual, non-collaborating agents. The solutions require evaluation, comparison, and approaches for combination. Collaboration requires communication, and implies some form of community. The human form of collaboration is a social task. Organizing communities in an effective manner is non-trivial and often requires well defined roles and processes. Data Mining, too, benefits from a standard process. This chapter explores the standard Data Mining process CRISP-DM utilized in a collaborative setting.

Distributed Problem-Solving

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chemi, Tatiana

2016-01-01

This chapter aims to deconstruct some persistent myths about creativity: the myth of individualism and of the genius. By looking at literature that approaches creativity as a participatory and distributed phenomenon and by bringing empirical evidence from artists’ studios, the author presents a p......, what can educators at higher education learn from the ways creative groups solve problems? How can artists contribute to inspiring higher education?......This chapter aims to deconstruct some persistent myths about creativity: the myth of individualism and of the genius. By looking at literature that approaches creativity as a participatory and distributed phenomenon and by bringing empirical evidence from artists’ studios, the author presents...... a perspective that is relevant to higher education. The focus here is on how artists solve problems in distributed paths, and on the elements of creative collaboration. Creative problem-solving will be looked at as an ongoing dialogue that artists engage with themselves, with others, with recipients...

Physics collaboration and communication through emerging media: *odcasts, blogs and wikis

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, Charles W.; Williams, Jamie

2006-05-01

The entertainment and news industries are being transformed by the emergence of innovative, internet-based media tools. Audio and video downloads are beginning to compete with traditional entertainment distribution channels, and the blogosphere has become an alternative press with demonstrated news-making power of its own. The scientific community, and physics in particular, is just beginning to experiment with these tools. We believe that they have great potential for enhancing the quality and effectiveness of collaboration and communication, and that the coming generation of physicists will expect them to be used creatively. We will report on our experience in producing seminar podcasts (google ``QIBEC'' or search ``quantum'' on Apple iTunes), and on operating a distributed research institute using a group-based blog.

Supply Chain Collaboration Roles of Interorganizational Systems, Trust, and Collaborative Culture

CERN Document Server

Cao, Mei

2013-01-01

To survive and thrive in the competition, firms have strived to achieve greater supply chain collaboration to leverage the resources and knowledge of suppliers and customers.  Internet based technologies, particularly interorganizational systems, further extend the firms’ opportunities to strengthen their supply chain partnerships and share real-time information to optimize their operations.  Supply Chain Collaboration: Roles of Interorganizational Systems, Trust, and Collaborative Culture explores the nature and characteristics, antecedents, and consequences of supply chain collaboration from multiple theoretical perspectives.  Supply Chain Collaboration: Roles of Interorganizational Systems, Trust, and Collaborative Culture conceptualizes supply chain collaboration as seven interconnecting elements including information sharing, incentive alignment, goal congruence, decision synchronization, resource sharing, as well as communication and joint knowledge creation. These seven components define the occur...

An Integrative and Collaborative Approach to Creating a Diverse and Computationally Competent Geoscience Workforce

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, S. L.; Kar, A.; Gomez, R.

2015-12-01

A partnership between Fort Valley State University (FVSU), the Jackson School of Geosciences at The University of Texas (UT) at Austin, and the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) is engaging computational geoscience faculty and researchers with academically talented underrepresented minority (URM) students, training them to solve grand challenges . These next generation computational geoscientists are being trained to solve some of the world's most challenging geoscience grand challenges requiring data intensive large scale modeling and simulation on high performance computers . UT Austin's geoscience outreach program GeoFORCE, recently awarded the Presidential Award in Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring, contributes to the collaborative best practices in engaging researchers with URM students. Collaborative efforts over the past decade are providing data demonstrating that integrative pipeline programs with mentoring and paid internship opportunities, multi-year scholarships, computational training, and communication skills development are having an impact on URMs developing middle skills for geoscience careers. Since 1997, the Cooperative Developmental Energy Program at FVSU and its collaborating universities have graduated 87 engineers, 33 geoscientists, and eight health physicists. Recruited as early as high school, students enroll for three years at FVSU majoring in mathematics, chemistry or biology, and then transfer to UT Austin or other partner institutions to complete a second STEM degree, including geosciences. A partnership with the Integrative Computational Education and Research Traineeship (ICERT), a National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site at TACC provides students with a 10-week summer research experience at UT Austin. Mentored by TACC researchers, students with no previous background in computational science learn to use some of the world's most powerful high performance

Wikis and Collaborative Learning in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Binbin; Niiya, Melissa; Warschauer, Mark

2015-01-01

While collaborative learning and collaborative writing can be of great value to student learning, the implementation of a technology-supported collaborative learning environment is a challenge. With their built-in features for supporting collaborative writing and social communication, wikis are a promising platform for collaborative learning;…

Front-Stage Stars and Backstage Producers: The Role of Judges in Problem-Solving Courts().

Science.gov (United States)

Portillo, Shannon; Rudes, Danielle; Viglione, Jill; Nelson, Matthew; Taxman, Faye

2013-01-01

In problem-solving courts judges are no longer neutral arbitrators in adversarial justice processes. Instead, judges directly engage with court participants. The movement towards problem-solving court models emerges from a collaborative therapeutic jurisprudence framework. While most scholars argue judges are the central courtroom actors within problem-solving courts, we find judges are the stars front-stage, but play a more supporting role backstage. We use Goffman's front-stage-backstage framework to analyze 350 hours of ethnographic fieldwork within five problem-solving courts. Problem-solving courts are collaborative organizations with shifting leadership, based on forum. Understanding how the roles of courtroom workgroup actors adapt under the new court model is foundational for effective implementation of these justice processes.

Collaboration: a SWOT analysis of the process of conducting a review of nursing workforce policies in five European countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Uhrenfeldt, Lisbeth; Lakanmaa, Riitta-Liisa; Flinkman, Mervi; Basto, Marta Lima; Attree, Moira

2014-05-01

This paper critically reviews the literature on international collaboration and analyses the collaborative process involved in producing a nursing workforce policy analysis. Collaboration is increasingly promoted as a means of solving shared problems and achieving common goals; however, collaboration creates its own opportunities and challenges. Evidence about the collaboration process, its outcomes and critical success factors is lacking. A literature review and content analysis of data collected from six participants (from five European countries) members of the European Academy of Nursing Science Scholar Collaborative Workforce Workgroup, using a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis template. Two major factors affecting scholarly collaboration were identified: Facilitators, which incorporated personal attributes and enabling contexts/mechanisms, including individual commitment, responsibility and teamwork, facilitative supportive structures and processes. The second, Barriers, incorporated unmet needs for funding; time; communication and impeding contexts/mechanisms, including workload and insufficient support/mentorship. The literature review identified a low level of evidence on collaboration processes, outcomes, opportunities and challenges. The SWOT analysis identified critical success factors, planning strategies and resources of effective international collaboration. Collaboration is an important concept for management. Evidence-based knowledge of the critical success factors facilitating and impeding collaboration could help managers make collaboration more effective. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Perceptions of effective and ineffective nurse-physician communication in hospitals.

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, F Patrick; Gorman, Geraldine; Slimmer, Lynda W; Yudkowsky, Rachel

2010-01-01

Nurse-physician communication affects patient safety. Such communication has been well studied using a variety of survey and observational methods; however, missing from the literature is an investigation of what constitutes effective and ineffective interprofessional communication from the perspective of the professionals involved. The purpose of this study was to explore nurse and physician perceptions of effective and ineffective communication between the two professions. Using focus group methodology, we asked nurses and physicians with at least 5 years' acute care hospital experience to reflect on effective and ineffective interprofessional communication and to provide examples. Three focus groups were held with 6 participants each (total sample 18). Sessions were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were coded into categories of effective and ineffective communication. The following themes were found. For effective communication: clarity and precision of message that relies on verification, collaborative problem solving, calm and supportive demeanor under stress, maintenance of mutual respect, and authentic understanding of the unique role. For ineffective communication: making someone less than, dependence on electronic systems, and linguistic and cultural barriers. These themes may be useful in designing learning activities to promote effective interprofessional communication.

Interactive Problem-Solving Interventions

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Frew Demeke Alemu

concerted efforts of unofficial actors to establish unofficial communication ... Frew Demeke Alemu (LLB, LLM in International Human Rights Law from Lund ..... 24 Tamra Pearson d'Estrée (2009), “Problem-Solving Approaches”, (in The SAGE ...

A large-scale mass casualty simulation to develop the non-technical skills medical students require for collaborative teamwork.

Science.gov (United States)

Jorm, Christine; Roberts, Chris; Lim, Renee; Roper, Josephine; Skinner, Clare; Robertson, Jeremy; Gentilcore, Stacey; Osomanski, Adam

2016-03-08

There is little research on large-scale complex health care simulations designed to facilitate student learning of non-technical skills in a team-working environment. We evaluated the acceptability and effectiveness of a novel natural disaster simulation that enabled medical students to demonstrate their achievement of the non-technical skills of collaboration, negotiation and communication. In a mixed methods approach, survey data were available from 117 students and a thematic analysis undertaken of both student qualitative comments and tutor observer participation data. Ninety three per cent of students found the activity engaging for their learning. Three themes emerged from the qualitative data: the impact of fidelity on student learning, reflexivity on the importance of non-technical skills in clinical care, and opportunities for collaborative teamwork. Physical fidelity was sufficient for good levels of student engagement, as was sociological fidelity. We demonstrated the effectiveness of the simulation in allowing students to reflect upon and evidence their acquisition of skills in collaboration, negotiation and communication, as well as situational awareness and attending to their emotions. Students readily identified emerging learning opportunities though critical reflection. The scenarios challenged students to work together collaboratively to solve clinical problems, using a range of resources including interacting with clinical experts. A large class teaching activity, framed as a simulation of a natural disaster is an acceptable and effective activity for medical students to develop the non-technical skills of collaboration, negotiation and communication, which are essential to team working. The design could be of value in medical schools in disaster prone areas, including within low resource countries, and as a feasible intervention for learning the non-technical skills that are needed for patient safety.

The influence of audio communications technology on computer-supported collaborative learning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Denise Whitelock

1996-12-01

Full Text Available In recent years there has been an appreciation of the benefits that can be obtained by students working in groups or teams using computers (Eraut and Hoyles, 1988. But there is a difference in opinion as to how a partner enhances learning, and in particular how well adult learners do in the collaborative setting. In order to capitalize on the opportunities offered by new technologies, we need to understand more fully how the process of collaboration is effected by different communication technologies, and how the technologies themselves might be used to best advantage for the benefit of distance learners. However, another factor, apart from the technology itself, which is thought to influence computer-supported collaborative learning is in the gender distribution of the group. A number of classroom studies have shown gender differences when children work together with computers, and these have been reported from a number of subject-domains including science (Scanlon et al, 1993; Littleton et al, 1992. Since our own expertise is in the area of science learning, we selected a non-trivial physics task for the subjects to work with, and that is in the area of elastic collisions. Previous studies (Villani and Pacca, 1990; Whitelock et al, 1993 have shown that both adults and school-children have difficulty in predicting the subsequent motion of balls or ice pucks after they collide. Villani's study stresses that even postgraduate students tend to revert to their informal commonsense notions unless they are cued to use formal representations of these types of problem. These studies have demonstrated that the topic of elastic collisions is a complex yet fruitful one in which to engage students in group work.

A Knowledge Level Approach to Collaborative Problem Solving

OpenAIRE

Jennings, N. R.

1992-01-01

This paper proposes, characterizes and outlines the benefits of a new computer level specifically for multi-agent problem solvers. This level is called the cooperation knowledge level and involves describing and developing richer and more explicit models of common social phenomena. We then focus on one particular form of social interaction in which groups of agents decide they wish to work together, in a collaborative manner, to tackle a common problem. A domain independent model (called join...

Mobile Technology in Science Classrooms: Using iPad-Enabled Constructivist Learning to Promote Collaborative Problem Solving and Chemistry Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Ting, Melodie Mirth G.

Most recently, there has been a noticeable rise in the push for use of technology in the classroom. The advancement in digital science has increased greatly the capacity to explore animations, models, and interesting apps. that should substantially enhance science cognition. At the same time, there is a great need to increase collaboration in the science classroom. There is a concern that the collaborative experience will be lost with the use of technology in the classroom. This study seeks to explore the use of iPads in conjunction with a constructivist learning approach to promote student collaboration. The participants in this study included two sections of 11 th grade AP Chemistry students. Data was generated from different sources such as teacher observations of classroom interactions patterned after Gilles (2004). In order to gauge student perception of working in groups with the use of the iPad, survey questions adapted from Knezek, Mills and Wakefield (2012) and group interviews were used (Galleta, 2013). Learning outcomes were assessed using methods adapted from a study by Lord and Baviskar (2007). Findings of this study showed high percentages of evidence for increased community, productive student group communication, effective feedback through use of the iPads, and value of the interactive apps., but it also showed that students still preferred face-to-face interactions over virtual interactions for certain learning situations. The study showed good content learning outcomes, as well as favorable opinions among the students for the effectiveness of the use of iPads in collaborative settings in the classroom.

The droso4schools project: Long-term scientist-teacher collaborations to promote science communication and education in schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Sanjai; DeMaine, Sophie; Heafield, Joshua; Bianchi, Lynne; Prokop, Andreas

2017-10-01

Science communication is becoming an increasingly important part of a scientist's remit, and engaging with primary and secondary schools is one frequently chosen strategy. Here we argue that science communication in schools will be more effective if based on good understanding of the realities of school life, which can be achieved through structured participation and/or collaboration with teachers. For example, the Manchester Fly Facility advocates the use of the fruit fly Drosophila as an important research strategy for the discovery processes in the biomedical sciences. To communicate this concept also in schools, we developed the 'droso4schools' project as a refined form of scientist-teacher collaboration that embraces the expertise and interests of teachers. Within this project, we place university students as teaching assistants in university partner schools to collaborate with teachers and develop biology lessons with adjunct support materials. These lessons teach curriculum-relevant biology topics by making use of the profound conceptual understanding existing in Drosophila combined with parallel examples taken from human biology. By performing easy to implement experiments with flies, we bring living organisms into these lessons, thus endeavouring to further enhance the pupil's learning experience. In this way, we do not talk about flies but rather work with flies as powerful teaching tools to convey mainstream curriculum biology content, whilst also bringing across the relevance of Drosophila research. Through making these lessons freely available online, they have the potential to reach out to teachers and scientists worldwide. In this paper, we share our experiences and strategies to provide ideas for scientists engaging with schools, including the application of the droso4schools project as a paradigm for long-term school engagement which can be adapted also to other areas of science. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All

Exploiting Publication Contents and Collaboration Networks for Collaborator Recommendation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiangjie Kong

Full Text Available Thanks to the proliferation of online social networks, it has become conventional for researchers to communicate and collaborate with each other. Meanwhile, one critical challenge arises, that is, how to find the most relevant and potential collaborators for each researcher? In this work, we propose a novel collaborator recommendation model called CCRec, which combines the information on researchers' publications and collaboration network to generate better recommendation. In order to effectively identify the most potential collaborators for researchers, we adopt a topic clustering model to identify the academic domains, as well as a random walk model to compute researchers' feature vectors. Using DBLP datasets, we conduct benchmarking experiments to examine the performance of CCRec. The experimental results show that CCRec outperforms other state-of-the-art methods in terms of precision, recall and F1 score.

Unified communications

OpenAIRE

Kravos, Urban

2011-01-01

In the modern business world, communication are becoming more and more complex. As a solution to this problem unified communications occurred. Using a single communication approach unified communications are the integration of various communication technologies (eg, telephony, unified messaging, audio, video and web conferencing and collaboration tools). Unified Messaging, which represents only part of the unified communications means the integration of different non real time communication t...

Competition in collaborative clothing: a qualitative case study of influences on collaborative quality improvement in the ICU.

Science.gov (United States)

Dainty, Katie N; Scales, Damon C; Sinuff, Tasnim; Zwarenstein, Merrick

2013-04-01

Multiorganisational quality improvement (QI) collaborative networks are promoted for improving quality within healthcare. Recently, several large-scale QI initiatives have been conducted in the intensive care unit (ICU) environment with successful quantitative results. However, the mechanisms through which such networks lead to QI success remain uncertain. We aim to understand ICU staff perspectives on collaborative QI based on involvement in a multiorganisational improvement network and hypothesise about theoretical constructs that might explain the effect of collaboration in such networks. Qualitative study using a modified grounded theory approach. Key informant interviews were conducted with staff from 12 community hospital ICUs that participated in a cluster randomized control trial (RCT) of a QI intervention using a collaborative approach between 2006 and 2008. Data analysis followed the standard procedure for grounded theory using constant comparative methodology. The collaborative network was perceived to promote increased intrateam cooperation over interorganisational cooperation, but friendly competition with other ICUs appeared to be a prominent driver of behaviour change. Bedsides, clinicians reported that belonging to a collaborative network provided recognition for the high-quality patient care that they already provided. However, the existing communication structure was perceived to be ineffective for staff engagement since it was based on a hierarchical approach to knowledge transfer and project awareness. QI collaborative networks may promote behaviour change by improving intrateam communication, fostering competition with other institutions, and increasing recognition for providing high-quality care. Other commonly held assumptions about their potential impact, for instance, increasing interorganisational legitimisation, communication and collaboration, may be less important.

A HYBRID HOPFIELD NEURAL NETWORK AND TABU SEARCH ALGORITHM TO SOLVE ROUTING PROBLEM IN COMMUNICATION NETWORK

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MANAR Y. KASHMOLA

2012-06-01

Full Text Available The development of hybrid algorithms for solving complex optimization problems focuses on enhancing the strengths and compensating for the weakness of two or more complementary approaches. The goal is to intelligently combine the key elements of these approaches to find superior solutions to solve optimization problems. Optimal routing in communication network is considering a complex optimization problem. In this paper we propose a hybrid Hopfield Neural Network (HNN and Tabu Search (TS algorithm, this algorithm called hybrid HNN-TS algorithm. The paradigm of this hybridization is embedded. We embed the short-term memory and tabu restriction features from TS algorithm in the HNN model. The short-term memory and tabu restriction control the neuron selection process in the HNN model in order to get around the local minima problem and find an optimal solution using the HNN model to solve complex optimization problem. The proposed algorithm is intended to find the optimal path for packet transmission in the network which is fills in the field of routing problem. The optimal path that will be selected is depending on 4-tuples (delay, cost, reliability and capacity. Test results show that the propose algorithm can find path with optimal cost and a reasonable number of iterations. It also shows that the complexity of the network model won’t be a problem since the neuron selection is done heuristically.

Front-Stage Stars and Backstage Producers: The Role of Judges in Problem-Solving Courts1

Science.gov (United States)

Portillo, Shannon; Rudes, Danielle; Viglione, Jill; Nelson, Matthew; Taxman, Faye

2012-01-01

In problem-solving courts judges are no longer neutral arbitrators in adversarial justice processes. Instead, judges directly engage with court participants. The movement towards problem-solving court models emerges from a collaborative therapeutic jurisprudence framework. While most scholars argue judges are the central courtroom actors within problem-solving courts, we find judges are the stars front-stage, but play a more supporting role backstage. We use Goffman's front-stage-backstage framework to analyze 350 hours of ethnographic fieldwork within five problem-solving courts. Problem-solving courts are collaborative organizations with shifting leadership, based on forum. Understanding how the roles of courtroom workgroup actors adapt under the new court model is foundational for effective implementation of these justice processes. PMID:23397430

The Collaborative Blue - Equity in communication

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Froholdt, Lisa Loloma

  This paper is part of my doctoral thesis, which in part, focuses on multi-national communication between ship and shore in crisis-situations and my interest is in how communication influences maritime operations. In this paper, I present the findings of my pilot study of a conversation between...... ship and shore, where a ship calls an emergency line, reporting that the rudder is presumably lost. My tentative study shows that communication plays an active role in both creating employee's social relations and influencing their performance, which jeopardizes the outcome of a crisis......-situation.   Method This paper presents the results of a single case analysis. It includes a telephone recording of communication between ship and technical personnel at shore surrounding an emergency situation in a Danish shipping company. The conversation has been transcribed and submitted to language analysis...

A case study on the communication of older adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Lauren; Spencer, Elizabeth; Ferguson, Alison

2011-11-01

This study compared the communication of two older male adolescents (aged 17 and 19 years) with each other (peer interaction) and with a teacher (non-peer interaction) in three different types of activity (casual conversation, providing/listening to a recount and collaborative problem-solving). Conversation analysis, selected analyses from the perspective of systemic functional linguistics and social psychology (communication accommodation theory) were applied in data analysis. Peer interaction showed fewer questions, fewer challenging moves and the absence of divergent accommodation strategies. In the non-peer interaction, the teacher's higher number of turns, questions and interruptions appeared to influence the opportunity for adolescent contribution to the interactions. Some aspects of language use by each adolescent - mean turn length, use of one-word utterances and sarcasm - were consistent across communication partner and activity. The methodology is suggested to provide a suitable procedure for use in similar research with older adolescents who have traumatic brain injury.

Energy and scientific communication

Science.gov (United States)

De Sanctis, E.

2013-06-01

Energy communication is a paradigmatic case of scientific communication. It is particularly important today, when the world is confronted with a number of immediate, urgent problems. Science communication has become a real duty and a big challenge for scientists. It serves to create and foster a climate of reciprocal knowledge and trust between science and society, and to establish a good level of interest and enthusiasm for research. For an effective communication it is important to establish an open dialogue with the audience, and a close collaboration among scientists and science communicators. An international collaboration in energy communication is appropriate to better support international and interdisciplinary research and projects.

A Literature Review on Collaborative Problem Solving for College and Workforce Readiness. ETS GRE® Board Research Report. ETS GRE®-17-03. Research Report. ETS Research Report RR-17-06

Science.gov (United States)

Oliveri, Maria Elena; Lawless, Rene; Molloy, Hillary

2017-01-01

The literature and the employee and workforce surveys rank collaborative problem solving (CPS) among the top 5 most critical skills necessary for success in college and the workforce. This paper provides a review of the literature on CPS and related terms, including a discussion of their definitions, importance to higher education and workforce…

Communication dynamics in hospice teams: understanding the role of the chaplain in interdisciplinary team collaboration.

Science.gov (United States)

Wittenberg-Lyles, Elaine; Oliver, Debra Parker; Demiris, George; Baldwin, Paula; Regehr, Kelly

2008-12-01

Hospice chaplains provide a specific expertise to patient and family care, however, individual roles and responsibilities that facilitate the interdisciplinary team environment are less well known. The primary aim of this study was to investigate how hospice chaplains perceive their role in interdisciplinary team meetings and to what extent hospice chaplains share common experiences within the interdisciplinary team approach in hospice. Hospice chaplains within a 10-state region participated in a 39-item phone survey about professional roles, group roles, and structural characteristics that influence their ability to participate in interdisciplinary collaboration. Findings revealed that professional role conflict is experienced, primarily with social workers. Informal group task and maintenance roles included team spiritual care advisor and conflict manager, and structural characteristics consisted of extracurricular communication outside of the organization. Although chaplains foster interdisciplinary collaboration within the hospice team, future research needs to address improvements to the chaplain's role within the interdisciplinary team process.

Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration and Learning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Deana D. Pennington

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Complex environmental problem solving depends on cross-disciplinary collaboration among scientists. Collaborative research must be preceded by an exploratory phase of collective thinking that creates shared conceptual frameworks. Collective thinking, in a cross-disciplinary setting, depends on the facility with which collaborators are able to learn and understand each others' perspectives. This paper applies three perspectives on learning to the problem of enabling cross-disciplinary collaboration: Maslow's hierarchy of needs, constructivism, and organizational learning. Application of learning frameworks to collaboration provides insights regarding receptive environments for collaboration, and processes that facilitate cross-disciplinary interactions. These environments and interactions need time to develop and require a long phase of idea generation preceding any focused research effort. The findings highlight that collaboration is itself a complex system of people, scientific theory, and tools that must be intentionally managed. Effective management of the system requires leaders who are facilitators and are capable of orchestrating effective environments and interactions.

Factors affecting the social problem-solving ability of baccalaureate nursing students.

Science.gov (United States)

Lau, Ying

2014-01-01

The hospital environment is characterized by time pressure, uncertain information, conflicting goals, high stakes, stress, and dynamic conditions. These demands mean there is a need for nurses with social problem-solving skills. This study set out to (1) investigate the social problem-solving ability of Chinese baccalaureate nursing students in Macao and (2) identify the association between communication skill, clinical interaction, interpersonal dysfunction, and social problem-solving ability. All nursing students were recruited in one public institute through the census method. The research design was exploratory, cross-sectional, and quantitative. The study used the Chinese version of the Social Problem Solving Inventory short form (C-SPSI-R), Communication Ability Scale (CAS), Clinical Interactive Scale (CIS), and Interpersonal Dysfunction Checklist (IDC). Macao nursing students were more likely to use the two constructive or adaptive dimensions rather than the three dysfunctional dimensions of the C-SPSI-R to solve their problems. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that communication ability (ß=.305, pproblem-solving after controlling for covariates. Macao has had no problem-solving training in its educational curriculum; an effective problem-solving training should be implemented as part of the curriculum. With so many changes in healthcare today, nurses must be good social problem-solvers in order to deliver holistic care. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

When industry & academia collaborate

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kopczak, L.R.; Fransoo, J.C.

1999-01-01

Innovative "project-based courses" are bringing the business and academic worlds together to advance global supply chain management. By collaborating with universities to solve specific supply chain problems, companies not only benefit from the infusion of new ideas, but also gain access to a pool

Towards different communication in collaborative design

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Smulders, F.E.H.M.; Lousberg, L.; Dorst, C.H.

2008-01-01

Purpose – This paper aims to create a social constructivist perspective on collaborative architecture that is complementary to the rational-analytic perspective as embodied in the "hard" project management tools. Design/methodology/approach – Two theoretical perspectives from the field of design

Process and data fragmentation-oriented enterprise network integration with collaboration modelling and collaboration agents

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Qing; Wang, Ze-yuan; Cao, Zhi-chao; Du, Rui-yang; Luo, Hao

2015-08-01

With the process of globalisation and the development of management models and information technology, enterprise cooperation and collaboration has developed from intra-enterprise integration, outsourcing and inter-enterprise integration, and supply chain management, to virtual enterprises and enterprise networks. Some midfielder enterprises begin to serve for different supply chains. Therefore, they combine related supply chains into a complex enterprise network. The main challenges for enterprise network's integration and collaboration are business process and data fragmentation beyond organisational boundaries. This paper reviews the requirements of enterprise network's integration and collaboration, as well as the development of new information technologies. Based on service-oriented architecture (SOA), collaboration modelling and collaboration agents are introduced to solve problems of collaborative management for service convergence under the condition of process and data fragmentation. A model-driven methodology is developed to design and deploy the integrating framework. An industrial experiment is designed and implemented to illustrate the usage of developed technologies in this paper.

Collaborative Knowledge Management

African Journals Online (AJOL)

pc

2018-03-05

Mar 5, 2018 ... collaboration of knowledge. The organizational structures and ... enables organizations to see the collective knowledge as a base element of ..... requirements for communication across different equipment and applications by ...

Collaborative decision-making and promoting treatment adherence in pediatric chronic illness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dennis Drotar

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Dennis Drotar, Peggy Crawford, Margaret BonnerCincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USAAbstract: Collaborative or shared decision-making between health care providers and families can facilitate treatment adherence, health outcomes, and satisfaction with care in the management of pediatric chronic illness, but raises special challenges. Barriers such as authoritarian models of medical care as well as absence of time and opportunity for dialogue limit collaborative decision making and can disrupt treatment adherence. However, models of provider-family communication that emphasize communication and shared goal-setting inform an anticipatory guidance model of collaborative decision-making that can enhance treatment adherence. Salient challenges and strategies involved in implementing collaborative decision-making in pediatric chronic illness care are described. Research is needed to: 1 describe the communication and decision-making process in the management of pediatric chronic illness; and 2 evaluate the impact of interventions that enhance collaborative decision-making on provider-family communication, illness management, and treatment adherence.Keywords: collaborative decision-making, shared decision-making, treatment adherence, pediatric chronic illness

Open Collaboration: A Problem Solving Strategy That is Redefining NASA's Innovative Spirit

Science.gov (United States)

Rando, Cynthia M.; Fogarty, Jennifer A.; Richard, E. E.; Davis, Jeffrey R.

2011-01-01

In 2010, NASA's Space Life Sciences Directorate announced the successful results from pilot experiments with open innovation methodologies. Specifically, utilization of internet based external crowdsourcing platforms to solve challenging problems in human health and performance related to the future of spaceflight. The follow-up to this success was an internal crowdsourcing pilot program entitled NASA@work, which was supported by the InnoCentive@work software platform. The objective of the NASA@work pilot was to connect the collective knowledge of individuals from all areas within the NASA organization via a private web based environment. The platform provided a venue for NASA Challenge Owners, those looking for solutions or new ideas, to pose challenges to internal solvers, those within NASA with the skill and desire to create solutions. The pilot was launched in 57 days, a record for InnoCentive and NASA, and ran for three months with a total of 20 challenges posted Agency wide. The NASA@work pilot attracted over 6,000 participants throughout NASA with a total of 183 contributing solvers for the 20 challenges posted. At the time of the pilot's closure, solvers provided viable solutions and ideas for 17 of the 20 posted challenges. The solver community provided feedback on the pilot describing it as a barrier breaking activity, conveying that there was a satisfaction associated with helping co-workers, that it was fun to think about problems outside normal work boundaries, and it was nice to learn what challenges others were facing across the agency. The results and the feedback from the solver community have demonstrated the power and utility of an internal collaboration tool, such as NASA@work.

Investment in Open Innovation Service Providers: NASA's Innovative Strategy for Solving Space Exploration Challenges

Science.gov (United States)

Fogarty, Jennifer A.; Rando, Cynthia; Baumann, David; Richard, Elizabeth; Davis, Jeffrey

2010-01-01

In an effort to expand routes for open communication and create additional opportunities for public involvement with NASA, Open Innovation Service Provider (OISP) methodologies have been incorporated as a tool in NASA's problem solving strategy. NASA engaged the services of two OISP providers, InnoCentive and Yet2.com, to test this novel approach and its feasibility in solving NASA s space flight challenges. The OISPs were chosen based on multiple factors including: network size and knowledge area span, established process, methodology, experience base, and cost. InnoCentive and Yet2.com each met the desired criteria; however each company s approach to Open Innovation is distinctly different. InnoCentive focuses on posting individual challenges to an established web-based network of approximately 200,000 solvers; viable solutions are sought and granted a financial award if found. Based on a specific technological need, Yet2.com acts as a talent scout providing a broad external network of experts as potential collaborators to NASA. A relationship can be established with these contacts to develop technologies and/or maintained as an established network of future collaborators. The results from the first phase of the pilot study have shown great promise for long term efficacy of utilizing the OISP methodologies. Solution proposals have been received for the challenges posted on InnoCentive and are currently under review for final disposition. In addition, Yet2.com has identified new external partners for NASA and we are in the process of understanding and acting upon these new opportunities. Compared to NASA's traditional routes for external problem solving, the OISP methodologies offered NASA a substantial savings in terms of time and resources invested. In addition, these strategies will help NASA extend beyond its current borders to build an ever expanding network of experts and global solvers.

Resilience to Surprises through Communicative Planning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bruce Evan. Goldstein

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Resilience thinkers share an interest in collaborative deliberation with communicative planners, who aim to accommodate different forms of knowledge and styles of reasoning to promote social learning and yield creative and equitable agreements. Members of both fields attended a symposium at Virginia Tech in late 2008, where communicative planners considered how social-ecological resilience informed new possibilities for planning practice beyond disaster mitigation and response. In turn, communicative planners offered resilience scholars ideas about how collaboration could accomplish more than enhance rational decision making of the commons. Through these exchanges, the symposium fostered ideas about collaborative governance and the critical role of expertise in fostering communicative resilience.

Global Collaboration Enhances Technology Literacy

Science.gov (United States)

Cook, Linda A.; Bell, Meredith L.; Nugent, Jill; Smith, Walter S.

2016-01-01

Today's learners routinely use technology outside of school to communicate, collaborate, and gather information about the world around them. Classroom learning experiences are relevant when they include communication technologies such as social networking, blogging, and video conferencing, and information technologies such as databases, browsers,…

Contested collaboration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sonnenwald, Diane H.

1995-01-01

. The model describes design phases, roles, themes, and intergroup communication networks as they evolve throughout the design process and characterizes design as a process of "contested collaboration". It is a first step towards a predictive design model that suggests strategies which may help participants...

Global Collaborative STEM Education

Science.gov (United States)

Meabh Kelly, Susan; Smith, Walter

2016-04-01

Global Collaborative STEM Education, as the name suggests, simultaneously supports two sets of knowledge and skills. The first set is STEM -- science, technology, engineering and math. The other set of content knowledge and skills is that of global collaboration. Successful global partnerships require awareness of one's own culture, the biases embedded within that culture, as well as developing awareness of the collaborators' culture. Workforce skills fostered include open-mindedness, perseverance when faced with obstacles, and resourceful use of technological "bridges" to facilitate and sustain communication. In respect for the 2016 GIFT Workshop focus, Global Collaborative STEM Education projects dedicated to astronomy research will be presented. The projects represent different benchmarks within the Global Collaborative STEM Education continuum, culminating in an astronomy research experience that fully reflects how the global STEM workforce collaborates. To facilitate wider engagement in Global Collaborative STEM Education, project summaries, classroom resources and contact information for established international collaborative astronomy research projects will be disseminated.

Combining Synchronous and Asynchronous Collaboration within 3D City Models

Science.gov (United States)

Klimke, Jan; Döllner, Jürgen

This paper presents an approach for combining spatially distributed synchronous and asynchronous collaboration within 3D city models. Software applications use these models as additional communication medium to facilitate communication of georeferenced and geospatial information. Collaboration tools should support both the communication with other collaborators and their awareness of the current collaboration context. To support collaborative knowledge construction and gathering, we have designed a collaboration system to facilitate (a) creation of annotations that have 3D references to the virtual 3D city model and (b) collection information about the context in which these annotations are created. Our approach supports synchronous collaboration in connection with the creation of non volatile, precisely georeferenced units of information allow for a comprehensible form of cooperation in spatially distributed settings. Storage and retrieval of this information is provided through a Web Feature Service, which eases integration of collaboration data into existing applications. We further introduce a visualization technique that integrates annotations as complex structured data into the 3D visualization. This avoids media breaks and disruptions in working processes and creates a spatial coherence between annotation and annotated feature or geometry.

Problem solving or social change? The Applegate and Grand Canyon Forest Partnerships

Science.gov (United States)

Cassandra Moseley; Brett KenCairn

2001-01-01

Natural resource conflicts have resulted in attempts at better collaboration between public and private sectors. The resulting partnerships approach collaboration either by problem solving through better information and management, or by requiring substantial social change. The Applegate Partnership in Oregon and the Grand Canyon Forest Partnership in Arizona...

Languaging in Cyberspace: A Case Study of the Effects of Peer-Peer Collaborative Dialogue on the Acquisition of English Idioms in Task-Based Synchronous Computer-Mediated Communication

Science.gov (United States)

Teng, Xuan

2015-01-01

Despite the growing interest in examining the link between peer-peer collaborative dialogue and second language (L2) development in recent years (Swain, Brooks, & Tocalli-Beller, 2002), much of the empirical work in this regard focused on face-to-face communication, leaving the operationalization of collaborative dialogue in text-based…

Contemporary collaborations between museums and universities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Knudsen, Line Vestergaard; Simonsen, Celia Ekelund

2017-01-01

Numerous new types of cross-institutional collaborations have been conducted recently at the intersection between museums and universities. Museums of all subject areas have collaborated with university researchers, just as scholars from a broad range of disciplines including communications, media...... studies, IT and performance design and tourism increasingly collaborate with museums. Based on qualitative evaluation material and autobiographical experiences, this article analyzes a large Danish research project in which collaborations between several museums and universities took place. We investigate...

Collaborative and Bidirectional Feedback Between Students and Clinical Preceptors: Promoting Effective Communication Skills on Health Care Teams.

Science.gov (United States)

Myers, Kara; Chou, Calvin L

2016-11-01

Current literature on feedback suggests that clinical preceptors lead feedback conversations that are primarily unidirectional, from preceptor to student. While this approach may promote clinical competency, it does not actively develop students' competency in facilitating feedback discussions and providing feedback across power differentials (ie, from student to preceptor). This latter competency warrants particular attention given its fundamental role in effective health care team communication and its related influence on patient safety. Reframing the feedback process as collaborative and bidirectional, where both preceptors and students provide and receive feedback, maximizes opportunities for role modeling and skills practice in the context of a supportive relationship, thereby enhancing team preparedness. We describe an initiative to introduce these fundamental skills of collaborative, bidirectional feedback in the nurse-midwifery education program at the University of California, San Francisco. © 2016 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

The Role of Arts-Related Information and Communication Technology Use in Problem Solving and Achievement: Findings from the Programme for International Student Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Liem, Gregory Arief D.; Martin, Andrew J.; Anderson, Michael; Gibson, Robyn; Sudmalis, David

2014-01-01

Drawing on the Programme for International Student Assessment 2003 data set comprising over 190,000 15-year-old students in 25 countries, the current study sought to examine the role of arts-related information and communication technology (ICT) use in students' problem-solving skill and science and mathematics achievement. Structural equation…

Providers’ perspectives on collaboration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patricia Bruner

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Objective: Changes in models of health care are required to better meet the needs of diverse, underserved patient populations. Collaboration among providers is one way to promote accessible, comprehensive and continuous care in healthcare organizations. This paper describes the quantitative findings from two time points that examined providers' views of collaboration among a sample of diverse personnel (e.g. clinical nurses, social workers, dental providers, mental health providers, clerical staff, medical assistants, public health staff, and administrators within a federally qualified nurse managed health care centre in the United States. Methods: The quantitative arm of a mixed-method study is presented in this paper. Two instruments, the Collaboration and Satisfaction About Care Decisions Scale and the University of the West of England Interprofessional Questionnaire (comprised of 4 subscales-Communication and Teamwork Scale, Interprofessional Learning Scale, Interprofessional Interaction Scale, and Interprofessional Relationships Scale were administered to providers at baseline and three to eight months following six same discipline focus group discussions on collaboration, in order to evaluate whether participating in the focus group discussions changed providers' views of collaboration. A summary of the focus group data which were published elsewhere is additionally summarized to help provide insight to the quantitative findings. Thirty-nine staff participated. Results: Paired t-tests revealed that only one scale out of the five, Collaboration and Satisfaction About Care Decisions Scale (33.97 at time one and 37.45 at time two, significantly and positively changed after the focus group discussion (p=0.046. Providers' views on collaboration ranged from positive to moderate views of collaboration; most measures revealed a non-significant improvement after the focus group discussions. Staff with some graduate school reported the greatest

Providers’ perspectives on collaboration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patricia Bruner

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Objective: Changes in models of health care are required to better meet the needs of diverse, underserved patient populations. Collaboration among providers is one way to promote accessible, comprehensive and continuous care in healthcare organizations. This paper describes the quantitative findings from two time points that examined providers' views of collaboration among a sample of diverse personnel (e.g. clinical nurses, social workers, dental providers, mental health providers, clerical staff, medical assistants, public health staff, and administrators within a federally qualified nurse managed health care centre in the United States.Methods: The quantitative arm of a mixed-method study is presented in this paper. Two instruments, the Collaboration and Satisfaction About Care Decisions Scale and the University of the West of England Interprofessional Questionnaire (comprised of 4 subscales-Communication and Teamwork Scale, Interprofessional Learning Scale, Interprofessional Interaction Scale, and Interprofessional Relationships Scale were administered to providers at baseline and three to eight months following six same discipline focus group discussions on collaboration, in order to evaluate whether participating in the focus group discussions changed providers' views of collaboration. A summary of the focus group data which were published elsewhere is additionally summarized to help provide insight to the quantitative findings. Thirty-nine staff participated.Results: Paired t-tests revealed that only one scale out of the five, Collaboration and Satisfaction About Care Decisions Scale (33.97 at time one and 37.45 at time two, significantly and positively changed after the focus group discussion (p=0.046. Providers' views on collaboration ranged from positive to moderate views of collaboration; most measures revealed a non-significant improvement after the focus group discussions. Staff with some graduate school reported the greatest

Collaborative Search Strategies for Green Innovation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ørding Olsen, Anders; Sofka, Wolfgang; Grimpe, Christoph

Recent innovation and strategy research emphasizes the importance of firm’s search for external knowledge to improve innovation performance. We focus on such search strategies within the domain of sustainable innovation in which problems are inherently complex and the relevant knowledge is widely...... dispersed. Hence, firms need to collaborate. We shed new light on collaborative search strategies led by firms in general and for solving environmental problems in particular. Both topics are largely absent in the extant open innovation literature. Using data from the European Seventh Framework Program...... for Research and Technological Development (FP7), our results indicate that the problem-solving potential of a search strategy increases with the diversity of existing knowledge of the partners in a consortium and with the experience of the partners involved. Moreover, we identify a substantial negative effect...

Remote Collaboration With Mixed Reality Displays

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Müller, Jens; Rädle, Roman; Reiterer, Harald

2017-01-01

HCI research has demonstrated Mixed Reality (MR) as being beneficial for co-located collaborative work. For remote collaboration, however, the collaborators' visual contexts do not coincide due to their individual physical environments. The problem becomes apparent when collaborators refer...... to physical landmarks in their individual environments to guide each other's attention. In an experimental study with 16 dyads, we investigated how the provisioning of shared virtual landmarks (SVLs) influences communication behavior and user experience. A quantitative analysis revealed that participants used...

Knowledge Management and Problem Solving in Real Time: The Role of Swarm Intelligence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chris W Callaghan

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Knowledge management research applied to the development of real-time research capability, or capability to solve societal problems in hours and days instead of years and decades, is perhaps increasingly important, given persistent global problems such as the Zika virus and rapidly developing antibiotic resistance. Drawing on swarm intelligence theory, this paper presents an approach to real-time research problem-solving in the form of a framework for understanding the complexity of real-time research and the challenges associated with maximizing collaboration. The objective of this research is to make explicit certain theoretical, methodological, and practical implications deriving from new literature on emerging technologies and new forms of problem solving and to offer a model of real-time problem solving based on a synthesis of the literature. Drawing from ant colony, bee colony, and particle swarm optimization, as well as other population-based metaheuristics, swarm intelligence principles are derived in support of improved effectiveness and efficiency for multidisciplinary human swarm problem-solving. This synthesis seeks to offer useful insights into the research process, by offering a perspective of what maximized collaboration, as a system, implies for real-time problem solving.

Exploring Constrained Creative Communication

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Jannick Kirk

2017-01-01

Creative collaboration via online tools offers a less ‘media rich’ exchange of information between participants than face-to-face collaboration. The participants’ freedom to communicate is restricted in means of communication, and rectified in terms of possibilities offered in the interface. How do...... these constrains influence the creative process and the outcome? In order to isolate the communication problem from the interface- and technology problem, we examine via a design game the creative communication on an open-ended task in a highly constrained setting, a design game. Via an experiment the relation...... between communicative constrains and participants’ perception of dialogue and creativity is examined. Four batches of students preparing for forming semester project groups were conducted and documented. Students were asked to create an unspecified object without any exchange of communication except...

From the Collaborative Environment of the Remote Laboratory NetLab to the Global Collaboration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jan Machotka

2008-07-01

Full Text Available The remote laboratory (RL can be considered as a modern collaborative learning environment, where students acquire skills required for efficient collaboration and communication on a local and global scale, both today and in the near future. The majority of current existing RLs are not constructed to allow the involved participants to collaborate in real time. This paper describes the collaborative RL NetLab, developed at the University of South Australia (UniSA, which allows up to three onshore and/or offshore students to conduct remote experiments at the same time as a team. This allows the online RL environment to become very similar, if not nearly identical to its real laboratory counterpart. The collaboration in the real laboratory is replaced by the “global” on-line collaboration.

Elearn: A Collaborative Educational Virtual Environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Michailidou, Anna; Economides, Anastasios A.

Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) that support collaboration are one of the new technologies that have attracted great interest. VLEs are learning management software systems composed of computer-mediated communication software and online methods of delivering course material. This paper presents ELearn, a collaborative VLE for teaching…

Forming a Collaborative Action Research Partnership

Science.gov (United States)

Platteel, Tamara; Hulshof, Hans; Ponte, Petra; van Driel, Jan; Verloop, Nico

2010-01-01

This article describes the complex nature of collaborative relationships, the difficulties of conducting research with others, and the complications of partnerships in educational research. To create and sustain a communicative space in which participants can collaborate to innovate education and curriculum, time and opportunity to develop trust…

Coordination theory and collaboration technology

CERN Document Server

Olson, Gary M; Smith, John B

2001-01-01

The National Science Foundation funded the first Coordination Theory and Collaboration Technology initiative to look at systems that support collaborations in business and elsewhere. This book explores the global revolution in human interconnectedness. It will discuss the various collaborative workgroups and their use in technology. The initiative focuses on processes of coordination and cooperation among autonomous units in human systems, in computer and communication systems, and in hybrid organizations of both systems. This initiative is motivated by three scientific issues which have been

A Collaboration-Oriented M2M Messaging Mechanism for the Collaborative Automation between Machines in Future Industrial Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhaozong Meng

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Machine-to-machine (M2M communication is a key enabling technology for industrial internet of things (IIoT-empowered industrial networks, where machines communicate with one another for collaborative automation and intelligent optimisation. This new industrial computing paradigm features high-quality connectivity, ubiquitous messaging, and interoperable interactions between machines. However, manufacturing IIoT applications have specificities that distinguish them from many other internet of things (IoT scenarios in machine communications. By highlighting the key requirements and the major technical gaps of M2M in industrial applications, this article describes a collaboration-oriented M2M (CoM2M messaging mechanism focusing on flexible connectivity and discovery, ubiquitous messaging, and semantic interoperability that are well suited for the production line-scale interoperability of manufacturing applications. The designs toward machine collaboration and data interoperability at both the communication and semantic level are presented. Then, the application scenarios of the presented methods are illustrated with a proof-of-concept implementation in the PicknPack food packaging line. Eventually, the advantages and some potential issues are discussed based on the PicknPack practice.

It Takes Two: Sexual Communication Patterns and the Sexual and Relational Adjustment of Couples Coping With Provoked Vestibulodynia.

Science.gov (United States)

Rancourt, Kate M; Flynn, Michelle; Bergeron, Sophie; Rosen, Natalie O

2017-03-01

Provoked vestibulodynia (PVD) is a prevalent vulvovaginal pain condition that is associated with sexual and relational consequences for women and their partners. Greater perceived quality of sexual communication has been associated with women's lower pain during intercourse and with couples' better sexual and relational well-being. Whether couples' collaborative (eg, expressing feelings or problem solving) and negative (eg, withdrawing or criticizing) sexual communication patterns (SCPs) are differentially associated with couples' adjustment to PVD is unknown. To examine associations between collaborative and negative SCPs and women's pain and the sexual and relationship adjustment of women with PVD and their partners. Women diagnosed with PVD (N = 87) and their partners completed the Sexual Communication Patterns Questionnaire and measurements of pain (women only), sexual functioning, sexual satisfaction, sexual distress, and relationship satisfaction. (i) Numerical rating scale of pain during intercourse, (ii) Female Sexual Function Index and International Index of Erectile Function, (iii) Global Measure of Sexual Satisfaction, (iv) Female Sexual Distress Scale-Revised, and (v) Couple Satisfaction Index. When women reported greater collaborative SCP, they also reported higher sexual and relationship satisfaction. When women reported greater negative SCP, they reported less relationship satisfaction and had partners who reported greater sexual distress. When partners reported greater collaborative SCP, they also reported higher relationship satisfaction and had female partners who were less sexually distressed. When partners reported higher negative SCP, they also reported less relationship satisfaction. There were no associations between SCP and women's or partners' sexual functioning or women's pain. Collaborative SCP may benefit couples' sexual and relational well-being, whereas negative SCP may impede sexual and relational adjustment to PVD. Findings

Improving hazard communication through collaborative participatory workshops: challenges and opportunities experienced at Turrialba volcano, Costa Rica

Science.gov (United States)

van Manen, S. M.; Avard, G.; Martinez, M.; de Moor, M. J.

2014-12-01

Communication is key to disaster risk management before, during and after a hazardous event occurs. In this study we used a participatory design approach to increase disaster preparedness levels around Turrialba volcano (Costa Rica) in collaboration with local communities. We organised five participatory workshops in communities around Turrialba volcano, 2 in February 2014 and a further 3 in May 2014. A total of 101 people attended and participants included the general public, decision makers and relevant government employees. The main finding of the workshops was that people want more information, specifically regarding 1) the activity level at the volcano and 2) how to prepare. In addition, the source of information was identified as an important factor in communication, with credibility and integrity being key. This outcome highlights a communication gap between the communities at risk and the institutions monitoring the volcano, who publish their scientific results monthly. This strong and explicitly expressed desire for more information should be acknowledged and responded to. However, this gives rise to the challenge of how to communicate: how to change the delivery and/or content of the messages already disseminated for greater effectiveness. In our experience, participatory workshops provide a successful mechanism for effective communication. However, critically evaluating the workshops reveals a number of challenges and opportunities, with the former arising from human, cultural and resource factors, specifically the need to develop people's capacity to participate, whereas the latter is predominantly represented by participant empowerment. As disasters are mostly felt at individual, household and community levels, improving communication, not at but with these stakeholders, is an important component of a comprehensive disaster resilience strategy. This work provides an initial insight into the potential value of participatory design approaches for

Communication, collaboration and identity: factor analysis of academics’ perceptions of online networking

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katy Jordan

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Since the advent of online social networking sites, much has been written about their potential for transforming academia, as communication and collaboration underpin many scholarly activities. However, the extent to which these benefits are being realised in practice is unclear. As the uptake of tools by academics continues to grow, there is a question as to whether differences exist in their use and if any patterns or underlying factors are at play. This article presents the results of an online survey addressing this gap. A disciplinary divide was evident in terms of preferred academic social networking platforms, while perceptions about how academics use online networking for different purposes are linked to job position. Exploratory factor analysis identified four components representing different strategies used by academics in their approaches to online networking, including maintaining a personal learning network, promoting the professional self, seeking and promoting publications, and advancing careers.

Collaborating on Facebook: Teachers Exchanging Experiences Through Social Networking Sites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

da Cunha Júnior F.,

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This study explores the use of Facebook for educational purposes, as a collaborative online space for enabling communication among teachers from different schools. The article describes how a group of 43 teachers on Facebook, from various schools in the southeast region of Brazil used a group on Facebook as a collaborative space for communicating among each other. On the group, these teachers shared experiences about the use of digital technologies in their secondary education classes. This study is based on Cultural Historical Activity Theory, considering the group on Facebook as a tool for mediating communication . The objective of this study is to explore why and how teachers collaborated with each other on Facebook, and to study how communication among them evolved in the process. We examined the posts on that group from 2012 to 2014, and two questionnaires responded online by the teachers in June 2012 and in December 2013. Our findings suggest that teachers tend to critically collaborate in smaller groups and that further online communication evolved outside the group of teachers, with the creation of smaller groups on Facebook inside their schools.

The Collaborative Management Model on Developing the Infrastructure of the Pomalaa’s Airport, Indonesia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dr.Sc. Abdul Sabaruddin

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Collaborative management of public sector is being introduced as a new approach to solve the problems which is mainly on the restrictiveness of bureaucracy in answering such public demand. Therefore, collaboration approach presents new actors out of the government in processing the public sectors. The relationship among actors in its collaboration is well developed through consensus to gain valuable decision to all. Based on the problems mentioned, this study focuses on the model of collaborative management on developing the infrastructure of an airport. To answer the objective of the study, therefore, this research applied qualitative approach in which the respondents are those who were being involved in construction process of the airport. The data gained from interview will be analysed through interactive model consisting of some procedures; data reduction, data presentation, verification of the data/ drawing conclusion. The result showed that collaborative management model in infrastructure development of the airport was a management model, in this case collective action based on the principle of synergetic participation. In this context, there was no single actor on the development of infrastructure of the airport. Through collective action, the related aspects, in this case the development of infrastructure, was transparently communicated to avoid miscommunication among the members. Therefore, the actors which were being involved on the collaboration bore the needs reasonably and also there was no such member who were being burden. Thus, the implication of collaboration based on the consensus, the collaboration on the development of infrastructure of the airport is on the basis of participative, which pointed out the appointment and the continuation of the development.

Fostering argumentation-based computer-supported collaborative learning in higher education

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Noroozi, O.

2013-01-01

cum laude graduation (with distinction). In collaborative settings, students of all ages need to learn to clearly explain their informed opinions and give reasons for the way in which they carry out tasks and solve problems. Engaging students in collaborative discussion and argumentation is an

Collaborative writing: Tools and tips.

Science.gov (United States)

Eapen, Bell Raj

2007-01-01

Majority of technical writing is done by groups of experts and various web based applications have made this collaboration easy. Email exchange of word processor documents with tracked changes used to be the standard technique for collaborative writing. However web based tools like Google docs and Spreadsheets have made the process fast and efficient. Various versioning tools and synchronous editors are available for those who need additional functionality. Having a group leader who decides the scheduling, communication and conflict resolving protocols is important for successful collaboration.

Collaboration space division in collaborative product development based on a genetic algorithm

Science.gov (United States)

Qian, Xueming; Ma, Yanqiao; Feng, Huan

2018-02-01

The advance in the global environment, rapidly changing markets, and information technology has created a new stage for design. In such an environment, one strategy for success is the Collaborative Product Development (CPD). Organizing people effectively is the goal of Collaborative Product Development, and it solves the problem with certain foreseeability. The development group activities are influenced not only by the methods and decisions available, but also by correlation among personnel. Grouping the personnel according to their correlation intensity is defined as collaboration space division (CSD). Upon establishment of a correlation matrix (CM) of personnel and an analysis of the collaboration space, the genetic algorithm (GA) and minimum description length (MDL) principle may be used as tools in optimizing collaboration space. The MDL principle is used in setting up an object function, and the GA is used as a methodology. The algorithm encodes spatial information as a chromosome in binary. After repetitious crossover, mutation, selection and multiplication, a robust chromosome is found, which can be decoded into an optimal collaboration space. This new method can calculate the members in sub-spaces and individual groupings within the staff. Furthermore, the intersection of sub-spaces and public persons belonging to all sub-spaces can be determined simultaneously.

Strategies for Smooth and Effective Cross-Cultural Online Collaborative Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Junfeng; Kinshuk; Yu, Huiju; Chen, Sue-Jen; Huang, Ronghuai

2014-01-01

As the communication between different cultures is becoming more and more frequent, the competence of cross-cultural awareness and collaboration is emerging as a key ability in the 21st century. Face to face communication is the most efficient way to cultivate the competence of cross-cultural awareness and collaboration. However, there are very…

Breakdowns in collaborative information seeking

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hertzum, Morten

2010-01-01

Collaborative information seeking is integral to many professional activities. In hospital work, the medication process encompasses continual seeking for information and collaborative grounding of information. This study investigates breakdowns in collaborative information seeking through analyses...... of the use of the electronic medication record adopted in a Danish healthcare region and of the reports of five years of medication incidents at Danish hospitals. The results show that breakdowns in collaborative information seeking is a major source of medication incidents, that most of these breakdowns...... are breakdowns in collaborative grounding rather than information seeking, that the medication incidents mainly concern breakdowns in the use of records as opposed to oral communication, that the breakdowns span multiple degrees of separation between clinicians, and that the electronic medication record has...

Public-Private Collaborations with Earth-Space Benefits

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Jeffrey R.; Richard, Elizabeth E.

2014-01-01

The NASA Human Health and Performance Center (NHHPC) was established in October 2010 to promote collaborative problem solving and project development to advance human health and performance innovations benefiting life in space and on Earth. The NHHPC, which now boasts over 135 corporate, government, academic and non-profit members, has convened four successful workshops and engaged in multiple collaborative projects. The center is currently developing a streamlined partner engagement process to capture technical needs and opportunities of NHHPC members, facilitate partnership development, and establish and manage collaborative projects for NASA. The virtual center facilitates member engagement through a variety of vehicles, including annual inperson workshops, webcasts, quarterly electronic newsletters, web postings, and the new system for partner engagement. The most recent NHHPC workshop was conducted in November 2013 on the topic of "Accelerating Innovation: New Organizational Business Models," and focused on various collaborative approaches successfully used by organizations to achieve their goals. The powerful notion of collaboration across sectors to solve intractable problems was recently highlighted in Williams Eggers' book "The Solution Revolution,"i which provides numerous examples of how business, government and social enterprises partner to solve tough problems. Mr. Eggers was a keynote speaker at the workshop, along with Harvard Business School, Jump Associates, and the Conrad Foundation. The robust program also included an expert panel addressing collaboration across sectors, four interactive breakout sessions, and a concluding keynote on innovative ways to increase science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education by NASA Associate Administrator for Education, Leland Melvin. The NHHPC forum also provides a platform for international partners to interact on many topics. Members from around the world include ISS International Partner JAXA

Challenges in Virtual Collaboration. Videoconferencing, Audioconferencing, and Computer-Mediated Communications

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Wainfan, Lynne

2004-01-01

...) on group processes and outcomes. Virtual collaborations are collaborations in which the people working together are interdependent in their tasks, share responsibility for outcomes, are geographically dispersed, and rely on mediated...

Collaborative writing: Tools and tips

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eapen Bell

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Majority of technical writing is done by groups of experts and various web based applications have made this collaboration easy. Email exchange of word processor documents with tracked changes used to be the standard technique for collaborative writing. However web based tools like Google docs and Spreadsheets have made the process fast and efficient. Various versioning tools and synchronous editors are available for those who need additional functionality. Having a group leader who decides the scheduling, communication and conflict resolving protocols is important for successful collaboration.

Informatics for neglected diseases collaborations.

Science.gov (United States)

Bost, Frederic; Jacobs, Robert T; Kowalczyk, Paul

2010-05-01

Many different public and private organizations from across the globe are collaborating on neglected diseases drug-discovery and development projects with the aim of identifying a cure for tropical infectious diseases. These neglected diseases collaborations require a global, secure, multi-organization data-management solution, combined with a platform that facilitates communication and supports collaborative work. This review discusses the solutions offered by 'Software as a Service' (SaaS) web-based platforms, despite notable challenges, and the evolution of these platforms required to foster efficient virtual research efforts by geographically dispersed scientists.

Task distribution mechanism for effective collaboration in virtual environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khalid, S.; Ullah, S.; Alam, A.

2016-01-01

Collaborative Virtual Environments (CVEs) are computer generated worlds where two or more users can simultaneously interact with synthetic objects to perform a task. User performance is one of the main issues caused by either loose coordination, less awareness or communication among collaborating users. In this paper, a new model for task distribution is proposed, in which task distribution strategy among multiple users in CVEs is defined. The model assigns the task to collaborating users in CVEs either on static or dynamic basis. In static distribution there exists loose dependency and requires less communication during task realization whereas in dynamic distribution users are more dependent on each other and thus require more communication. In order to study the effect of static and dynamic task distribution strategies on user's performance in CVEs, a collaborative virtual environment is developed where twenty four (24) teams (each consists of two users) perform a task in collaboration under both strategies (static and dynamic). Results reveal that static distribution is more effective and increases users performance in CVEs. The outcome of this work will help the development of effective CVEs in the field of virtual assembly, repair, education and entertainment. (author)

Social exchange in collaborative innovation: maker or breaker

OpenAIRE

Malmström, Malin M.; Johansson, Jeaneth

2016-01-01

Collaborations in innovation work between competitors have become a common practice in the information and communication technology sector (ICT), and substantial investments are made in such collaborations. Significant rationales for these collaborations include the high expectations placed on rapid and front-edge technology development and business exploitation. However, there is often a failure to reach the expected outcomes of such collaborations. This may be explained not only by the chal...

Designing WebQuests to Support Creative Problem Solving

Science.gov (United States)

Rubin, Jim

2013-01-01

WebQuests have been a popular alternative for collaborative group work that utilizes internet resources, but studies have questioned how effective they are in challenging students to use higher order thinking processes that involve creative problem solving. This article explains how different levels of inquiry relate to categories of learning…

An Assessment of the Effect of Collaborative Groups on Students' Problem-Solving Strategies and Abilities

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper, Melanie M.; Cox, Charles T., Jr.; Nammouz, Minory; Case, Edward; Stevens, Ronald

2008-01-01

Improving students' problem-solving skills is a major goal for most science educators. While a large body of research on problem solving exists, assessment of meaningful problem solving is very difficult, particularly for courses with large numbers of students in which one-on-one interactions are not feasible. We have used a suite of software…

Early Workplace Communication and Problem Solving to Prevent Back Disability: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial Among High-Risk Workers and Their Supervisors.

Science.gov (United States)

Linton, Steven J; Boersma, Katja; Traczyk, Michal; Shaw, William; Nicholas, Michael

2016-06-01

Purpose There is a clear need for interventions that successfully prevent the development of disability due to back pain. We hypothesized that an intervention aimed at both the worker and the workplace could be effective. Hence, we tested the effects of a new early intervention, based on the misdirected problem solving model, aimed at both workers at risk of long-term impairments and their workplace. Methods Supervisors of volunteers with back pain, no red flags, and a high score on a screen (Örebro Musculoskeletal Screening Questionnaire) were randomized to either an evidence based treatment as usual (TAU) or to a worker and workplace package (WWP). The WWP intervention included communication and problem solving skills for the patient and their immediate supervisor. The key outcome variables of work absence due to pain, health-care utilization, perceived health, and pain intensity were collected before, after and at a 6 month follow up. Results The WWP showed significantly larger improvements relative to the TAU for work absence due to pain, perceived health, and health-care utilization. Both groups improved on pain ratings but there was no significant difference between the groups. The WWP not only had significantly fewer participants utilizing health care and work absence due to pain, but the number of health care visits and days absent were also significantly lower than the TAU. Conclusions The WWP with problem solving and communication skills resulted in fewer days off work, fewer health care visits and better perceived health. This supports the misdirected problem solving model and indicates that screening combined with an active intervention to enhance skills is quite successful and likely cost-effective. Future research should replicate and extend these findings with health-economic analyses.

Instant collaboration: Using context-aware instant messaging for session management in distributed collaboration tools

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Klaus Marius; Damm, Christian Heide

2002-01-01

Distributed collaboration has become increasingly important, and instant messaging has become widely used for distributed communication. We present findings from an investigation of instant messaging use for work-related activities in a commercial setting. Based on these findings, we propose...... a lightweight session management design for distributed collaboration tools based on context-aware instant messaging. An implementation of this design is presented and an ongoing evaluation is discussed....

Teamwork in Health Care: Maximizing Collective Intelligence via Inclusive Collaboration and Open Communication.

Science.gov (United States)

Mayo, Anna T; Woolley, Anita Williams

2016-09-01

Teams offer the potential to achieve more than any person could achieve working alone; yet, particularly in teams that span professional boundaries, it is critical to capitalize on the variety of knowledge, skills, and abilities available. This article reviews research from the field of organizational behavior to shed light on what makes for a collectively intelligent team. In doing so, we highlight the importance of moving beyond simply including smart people on a team to thinking about how those people can effectively coordinate and collaborate. In particular, we review the importance of two communication processes: ensuring that team members with relevant knowledge (1) speak up when one's expertise can be helpful and (2) influence the team's work so that the team does its collective best for the patient. © 2016 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.

Using Active Listening to Improve Collaboration with Parents: The LAFF Don't CRY Strategy

Science.gov (United States)

McNaughton, David; Vostal, Brooks R.

2010-01-01

Effective parent-teacher communication builds working relationships that can support strong home-school collaboration and improved educational outcomes. Even though many teachers value the participation of parents, it can be challenging to communicate this positive intent. Effective communication is central to authentic collaboration and relies on…

Framework for Students’ Online Collaborative Writing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Birgitte Holm; Levinsen, Karin Tweddell; Holm, Madeleine Rygner

2016-01-01

The paper focuses on collaborative writing in Google Docs and presents a framework for how students can develop methods for collaborations that include human and non-human actors. The paper is based on the large-scale research and development project Students’ Digital Production and Students...... shows that teachers do not introduce or refer the students to online collaborative strategies, roles or communications. The students’ online collaborative writing is entirely within the students’ domain. On this basis, the paper focuses on how teachers’ awareness and articulation of the students’ online...... collaborative writing within a framework can qualify students´ methods to collaborate online with the intention to improve their learning results. In relation to this, the paper explores how digital technologies may act as co-participants in collaboration, production and reflection. Moreover, the framework...

Training Students in Distributed Collaboration: Experiences from Two Pilot Projects.

Science.gov (United States)

Munkvold, Bjorn Erik; Line, Lars

Distributed collaboration supported by different forms of information and communication technologies (ICT) is becoming increasingly widespread. Effective realization of technology supported, distributed collaboration requires learning and careful attention to both technological and organizational aspects of the collaboration. Despite increasing…

Toward a framework for computer-mediated collaborative design in medical informatics.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, V L; Kaufman, D R; Allen, V G; Shortliffe, E H; Cimino, J J; Greenes, R A

1999-09-01

The development and implementation of enabling tools and methods that provide ready access to knowledge and information are among the central goals of medical informatics. The need for multi-institutional collaboration in the development of such tools and methods is increasingly being recognized. Collaboration involves communication, which typically involves individuals who work together at the same location. With the evolution of electronic modalities for communication, we seek to understand the role that such technologies can play in supporting collaboration, especially when the participants are geographically separated. Using the InterMed Collaboratory as a subject of study, we have analyzed their activities as an exercise in computer- and network-mediated collaborative design. We report on the cognitive, sociocultural, and logistical issues encountered when scientists from diverse organizations and backgrounds use communications technologies while designing and implementing shared products. Results demonstrate that it is important to match carefully the content with the mode of communication, identifying, for example, suitable uses of E-mail, conference calls, and face-to-face meetings. The special role of leaders in guiding and facilitating the group activities can also be seen, regardless of the communication setting in which the interactions occur. Most important is the proper use of technology to support the evolution of a shared vision of group goals and methods, an element that is clearly necessary before successful collaborative designs can proceed.

Successful Climate Science Communication Strategies

Science.gov (United States)

Sinclair, P.

2016-12-01

In the past decade, efforts to communicate the facts of global change have not successfully moved political leaders and the general public to action. In response, a number of collaborative efforts between scientists and professional communicators, writers, journalists, bloggers, filmmakers, artists and others have arisen seeking to bridge that gap. As a result, a new cadre of science-literate communicators, and media-savvy scientists have made themselves visible across diverse mainstream, traditional, and social media outlets. Because of these collaborations, in recent years, misinformation, and disinformation have been successfully met with accurate and credible rebuttals within a single news cycle.Examples of these efforts is the Dark Snow Project, a science/communication collaboration focusing initially on accelerated arctic melt and sea level rise, and the Climate Science Rapid Response team, which matches professional journalists with appropriate science experts in order to respond within a single news cycle to misinformation or misunderstandings about climate science.The session will discuss successful examples and suggest creative approaches for the future.

Analyzing Team Based Engineering Design Process in Computer Supported Collaborative Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Dong-Kuk; Lee, Eun-Sang

2016-01-01

The engineering design process has been largely implemented in a collaborative project format. Recently, technological advancement has helped collaborative problem solving processes such as engineering design to have efficient implementation using computers or online technology. In this study, we investigated college students' interaction and…

PROMOTING MEANINGFUL LEARNING THROUGH CREATE-SHARE-COLLABORATE

OpenAIRE

Sailin, Siti Nazuar; Mahmor, Noor Aida

2017-01-01

Students in this 21st century are required to acquire these 4C skills: Critical thinking, Communication, Collaboration and Creativity. These skills can be integrated in the teaching and learning through innovative teaching that promotes active and meaningful learning. One way of integrating these skills is through collaborative knowledge creation and sharing. This paper providesan example of meaningful teaching and learning activities designed within the Create-Share-Collaborate instructional...

Elements of a collaborative systems model within the aerospace industry

Science.gov (United States)

Westphalen, Bailee R.

2000-10-01

Scope and method of study. The purpose of this study was to determine the components of current aerospace collaborative efforts. There were 44 participants from two selected groups surveyed for this study. Nineteen were from the Oklahoma Air National Guard based in Oklahoma City representing the aviation group. Twenty-five participants were from the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston representing the aerospace group. The surveys for the aviation group were completed in reference to planning missions necessary to their operations. The surveys for the aerospace group were completed in reference to a well-defined and focused goal from a current mission. A questionnaire was developed to survey active participants of collaborative systems in order to consider various components found within the literature. Results were analyzed and aggregated through a database along with content analysis of open-ended question comments from respondents. Findings and conclusions. This study found and determined elements of a collaborative systems model in the aerospace industry. The elements were (1) purpose or mission for the group or team; (2) commitment or dedication to the challenge; (3) group or team meetings and discussions; (4) constraints of deadlines and budgets; (5) tools and resources for project and simulations; (6) significant contributors to the collaboration; (7) decision-making formats; (8) reviews of project; (9) participants education and employment longevity; (10) cross functionality of team or group members; (11) training on the job plus teambuilding; (12) other key elements identified relevant by the respondents but not included in the model such as communication and teamwork; (13) individual and group accountability; (14) conflict, learning, and performance; along with (15) intraorganizational coordination. These elements supported and allowed multiple individuals working together to solve a common problem or to develop innovation that could not have been

Risk-adjusted morbidity in teaching hospitals correlates with reported levels of communication and collaboration on surgical teams but not with scale measures of teamwork climate, safety climate, or working conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Davenport, Daniel L; Henderson, William G; Mosca, Cecilia L; Khuri, Shukri F; Mentzer, Robert M

2007-12-01

Since the Institute of Medicine patient safety reports, a number of survey-based measures of organizational climate safety factors (OCSFs) have been developed. The goal of this study was to measure the impact of OCSFs on risk-adjusted surgical morbidity and mortality. Surveys were administered to staff on general/vascular surgery services during a year. Surveys included multiitem scales measuring OCSFs. Additionally, perceived levels of communication and collaboration with coworkers were assessed. The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program was used to assess risk-adjusted morbidity and mortality. Correlations between outcomes and OCSFs were calculated and between outcomes and communication/collaboration with attending and resident doctors, nurses, and other providers. Fifty-two sites participated in the survey: 44 Veterans Affairs and 8 academic medical centers. A total of 6,083 surveys were returned, for a response rate of 52%. The OCSF measures of teamwork climate, safety climate, working conditions, recognition of stress effects, job satisfaction, and burnout demonstrated internal validity but did not correlate with risk-adjusted outcomes. Reported levels of communication/collaboration with attending and resident doctors correlated with risk-adjusted morbidity. Survey-based teamwork, safety climate, and working conditions scales are not confirmed to measure organizational factors that influence risk-adjusted surgical outcomes. Reported communication/collaboration with attending and resident doctors on surgical services influenced patient morbidity. This suggests the importance of doctors' coordination and decision-making roles on surgical teams in providing high-quality and safe care. We propose risk-adjusted morbidity as an effective measure of surgical patient safety.

Parametric Design Strategies for Collaborative Urban Design

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Steinø, Nicolai; Yıldırım, Miray Baş; Özkar, Mine

2013-01-01

to the collaboration between professionals, participation by different non-professional stakeholders, such as residents, local authorities, non-governmental organizations and investors, is another important component of collaborative urban design processes. The involvement of community in decision making process...... implications of planning and design decisions, unless they are presented with relatively detailed architectural models, whether physical or virtual. This however, typically presents steep demands in terms of time and resources. As a foundation for our work with parametric urban design lies the hypothesis...... to solve different scripting challenges. The paper is organized into an introduction, three main sections and closing section with conclusions and perspectives. The first section of the paper gives a theoretical discussion of the notion of collaborative design and the challenges of collaborative urban...

A Problem-Solving Model for Literacy Coaching Practice

Science.gov (United States)

Toll, Cathy A.

2017-01-01

Literacy coaches are more effective when they have a clear plan for their collaborations with teachers. This article provides details of such a plan, which involves identifying a problem, understanding the problem, deciding what to do differently, and trying something different. For each phase of the problem-solving model, there are key tasks for…

Identifying Interdisciplinary Research Collaboration in Instructional Technology

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Yonjoo

2017-01-01

Interdisciplinarity is defined as communication and collaboration across academic disciplines. The instructional technology (IT) field has claimed to have an interdisciplinary nature influenced by neighboring fields such as psychology, communication, and management. However, it has been difficult to find outstanding evidence of the field's…

Using remote participation tools to improve collaborations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balme, S.; How, J.; Theis, J.M.; Utzel, N.

2005-01-01

Research on fusion requires effective collaboration between members who are not co-located in time and space. In order that distance should not restrict collaboration, this paper gives ideas and solutions to encourage and improve remote participation. This includes techniques for:1.'On-line' discussions with internet via instant messaging (IM). 2.Sharing a publication space, using a collaborative web workspace. 3.Equipping dedicated meeting rooms with flexible communication and collaboration tools, hardware and software for multi-standard videoconferences. 4.Sharing presentations and supervision screens. 5.Participating remotely to experiments

Problem Solving Reasoning and Problem Based Instruction in Geometry Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Sulistyowati, F.; Budiyono, B.; Slamet, I.

2017-09-01

This research aims to analyze the comparison Problem Solving Reasoning (PSR) and Problem Based Instruction (PBI) on problem solving and mathematical communication abilities viewed from Self-Regulated Learning (SRL). Learning was given to grade 8th junior high school students. This research uses quasi experimental method, and then with descriptive analysis. Data were analyzed using two-ways multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with different cells. The result of data analysis were learning model gives different effect, level of SRL gives the same effect, and there is no interaction between the learning model with the SRL on the problem solving and mathematical communication abilities. The t-test statistic was used to find out more effective learning model. Based on the test, regardless of the level of SRL, PSR is more effective than PBI for problemsolving ability. The result of descriptive analysis was PSR had the advantage in creating learning that optimizing the ability of learners in reasoning to solve a mathematical problem. Consequently, the PSR is the right learning model to be applied in the classroom to improve problem solving ability of learners.

Tools for collaboration across STEM fields

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

James A. Ejiwale

2012-08-01

Full Text Available

Supporting learners at different stages of learning is essential to achieve positive learning, critical thinking, technical and problem solving skills, and gainful employment upon graduation. Collaboration is critical to providing strong foundational educational support to all learners as they advance to higher level of learning. More important is the need to promote collaboration among educators and other professionals across the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM fields who educate the learners throughout their academic pursuit in their respective institutions of learning. To reap the value in diverse teams, the promotion of emergent interdependence fosters seamless collaborative activities across STEM disciplines.  For industrial technology programs to prepare students with skills necessary to supervise and manage the future workforce of any organization successfully, necessary tools must be utilized for the success of the collaborative effort. This paper addresses leadership and knowledge sharing among collaborators, the educational aspects of research facilities and research clusters as some of the tools necessary to develop program through collaboration in STEM fields.

Tools for collaboration across STEM fields

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

James A. Ejiwale

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Supporting learners at different stages of learning is essential to achieve positive learning, critical thinking, technical and problem solving skills, and gainful employment upon graduation. Collaboration is critical to providing strong foundational educational support to all learners as they advance to higher level of learning. More important is the need to promote collaboration among educators and other professionals across the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM fields who educate the learners throughout their academic pursuit in their respective institutions of learning. To reap the value in diverse teams, the promotion of emergent interdependence fosters seamless collaborative activities across STEM disciplines.  For industrial technology programs to prepare students with skills necessary to supervise and manage the future workforce of any organization successfully, necessary tools must be utilized for the success of the collaborative effort. This paper addresses leadership and knowledge sharing among collaborators, the educational aspects of research facilities and research clusters as some of the tools necessary to develop program through collaboration in STEM fields.  

Collaboration and communication in colorectal cancer care: a qualitative study of the challenges experienced by patients and health care professionals

Science.gov (United States)

Kamradt, Martina; Baudendistel, Ines; Längst, Gerda; Kiel, Marion; Eckrich, Felicitas; Winkler, Eva; Szecsenyi, Joachim; Ose, Dominik

2015-01-01

Background. Colorectal cancer is becoming a chronic condition. This has significant implications for the delivery of health care and implies the involvement of a range of health care professionals (HCPs) from different settings to ensure the needed quality and continuity of care. Objectives. To explore the challenges that patients and HCPs experience in the course of colorectal cancer care and the perceived consequences caused by these challenges. Methods. Ten semi-structured focus groups were conducted including patients receiving treatment for colorectal cancer, representatives of patient support groups, physicians and other non-physician HCPs from different health care settings. Participants were asked to share their experiences regarding colorectal cancer care. All data were audio- and videotaped, transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed using qualitative content analysis. Results. Patients and HCPs (total N = 47) experienced collaboration and communication as well as exchange of information between HCPs as challenging. Particularly communication and information exchange with GPs appeared to be lacking. The difficulties identified restricted a well-working coordination of care and seemed to cause inappropriate health care. Conclusion. Colorectal cancer care seems to require an effective, well-working collaboration and communication between the different HCPs involved ensuring the best possible care to suit patients’ individual needs. However, the perceived challenges and consequences of our participants seem to restrict the delivery of the needed quality of care. Therefore, it seems crucial (i) to include all HCPs involved, especially the GP, (ii) to support an efficient and standardized exchange of health-related information and (iii) to focus on the patients’ entire pathway of care. PMID:26311705

Integrating Study Skills and Problem Solving into Remedial Mathematics

Science.gov (United States)

Cornick, Jonathan; Guy, G. Michael; Beckford, Ian

2015-01-01

Students at a large urban community college enrolled in seven classes of an experimental remedial algebra programme, which integrated study skills instruction and collaborative problem solving. A control group of seven classes was taught in a traditional lecture format without study skills instruction. Student performance in the course was…

Investigation of physics thought experiments’ effects on students’ logical problem solving skills

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ince Elif

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study, investigation of physics thought experiments’ effects on students’ logical problem-solving skills in collaborative groups. In this context, it was requested to undergraduate students who have taken General Physics I and General Physics II to develop thought experiments in order to solve daily life problems. At the next stage, students’ thought experiments were classified according to common issues in cooperative groups and were asked to try to solve the problems by using thought experiments’ process from each group. As a result of this study; students’ thought experiments related to daily life were developed and problem solving processes have been presented in detail.

Design and evaluation of virtual environments mechanisms to support remote collaboration on complex process diagrams

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Poppe, E.; Brown, R.; Recker, J.; Johnson, D.; Vanderfeesten, I.T.P.

2017-01-01

Many organizational analysis tasks are solved by collaborating teams. In technology-mediated collaborations, enabling relevant visual cues is a core issue with existing technology. We explore whether avatars can provide relevant cues in collaborative virtual environments. To do so, we develop a

Solving Out Loud : using discourse as a means to promote problem solving, motivation, and metacognition in a mathematics classroom

OpenAIRE

King, Megan E.

2011-01-01

Classroom communication can often be a teacher-centered discussion. Due to the teacher centered format of discussions students are not engaging in meaningful discourse in mathematics classroom, which is part of the NCTM 2000 Standards as well as a necessary component to learning. Students can only learn communication skills when discourse is a central feature from the classroom. In addition, students must explicitly learn problem-solving skills. Unfortunately, many of these features are absen...

Does an intelligent tutor homework system encourage beneficial collaboration?

Science.gov (United States)

van de Sande, Brett; Hausmann, Robert

2008-03-01

Physics instructors agree that homework assignments are an integral part of physics instruction. When students complete their assignments, we know they may work individually or in small groups. Unfortunately, most computer-based homework systems are structured for individual learners. In particular, these systems only evaluate the final answer, putting pressure on any students working in groups to engage in copying. In contrast, Andes is an intelligent tutor homework helper that requires students to show intermediate steps when solving a problem. Andes has been used successfully by instructors at several colleges and high schools. In order to investigate collaborative versus individual problem solving, we conducted a lab study where we recorded verbal self-explanations and logged solution steps as individuals and student pairs used Andes to solve a set of problems. We found that students working in pairs relied less on the tutor's hints and engaged in collaborative sense-making. Implications for instructional practices are discussed.

Backtrack Programming: A Computer-Based Approach to Group Problem Solving.

Science.gov (United States)

Scott, Michael D.; Bodaken, Edward M.

Backtrack problem-solving appears to be a viable alternative to current problem-solving methodologies. It appears to have considerable heuristic potential as a conceptual and operational framework for small group communication research, as well as functional utility for the student group in the small group class or the management team in the…

Success in Science, Success in Collaboration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Johnston, Mariann R. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2016-08-25

This is a series of four different scientific problems which were resolved through collaborations. They are: "Better flow cytometry through novel focusing technology", "Take Off^®: Helping the Agriculture Industry Improve the Viability of Sustainable, Large-Production Crops", "The National Institutes of Health's Models of Infectious Disease Agent Study (MIDAS)", and "Expanding the capabilities of SOLVE/RESOLVE through the PHENIX Consortium." For each one, the problem is listed, the solution, advantages, bottom line, then information about the collaboration including: developing the technology, initial success, and continued success.

Collaborative gaming and competition for CS-STEM education using SPHERES Zero Robotics

Science.gov (United States)

Nag, Sreeja; Katz, Jacob G.; Saenz-Otero, Alvar

2013-02-01

There is widespread investment of resources in the fields of Computer Science, Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (CS-STEM) education to improve STEM interests and skills. This paper addresses the goal of revolutionizing student education using collaborative gaming and competition, both in virtual simulation environments and on real hardware in space. The concept is demonstrated using the SPHERES Zero Robotics (ZR) Program which is a robotics programming competition. The robots are miniature satellites called SPHERES—an experimental test bed developed by the MIT SSL on the International Space Station (ISS) to test navigation, formation flight and control algorithms in microgravity. The participants compete to win a technically challenging game by programming their strategies into the SPHERES satellites, completely from a web browser. The programs are demonstrated in simulation, on ground hardware and then in a final competition when an astronaut runs the student software aboard the ISS. ZR had a pilot event in 2009 with 10 High School (HS) students, a nationwide pilot tournament in 2010 with over 200 HS students from 19 US states, a summer tournament in 2010 with ˜150 middle school students and an open-registration tournament in 2011 with over 1000 HS students from USA and Europe. The influence of collaboration was investigated by (1) building new web infrastructure and an Integrated Development Environment where intensive inter-participant collaboration is possible, (2) designing and programming a game to solve a relevant formation flight problem, collaborative in nature—and (3) structuring a tournament such that inter-team collaboration is mandated. This paper introduces the ZR web tools, assesses the educational value delivered by the program using space and games and evaluates the utility of collaborative gaming within this framework. There were three types of collaborations as variables—within matches (to achieve game objectives), inter

Creating Joint Representations of Collaborative Problem Solving with Multi-Touch Technology

Science.gov (United States)

Mercier, E.; Higgins, S.

2014-01-01

Multi-touch surfaces have the potential to change the nature of computer-supported collaborative learning, allowing more equitable access to shared digital content. In this paper, we explore how large multi-touch tables can be used by groups of students as an external representation of their group interaction processes. Video data from 24 groups…

Application of the NCSA Habanero tool for collaboration on structural integrity assessments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bass, B.R.; Kruse, K.; Dodds, R.H. Jr.; Malik, S.N.M.

1998-11-01

The Habanero software was developed by the National Center for Superconducting Applications at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, as a framework for the collaborative sharing of Java applications. The Habanero tool performs distributed communication of single-user, computer software interactions to a multiuser collaborative environment. An investigation was conducted to evaluate the capabilities of the Habanero tool in providing an Internet-based collaborative framework for researchers located at different sites and operating on different workstations. These collaborative sessions focused on the sharing of test data and analysis results from materials engineering areas (i.e., fracture mechanics and structural integrity evaluations) related to reactor pressure vessel safety research sponsored by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. This report defines collaborative-system requirements for engineering applications and provides an overview of collaborative systems within the project. The installation, application, and detailed evaluation of the performance of the Habanero collaborative tool are compared to those of another commercially available collaborative product. Recommendations are given for future work in collaborative communications

Responsive parenting: establishing early foundations for social, communication, and independent problem-solving skills.

Science.gov (United States)

Landry, Susan H; Smith, Karen E; Swank, Paul R

2006-07-01

Mothers whose infants varied in early biological characteristics (born at term, n = 120; born at very low birth weight [VLBW], n = 144) were randomized to a target group (n = 133) or developmental feedback comparison group (n = 131) to determine whether learning responsive behaviors would facilitate infant development. The target condition included videotaped examples, problem-solving activities, and mothers' critique of their own behaviors through video procedures across 10 home visits. All target versus comparison mothers showed greater increases across multiple responsiveness behaviors observed in 4 assessments conducted across 6-13 months of age; changes in emotionally supportive behaviors were strongest for target mothers of infants born at VLBW. Increased maternal responsiveness facilitated greater growth in target infants' social, emotional, communication, and cognitive competence, supporting a causal role for responsiveness on infant development. Although benefits were generally comparable across risk groups, aspects of social and emotional skills showed greater change for those born at VLBW. Evidence for responsiveness as a multidimensional construct was provided as well as the importance of different aspects of responsiveness mediating the effect of the intervention on different infant skill domains.

Congestion Control and Traffic Scheduling for Collaborative Crowdsourcing in SDN Enabled Mobile Wireless Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dawei Shen

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Currently, a number of crowdsourcing-based mobile applications have been implemented in mobile networks and Internet of Things (IoT, targeted at real-time services and recommendation. The frequent information exchanges and data transmissions in collaborative crowdsourcing are heavily injected into the current communication networks, which poses great challenges for Mobile Wireless Networks (MWN. This paper focuses on the traffic scheduling and load balancing problem in software-defined MWN and designs a hybrid routing forwarding scheme as well as a congestion control algorithm to achieve the feasible solution. The traffic scheduling algorithm first sorts the tasks in an ascending order depending on the amount of tasks and then solves it using a greedy scheme. In the proposed congestion control scheme, the traffic assignment is first transformed into a multiknapsack problem, and then the Artificial Fish Swarm Algorithm (AFSA is utilized to solve this problem. Numerical results on practical network topology reveal that, compared with the traditional schemes, the proposed congestion control and traffic scheduling schemes can achieve load balancing, reduce the probability of network congestion, and improve the network throughput.

Communication Games: Participant's Manual.

Science.gov (United States)

Krupar, Karen R.

Using a series of communicational games, the author leads the participant through self-awareness, verbal and nonverbal communication, decision-making, problem-solving, and skills in perception, listening, and small group, organizational, and cultural communications. The thesis behind the book is that model-making, role-playing, or other forms of…

Front-Stage Stars and Backstage Producers: The Role of Judges in Problem-Solving Courts1

OpenAIRE

Portillo, Shannon; Rudes, Danielle; Viglione, Jill; Nelson, Matthew; Taxman, Faye

2013-01-01

In problem-solving courts judges are no longer neutral arbitrators in adversarial justice processes. Instead, judges directly engage with court participants. The movement towards problem-solving court models emerges from a collaborative therapeutic jurisprudence framework. While most scholars argue judges are the central courtroom actors within problem-solving courts, we find judges are the stars front-stage, but play a more supporting role backstage. We use Goffman's front-stage-backstage fr...

What's in a Friendship? Partner Visibility Supports Cognitive Collaboration between Friends.

Science.gov (United States)

Brennan, Allison A; Enns, James T

2015-01-01

Not all cognitive collaborations are equally effective. We tested whether friendship and communication influenced collaborative efficiency by randomly assigning participants to complete a cognitive task with a friend or non-friend, while visible to their partner or separated by a partition. Collaborative efficiency was indexed by comparing each pair's performance to an optimal individual performance model of the same two people. The outcome was a strong interaction between friendship and partner visibility. Friends collaborated more efficiently than non-friends when visible to one another, but a partition that prevented pair members from seeing one another reduced the collaborative efficiency of friends and non-friends to a similar lower level. Secondary measures suggested that verbal communication differences, but not psychophysiological arousal, contributed to these effects. Analysis of covariance indicated that females contributed more than males to overall levels of collaboration, but that the interaction of friendship and visibility was independent of that effect. These findings highlight the critical role of partner visibility in the collaborative success of friends.

Experiential, Collaborative and Team Projects: Communication Audits in the MBA Communication Course

Science.gov (United States)

Hart, Claudia; Vroman, Margo; Stulz, Karin

2015-01-01

In this paper the authors discuss the challenges and rewards of building a graduate level Managerial Communication course around an experiential communication audit project. The purpose of the project was to provide MBA (Master of Business Administration) students with exposure to the real world responsibilities and demands of working in a complex…

In the Loop: The Organization of Team-Based Communication in a Patient-Centered Clinical Collaboration System.

Science.gov (United States)

Kurahashi, Allison M; Weinstein, Peter B; Jamieson, Trevor; Stinson, Jennifer N; Cafazzo, Joseph A; Lokuge, Bhadra; Morita, Plinio P; Cohen, Eyal; Rapoport, Adam; Bezjak, Andrea; Husain, Amna

2016-03-24

We describe the development and evaluation of a secure Web-based system for the purpose of collaborative care called Loop. Loop assembles the team of care with the patient as an integral member of the team in a secure space. The objectives of this paper are to present the iterative design of the separate views for health care providers (HCPs) within each patient's secure space and examine patients', caregivers', and HCPs' perspectives on this separate view for HCP-only communication. The overall research program includes cycles of ethnography, prototyping, usability testing, and pilot testing. This paper describes the usability testing phase that directly informed development. A descriptive qualitative approach was used to analyze participant perspectives that emerged during usability testing. During usability testing, we sampled 89 participants from three user groups: 23 patients, 19 caregivers, and 47 HCPs. Almost all perspectives from the three user groups supported the need for an HCP-only communication view. In an earlier prototype, the visual presentation caused confusion among HCPs when reading and composing messages about whether a message was visible to the patient. Usability testing guided us to design a more deliberate distinction between posting in the Patient and Team view and the Health Care Provider Only view at the time of composing a message, which once posted is distinguished by an icon. The team made a decision to incorporate an HCP-only communication view based on findings during earlier phases of work. During usability testing we tested the separate communication views, and all groups supported this partition. We spent considerable effort designing the partition; however, preliminary findings from the next phase of evaluation, pilot testing, show that the Patient and Team communication is predominantly being used. This demonstrates the importance of a subsequent phase of the clinical trial of Loop to validate the concept and design.

Peripheral Social Awareness Information in Collaborative Work.

Science.gov (United States)

Spring, Michael B.; Vathanophas, Vichita

2003-01-01

Discusses being aware of other members of a team in a collaborative environment and reports on a study that examined group performance on a task that was computer mediated with and without awareness information. Examines how an awareness tool impacts the quality of a collaborative work effort and the communications between group members.…

Structuring collaboration scripts for mastership skills: Optimizing online group play on classroom dilemmas in teacher education

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hummel, Hans; Geerts, Walter; Slootmaker, Aad; Kuipers, Derek; Westera, Wim

2014-01-01

Serious games can facilitate workplace learning, for instance when collaboration on solving professional problems is involved. The optimal structure in collaboration scripts for such games has appeared to be a key success factor. Free collaboration does not systematically produce effective

Collaborative design in education : evaluation of three approaches

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Leeuwen, van J.P.; Gassel, van F.J.M.; Otter, den A.F.H.J.; Duarte, J.P.; Sampaio, A.Z.

2005-01-01

Collaboration in design can take place in a physical, social space, in a distributed or virtual environment, or in a combination of both. Design teams use a range of ICT means to support both synchronous and asynchronous communication. While these tools are designed to facilitate collaboration, the

Hybrid collaborative optimization based on selection strategy of initial point and adaptive relaxation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ji, Aimin; Yin, Xu; Yuan, Minghai [Hohai University, Changzhou (China)

2015-09-15

There are two problems in Collaborative optimization (CO): (1) the local optima arising from the selection of an inappropriate initial point; (2) the low efficiency and accuracy root in inappropriate relaxation factors. To solve these problems, we first develop the Latin hypercube design (LHD) to determine an initial point of optimization, and then use the non-linear programming by quadratic Lagrangian (NLPQL) to search for the global solution. The effectiveness of the initial point selection strategy is verified by three benchmark functions with some dimensions and different complexities. Then we propose the Adaptive relaxation collaborative optimization (ARCO) algorithm to solve the inconsistency between the system level and the disciplines level, and in this method, the relaxation factors are determined according to the three separated stages of CO respectively. The performance of the ARCO algorithm is compared with the standard collaborative algorithm and the constant relaxation collaborative algorithm with a typical numerical example, which indicates that the ARCO algorithm is more efficient and accurate. Finally, we propose a Hybrid collaborative optimization (HCO) approach, which integrates the selection strategy of initial point with the ARCO algorithm. The results show that HCO can achieve the global optimal solution without the initial value and it also has advantages in convergence, accuracy and robustness. Therefore, the proposed HCO approach can solve the CO problems with applications in the spindle and the speed reducer.

Hybrid collaborative optimization based on selection strategy of initial point and adaptive relaxation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ji, Aimin; Yin, Xu; Yuan, Minghai

2015-01-01

There are two problems in Collaborative optimization (CO): (1) the local optima arising from the selection of an inappropriate initial point; (2) the low efficiency and accuracy root in inappropriate relaxation factors. To solve these problems, we first develop the Latin hypercube design (LHD) to determine an initial point of optimization, and then use the non-linear programming by quadratic Lagrangian (NLPQL) to search for the global solution. The effectiveness of the initial point selection strategy is verified by three benchmark functions with some dimensions and different complexities. Then we propose the Adaptive relaxation collaborative optimization (ARCO) algorithm to solve the inconsistency between the system level and the disciplines level, and in this method, the relaxation factors are determined according to the three separated stages of CO respectively. The performance of the ARCO algorithm is compared with the standard collaborative algorithm and the constant relaxation collaborative algorithm with a typical numerical example, which indicates that the ARCO algorithm is more efficient and accurate. Finally, we propose a Hybrid collaborative optimization (HCO) approach, which integrates the selection strategy of initial point with the ARCO algorithm. The results show that HCO can achieve the global optimal solution without the initial value and it also has advantages in convergence, accuracy and robustness. Therefore, the proposed HCO approach can solve the CO problems with applications in the spindle and the speed reducer

Negotiation and Contracting in Collaborative Networks

Science.gov (United States)

Oliveira, Ana Inês; Camarinha-Matos, Luis M.

Due to the increasing market turbulence, companies, organizations and individuals need to tune their actuation forms so that they can prevail. It is particularly essential to create alliances and partnerships for collaborative problem solving when responding to new businesses or collaborative opportunities. In all types of alliances it is necessary to establish agreements that represent the rights and duties of all involved parts in a given collaboration opportunity. Therefore, it is important to deeply understand the structures and requirements of these alliances, i.e. what kind of members does the alliance have, what kind of protocols may be implied, how conflicts may possibly be resolved, etc. Moreover to these requirements, also the required support tools and mechanisms have to be identified. For that, this paper presents a research work that is being carried in the negotiation and contracting field, in order to promote agility in collaborative networks.

Effective Communication Modes in Multilingual Encounters: Comparing Alternatives in Computer Mediated Communication (CMC)

Science.gov (United States)

van Mulken, Margot; Hendriks, Berna

2017-01-01

This paper reports on an experimental study investigating alternative communication modes to English as a Lingua Franca. The purpose was to examine the effectiveness of different modes of communication and to gain insight in communication strategies used by interlocutors to solve referential conflicts. Findings show that ELF may not necessarily be…

Conflict Management in "Ad Hoc" Problem-Solving Groups: A Preliminary Investigation.

Science.gov (United States)

Wallace, Les; Baxter, Leslie

Full study of small group communication must include consideration of task and socio-emotional dimensions, especially in relation to group problem solving. Thirty small groups were tested for their reactions in various "ad hoc" conflict resolution situations. Instructions to the groups were (1) no problem-solving instructions (control),…

Collaborative interactive visualization: exploratory concept

Science.gov (United States)

Mokhtari, Marielle; Lavigne, Valérie; Drolet, Frédéric

2015-05-01

Dealing with an ever increasing amount of data is a challenge that military intelligence analysts or team of analysts face day to day. Increased individual and collective comprehension goes through collaboration between people. Better is the collaboration, better will be the comprehension. Nowadays, various technologies support and enhance collaboration by allowing people to connect and collaborate in settings as varied as across mobile devices, over networked computers, display walls, tabletop surfaces, to name just a few. A powerful collaboration system includes traditional and multimodal visualization features to achieve effective human communication. Interactive visualization strengthens collaboration because this approach is conducive to incrementally building a mental assessment of the data meaning. The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of the envisioned collaboration architecture and the interactive visualization concepts underlying the Sensemaking Support System prototype developed to support analysts in the context of the Joint Intelligence Collection and Analysis Capability project at DRDC Valcartier. It presents the current version of the architecture, discusses future capabilities to help analyst(s) in the accomplishment of their tasks and finally recommends collaboration and visualization technologies allowing to go a step further both as individual and as a team.

Analysing collaboration among HIV agencies through combining network theory and relational coordination.

Science.gov (United States)

Khosla, Nidhi; Marsteller, Jill Ann; Hsu, Yea Jen; Elliott, David L

2016-02-01

Agencies with different foci (e.g. nutrition, social, medical, housing) serve people living with HIV (PLHIV). Serving needs of PLHIV comprehensively requires a high degree of coordination among agencies which often benefits from more frequent communication. We combined Social Network theory and Relational Coordination theory to study coordination among HIV agencies in Baltimore. Social Network theory implies that actors (e.g., HIV agencies) establish linkages amongst themselves in order to access resources (e.g., information). Relational Coordination theory suggests that high quality coordination among agencies or teams relies on the seven dimensions of frequency, timeliness and accuracy of communication, problem-solving communication, knowledge of agencies' work, mutual respect and shared goals. We collected data on frequency of contact from 57 agencies using a roster method. Response options were ordinal ranging from 'not at all' to 'daily'. We analyzed data using social network measures. Next, we selected agencies with which at least one-third of the sample reported monthly or more frequent interaction. This yielded 11 agencies whom we surveyed on seven relational coordination dimensions with questions scored on a Likert scale of 1-5. Network density, defined as the proportion of existing connections to all possible connections, was 20% when considering monthly or higher interaction. Relational coordination scores from individual agencies to others ranged between 1.17 and 5.00 (maximum possible score 5). The average scores for different dimensions across all agencies ranged between 3.30 and 4.00. Shared goals (4.00) and mutual respect (3.91) scores were highest, while scores such as knowledge of each other's work and problem-solving communication were relatively lower. Combining theoretically driven analyses in this manner offers an innovative way to provide a comprehensive picture of inter-agency coordination and the quality of exchange that underlies

Supporting Dynamic Ad hoc Collaboration Capabilities

CERN Document Server

Agarwal, D

2003-01-01

Modern HENP experiments such as CMS and Atlas involve as many as 2000 collaborators around the world. Collaborations this large will be unable to meet often enough to support working closely together. Many of the tools currently available for collaboration focus on heavy-weight applications such as videoconferencing tools. While these are important, there is a more basic need for tools that support connecting physicists to work together on an ad hoc or continuous basis. Tools that support the day-to-day connectivity and underlying needs of a group of collaborators are important for providing light-weight, non-intrusive, and flexible ways to work collaboratively. Some example tools include messaging, file-sharing, and shared plot viewers. An important component of the environment is a scalable underlying communication framework. In this paper we will describe our current progress on building a dynamic and ad hoc collaboration environment and our vision for its evolution into a HENP collaboration environment.

Supporting Dynamic Ad hoc Collaboration Capabilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Agarwal, Deborah A.; Berket, Karlo

2003-01-01

Modern HENP experiments such as CMS and Atlas involve as many as 2000 collaborators around the world. Collaborations this large will be unable to meet often enough to support working closely together. Many of the tools currently available for collaboration focus on heavy-weight applications such as videoconferencing tools. While these are important, there is a more basic need for tools that support connecting physicists to work together on an ad hoc or continuous basis. Tools that support the day-to-day connectivity and underlying needs of a group of collaborators are important for providing light-weight, non-intrusive, and flexible ways to work collaboratively. Some example tools include messaging, file-sharing, and shared plot viewers. An important component of the environment is a scalable underlying communication framework. In this paper we will describe our current progress on building a dynamic and ad hoc collaboration environment and our vision for its evolution into a HENP collaboration environment

No one can whistle a symphony: How hospitals design for daily cross-boundary collaboration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Prætorius, Thim; Hasle, Peter; Nielsen, Anders Paarup

2018-01-01

departments across four hospitals facing fast to slow response task requirements was carried out using interviews and observations. The selected cases were revealing as the departments had designed and formalized their daily hospital operations differently to solve collaboration and performance issues...... and hospital managers can consider designing bundles of organizational design features to proactively develop and ensure collaboration capable of solving collective tasks and bridging departmental and occupational silos to improve health care delivery. Originality/value: This research article addresses...

Internet-enabled collaborative agent-based supply chains

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Weiming; Kremer, Rob; Norrie, Douglas H.

2000-12-01

This paper presents some results of our recent research work related to the development of a new Collaborative Agent System Architecture (CASA) and an Infrastructure for Collaborative Agent Systems (ICAS). Initially being proposed as a general architecture for Internet based collaborative agent systems (particularly complex industrial collaborative agent systems), the proposed architecture is very suitable for managing the Internet enabled complex supply chain for a large manufacturing enterprise. The general collaborative agent system architecture with the basic communication and cooperation services, domain independent components, prototypes and mechanisms are described. Benefits of implementing Internet enabled supply chains with the proposed infrastructure are discussed. A case study on Internet enabled supply chain management is presented.

A Qualitative Descriptive Analysis of Collaboration Technology in the Navy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ryan Wark

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Collaboration technologies enable people to communicate and use information to make organizational decisions. The United States Navy refers to this concept as information dominance. Various collaboration technologies are used by the Navy to achieve this mission. This qualitative descriptive study objectively examined how a matrix oriented Navy activity perceived an implemented collaboration technology. These insights were used to determine whether a specific collaboration technology achieved a mission of information dominance. The study used six collaboration themes as a foundation to include: (a Cultural intelligence, (b Communication, (c Capability, (d Coordination, (e Cooperation, and (f Convergence. It was concluded that collaboration technology was mostly perceived well and helped to achieve some levels of information dominance. Collaboration technology improvement areas included bringing greater awareness to the collaboration technology, revamping the look and feel of the user interface, centrally paying for user and storage fees, incorporating more process management tools, strategically considering a Continuity of Operations, and incorporating additional industry best practices for data structures. Emerging themes of collaboration were collected to examine common patterns identified in the collected data. Emerging themes included acceptance, awareness, search, scope, content, value, tools, system performance, implementation, training, support, usage, structure, complexity, approach, governance/configuration management/policy, and resourcing.

The International Charter for Human Values in Healthcare: an interprofessional global collaboration to enhance values and communication in healthcare.

Science.gov (United States)

Rider, Elizabeth A; Kurtz, Suzanne; Slade, Diana; Longmaid, H Esterbrook; Ho, Ming-Jung; Pun, Jack Kwok-hung; Eggins, Suzanne; Branch, William T

2014-09-01

The human dimensions of healthcare--core values and skilled communication necessary for every healthcare interaction--are fundamental to compassionate, ethical, and safe relationship-centered care. The objectives of this paper are to: describe the development of the International Charter for Human Values in Healthcare which delineates core values, articulate the role of skilled communication in enacting these values, and provide examples showing translation of the Charter's values into action. We describe development of the Charter using combined qualitative research methods and the international, interprofessional collaboration of institutions and individuals worldwide. We identified five fundamental categories of human values for every healthcare interaction--Compassion, Respect for Persons, Commitment to Integrity and Ethical Practice, Commitment to Excellence, and Justice in Healthcare--and delineated subvalues within each category. We have disseminated the Charter internationally and incorporated it into education/training. Diverse healthcare partners have joined in this work. We chronicle the development and dissemination of the International Charter for Human Values in Healthcare, the role of skilled communication in demonstrating values, and provide examples of educational and clinical programs integrating these values. The Charter identifies and promotes core values clinicians and educators can demonstrate through skilled communication and use to advance humanistic educational programs and practice. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

The Interpretive Auditor: Reframing the Communication Audit.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Deborah

2002-01-01

Suggests communication auditors should be thought of as skilled and committed listeners to and within organizational communication processes. Distinguishes between functionalism and interpretivism in organizational communication. Describes a project based on a collaboration between scholars in sociolinguistics and organizational communication.…

Concept similarity in publications precedes cross-disciplinary collaboration.

Science.gov (United States)

Post, Andrew R; Harrison, James H

2008-11-06

Innovative science frequently occurs as a result of cross-disciplinary collaboration, the importance of which is reflected by recent NIH funding initiatives that promote communication and collaboration. If shared research interests between collaborators are important for the formation of collaborations,methods for identifying these shared interests across scientific domains could potentially reveal new and useful collaboration opportunities. MEDLINE represents a comprehensive database of collaborations and research interests, as reflected by article co-authors and concept content. We analyzed six years of citations using information retrieval based methods to compute articles conceptual similarity, and found that articles by basic and clinical scientists who later collaborated had significantly higher average similarity than articles by similar scientists who did not collaborate.Refinement of these methods and characterization of found conceptual overlaps could allow automated discovery of collaboration opportunities that are currently missed.

Participation and Collaboration in New Information Environment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Jørgen Lerche; Meyer, Kirsten

2004-01-01

in an International Environment , “Construction and Communication of Knowledge” and RUC-online . Because of trends in late modern society traditional ways of acquiring knowledge are no longer efficient. Instead students should collaboratively work on projects with a high degree of mo-tivation. Competencies like......In this paper we discuss the opportunities and possibilities the new information environment offers for collaboration and participation in learning processes. The findings are based on four major sources: “Scenarios in computer-mediated and net-based education” , CLIENT – Collaborative Learning...

Examining the Role of Collaborative Learning in a Public Speaking Course

Science.gov (United States)

Liao, Hsiang-Ann

2014-01-01

Collaborative learning has been found to benefit students in various disciplines. Moreover, in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics literature, it was noted that minority students benefited the most from collaborative learning. Studies on the effects of collaborative learning in communication are limited. As a result, I examined…

Mathematical Language Development and Talk Types in Computer Supported Collaborative Learning Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Symons, Duncan; Pierce, Robyn

2015-01-01

In this study we examine the use of cumulative and exploratory talk types in a year 5 computer supported collaborative learning environment. The focus for students in this environment was to participate in mathematical problem solving, with the intention of developing the proficiencies of problem solving and reasoning. Findings suggest that…

Collaborative testing: assessing teamwork and critical thinking behaviors in baccalaureate nursing students.

Science.gov (United States)

Wiggs, Carol M

2011-04-01

The purpose of this study was to foster teamwork and critical thinking behaviors in baccalaureate nursing students using a collaborative testing environment. Collaborative testing affords the nurse educator a unique opportunity to actively influence the development of critical thinking skills directly influencing the nursing student's ability to solve complex patient problems. Using a quasi-experimental approach exam scores from students in prior semesters were compared to students in several semesters using collaborative testing in one undergraduate course taught by the same faculty. In the experimental group collaborative testing was used in the two unit examinations, while the final examination remained individual. For collaborative testing the students were grouped by random assignment. They were not allowed the use of notes, textbooks, or other resource materials. Any student who wished to work alone was allowed do so and any student coming late (within 15 min of examination beginning) was required to work alone. Each student submitted individual examination answer forms, and groups were not required to reach consensus. Collaborative testing is one means to foster critical thinking by allowing students to solve complex patient problems within an examination environment. This better prepares them for national certification exams. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Collaborative Environment and Agile Development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bogdan GHILIC-MICU

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Over time, information and communications technology development has made a direct impact on human activity in the individual context as well as familial, economic and social. This has laid the premise for adoption of new and modern paradigms in individual and organizational activity management. The evolutionary climax of the social universe is called nowadays knowledge society. The knowledge society succeeds the information society, emphasizing the development of the opportunities brought by collaborative work environment and agile approach. In this paper we will highlight the use of collaborative environment in agile software development, as an instrument for managing organizations in knowledge society. Thus, we will emphasize the paradigms of agile testing, validation and verification in collaborative environment.

Machine Translation Effect on Communication

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Mika Yasuoka; Bjørn, Pernille

2011-01-01

Intercultural collaboration facilitated by machine translation has gradually spread in various settings. Still, little is known as for the practice of machine-translation mediated communication. This paper investigates how machine translation affects intercultural communication in practice. Based...... on communication in which multilingual communication system is applied, we identify four communication types and its’ influences on stakeholders’ communication process, especially focusing on establishment and maintenance of common ground. Different from our expectation that quality of machine translation results...

The contribution of electronic communication media to the design process : communicative and cultural implications

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Luxemburg, A.P.D.; Ulijn, J.M.; Amare, N.

2002-01-01

Innovation in a company's design process is increasingly a matter of cooperation between the company and its customers. New information and communication technology (ICT) possibilities such as electronic communication (EC) media generate even more opportunities for companies to collaborate with

Encrypted Objects and Decryption Processes: Problem-Solving with Functions in a Learning Environment Based on Cryptography

Science.gov (United States)

White, Tobin

2009-01-01

This paper introduces an applied problem-solving task, set in the context of cryptography and embedded in a network of computer-based tools. This designed learning environment engaged students in a series of collaborative problem-solving activities intended to introduce the topic of functions through a set of linked representations. In a…

Relating Communications Mode Choice and Teamwork Quality: Conversational versus Textual Communication in IT System and Software Development Teams

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, James Robert

2012-01-01

This cross-sectional study explored how IT system and software development team members communicated in the workplace and whether teams that used more verbal communication (and less text-based communication) experienced higher levels of collaboration as measured using the Teamwork Quality (TWQ) scale. Although computer-mediated communication tools…

Fostering multidisciplinary learning through computer-supported collaboration script: The role of a transactive memory script

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Noroozi, O.; Weinberger, A.; Biemans, H.J.A.; Teasley, S.D.; Mulder, M.

2012-01-01

For solving many of today's complex problems, professionals need to collaborate in multidisciplinary teams. Facilitation of knowledge awareness and coordination among group members, that is through a Transactive Memory System (TMS), is vital in multidisciplinary collaborative settings. Online

Preparing Students for the 21st Century: Exploring the Effect of Afterschool Participation on Students' Collaboration Skills, Oral Communication Skills, and Self-Efficacy. CRESST Report 777

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Denise; Leon, Seth; Hodson, Cheri; La Torre, Deborah; Obregon, Nora; Rivera, Gwendelyn

2010-01-01

This study addressed key questions about LA's BEST afterschool students' self-efficacy, collaboration, and communication skills. We compared student perceptions of their own 21st century skills to external outcome measures including the California Standardized Test (CST), attendance, and teacher ratings. We found a substantial relationship…

Problem-Solving Rubrics Revisited: Attending to the Blending of Informal Conceptual and Formal Mathematical Reasoning

Science.gov (United States)

Hull, Michael M.; Kuo, Eric; Gupta, Ayush; Elby, Andrew

2013-01-01

Much research in engineering and physics education has focused on improving students' problem-solving skills. This research has led to the development of step-by-step problem-solving strategies and grading rubrics to assess a student's expertise in solving problems using these strategies. These rubrics value "communication" between the…

Tangible Technology-Enhanced Learning for Improvement of Student Collaboration

Science.gov (United States)

Barneva, Reneta P.; Gelsomini, Federico; Kanev, Kamen; Bottoni, Paolo

2018-01-01

Collaboration among students in the course of learning plays an important role in developing communication skills. In particular, it helps for team building and brainstorming on solutions of complex problems. While an effective group organization is critical for the success of such collaborative learning, many instructors would make arbitrary…

Students without Borders: Global Collaborative Learning Connects School to the Real World

Science.gov (United States)

Bickley, Mali; Carleton, Jim

2009-01-01

Kids can't help but get engaged when they're collaborating with peers across the globe to solve real-life problems. Global collaborative learning is about connecting students in communities of learners around the world so they can work together on projects that make a difference locally and globally. It is about building relationships and…

Managing Communications with Experts in Geographically Distributed Collaborative Networks

Science.gov (United States)

2009-03-01

communication. Chat and instant messaging supports enhanced group communication and normally includes features to save this synchronous communication for...means to find and receive information. 5. Online Instruction eLearning : The flow of knowledge is important to a CoP. eLearning contributes to this by...providing a cost efficient way of promoting knowledge flow in a more traditional manner. It has evolved from earlier versions (i.e., computer or

Applied cognitive behavioral analysis as an effective tool for the development of communication skills and problem solving behavior in adolescents diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome

OpenAIRE

Spilka, Ivo

2013-01-01

This Rigorosum Thesis work puts mind to questions how to effectively work with adolescents they were diagnosed with Aspereger's Syndrome. Based on author-led concrete development project, it proves the high efficiency of cognitive behavior techniques for the social learning and the training and improvement of communication skills or additionally for problem behavior solving. Together with those frequently used tools it shows other opportunities how to raise efficiency - especially of Kaizen p...

Web-based Collaborative learning in secondary education: Teachers’ reflection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hsi-Chi Hsiao

2010-06-01

Full Text Available This article is based on the researchers’ reflections after twice participating in a Web-based Collaborative Learning Program Contest. The contests were held by Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC Cyber Academy (ACA. In collaborative learning, teachers are expected to provide participants with scaffolding assistance. The ACA is designed to provide student-centered activities for enhancing skills in information and communication technologies. Students are expected to find data, prepare presentations, and report their topics in English to communicate with other teams from other countries. During these processes, the researcher tried to apply theoretical models such as computerized instruction and topic based learning. The results of this study show the various benefits of Web-based Collaborative Learning for students and teachers. This study also includes several recommendations for primary and secondary schools.

Distance collaborations with industry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Peskin, A.; Swyler, K.

1998-06-01

The college industry relationship has been identified as a key policy issue in Engineering Education. Collaborations between academic institutions and the industrial sector have a long history and a bright future. For Engineering and Engineering Technology programs in particular, industry has played a crucial role in many areas including advisement, financial support, and practical training of both faculty and students. Among the most important and intimate interactions are collaborative projects and formal cooperative education arrangements. Most recently, such collaborations have taken on a new dimension, as advances in technology have made possible meaningful technical collaboration at a distance. There are several obvious technology areas that have contributed significantly to this trend. Foremost is the ubiquitous presence of the Internet. Perhaps almost as important are advances in computer based imaging. Because visual images offer a compelling user experience, it affords greater knowledge transfer efficiency than other modes of delivery. Furthermore, the quality of the image appears to have a strongly correlated effect on insight. A good visualization facility offers both a means for communication and a shared information space for the subjects, which are among the essential features of both peer collaboration and distance learning.

Teaching problem-solving skills to nuclear engineering students

Science.gov (United States)

Waller, E.; Kaye, M. H.

2012-08-01

Problem solving is an essential skill for nuclear engineering graduates entering the workforce. Training in qualitative and quantitative aspects of problem solving allows students to conceptualise and execute solutions to complex problems. Solutions to problems in high consequence fields of study such as nuclear engineering require rapid and accurate analysis of the problems, design of solutions (focusing on public safety, environmental stewardship and ethics), solution execution and monitoring results. A three-month course in problem solving, modelling and simulation was designed and a collaborative approach was undertaken with instructors from both industry and academia. Training was optimised for the laptop-based pedagogy, which provided unique advantages for a course that includes modelling and simulation components. The concepts and tools learned as part of the training were observed to be utilised throughout the duration of student university studies and interviews with students who have entered the workforce indicate that the approaches learned and practised are retained long term.

Classic Conversational Norms in Modern Computer-Mediated Collaboration

Science.gov (United States)

Oeberst, Aileen; Moskaliuk, Johannes

2016-01-01

This paper examines whether conversational norms that have been observed for face-to-face communication also hold in the context of a specific type of computer-mediated communication: collaboration (such as in Wikipedia). Specifically, we tested adherence to Grice's (1975) maxim of relation--the implicit demand to contribute information that is…

En retorisk forståelsesramme for Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (A Rhetorical Theory on Computer Supported Collaborative Learning)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Harlung, Asger

2003-01-01

The dissertation explores the potential of rhetorical theories for understanding, analyzing, or planning communication and learning processes, and for integrating the digitized contexts and human interaction and communication proccesses in a single theoretical framework. Based on Cicero's rhetori...... applied to two empirical case studies of Master programs, the dissertation develops and presents a new theory on Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL).......The dissertation explores the potential of rhetorical theories for understanding, analyzing, or planning communication and learning processes, and for integrating the digitized contexts and human interaction and communication proccesses in a single theoretical framework. Based on Cicero's rhetoric...

On Services for Collaborative Project Management

Science.gov (United States)

Ollus, Martin; Jansson, Kim; Karvonen, Iris; Uoti, Mikko; Riikonen, Heli

This paper presents an approach for collaborative project management. The focus is on the support of collaboration, communication and trust. Several project management tools exist for monitoring and control the performance of project tasks. However, support of important intangible assets is more difficult to find. In the paper a leadership approach is identified as a management means and the use of new IT technology, especially social media for support of leadership in project management is discussed.

Integrating clinical communication with clinical reasoning and the broader medical curriculum.

Science.gov (United States)

Cary, Julie; Kurtz, Suzanne

2013-09-01

The objectives of this paper are to discuss the results of a workshop conducted at EACH 2012. Specifically, we will (1) examine the link between communication, clinical reasoning, and medical problem solving, (2) explore strategies for (a) integrating clinical reasoning, medical problem solving, and content from the broader curriculum into clinical communication teaching and (b) integrating communication into the broader curriculum, and (3) discuss benefits gained from such integration. Salient features from the workshop were recorded and will be presented here, as well as a case example to illustrate important connections between clinical communication and clinical reasoning. Potential links between clinical communication, clinical reasoning, and medical problem solving as well as strategies to integrate clinical communication teaching and the broader curricula in human and veterinary medicine are enumerated. Participants expressed enthusiasm and keen interest in integration of clinical communication teaching and clinical reasoning during this workshop, came to the idea of the interdependence of these skills easily, and embraced the rationale immediately. Valuing the importance of communication as clinical skill and embracing the interdependence between communication and thought processes related to clinical reasoning and medical problem solving will be beneficial in teaching programs. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Interlaboratory Collaborations in the Undergraduate Setting

Science.gov (United States)

Megehee, Elise G.; Hyslop, Alison G.; Rosso, Richard J.

2005-01-01

A novel approach to cross-disciplinary and group learning, known as interlaboratory collaborations, was developed. The method mimics an industrial or research setting, fosters teamwork, and emphasizes the importance of good communication skills in the sciences.

ICT tools in collaborative engineering

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ir. Peter van Kollenburg; Dr.Ir. Hay Geraedts

2001-01-01

In the fall of 1999, we started, the Integrated Product Development- Collaborative Engineering ( IPD-CE) project as a first pilot. We experimented with modern communication technology in order to find useful tools for facilitating the cooperative work and the contacts of all the participants. Teams

International collaboration on inherently safe nuclear reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barkenbus, J.N.

1989-01-01

Science and technology transcend economic and political ideologies, providing a means of communications and approach common to both the United States and the Soviet Union. This paper suggests that the field of nuclear fission is a logical and productive area for superpower and broader collaboration, but that the kind of collaboration characteristic of past and present activity is less than it optimally could be. The case for cost sharing is compelling with budget constraints and mounting concerns over global warming. The case for collaboration is based on economic, psychological, and political grounds. A collaborative effort in nuclear fission is presented as a near term effort by building and testing of a prototype reactor in the 1990s

Designing a solution to enable agency-academic scientific collaboration for disasters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lindley A. Mease

2017-06-01

Full Text Available As large-scale environmental disasters become increasingly frequent and more severe globally, people and organizations that prepare for and respond to these crises need efficient and effective ways to integrate sound science into their decision making. Experience has shown that integrating nongovernmental scientific expertise into disaster decision making can improve the quality of the response, and is most effective if the integration occurs before, during, and after a crisis, not just during a crisis. However, collaboration between academic, government, and industry scientists, decision makers, and responders is frequently difficult because of cultural differences, misaligned incentives, time pressures, and legal constraints. Our study addressed this challenge by using the Deep Change Method, a design methodology developed by Stanford ChangeLabs, which combines human-centered design, systems analysis, and behavioral psychology. We investigated underlying needs and motivations of government agency staff and academic scientists, mapped the root causes underlying the relationship failures between these two communities based on their experiences, and identified leverage points for shifting deeply rooted perceptions that impede collaboration. We found that building trust and creating mutual value between multiple stakeholders before crises occur is likely to increase the effectiveness of problem solving. We propose a solution, the Science Action Network, which is designed to address barriers to scientific collaboration by providing new mechanisms to build and improve trust and communication between government administrators and scientists, industry representatives, and academic scientists. The Science Action Network has the potential to ensure cross-disaster preparedness and science-based decision making through novel partnerships and scientific coordination.

Designing a solution to enable agency-academic scientific collaboration for disasters

Science.gov (United States)

Mease, Lindley A.; Gibbs-Plessl, Theodora; Erickson, Ashley; Ludwig, Kristin A.; Reddy, Christopher M.; Lubchenco, Jane

2017-01-01

As large-scale environmental disasters become increasingly frequent and more severe globally, people and organizations that prepare for and respond to these crises need efficient and effective ways to integrate sound science into their decision making. Experience has shown that integrating nongovernmental scientific expertise into disaster decision making can improve the quality of the response, and is most effective if the integration occurs before, during, and after a crisis, not just during a crisis. However, collaboration between academic, government, and industry scientists, decision makers, and responders is frequently difficult because of cultural differences, misaligned incentives, time pressures, and legal constraints. Our study addressed this challenge by using the Deep Change Method, a design methodology developed by Stanford ChangeLabs, which combines human-centered design, systems analysis, and behavioral psychology. We investigated underlying needs and motivations of government agency staff and academic scientists, mapped the root causes underlying the relationship failures between these two communities based on their experiences, and identified leverage points for shifting deeply rooted perceptions that impede collaboration. We found that building trust and creating mutual value between multiple stakeholders before crises occur is likely to increase the effectiveness of problem solving. We propose a solution, the Science Action Network, which is designed to address barriers to scientific collaboration by providing new mechanisms to build and improve trust and communication between government administrators and scientists, industry representatives, and academic scientists. The Science Action Network has the potential to ensure cross-disaster preparedness and science-based decision making through novel partnerships and scientific coordination.

What’s in a Friendship? Partner Visibility Supports Cognitive Collaboration between Friends

Science.gov (United States)

Brennan, Allison A.; Enns, James T.

2015-01-01

Not all cognitive collaborations are equally effective. We tested whether friendship and communication influenced collaborative efficiency by randomly assigning participants to complete a cognitive task with a friend or non-friend, while visible to their partner or separated by a partition. Collaborative efficiency was indexed by comparing each pair’s performance to an optimal individual performance model of the same two people. The outcome was a strong interaction between friendship and partner visibility. Friends collaborated more efficiently than non-friends when visible to one another, but a partition that prevented pair members from seeing one another reduced the collaborative efficiency of friends and non-friends to a similar lower level. Secondary measures suggested that verbal communication differences, but not psychophysiological arousal, contributed to these effects. Analysis of covariance indicated that females contributed more than males to overall levels of collaboration, but that the interaction of friendship and visibility was independent of that effect. These findings highlight the critical role of partner visibility in the collaborative success of friends. PMID:26619079

The Effectiveness of Collaborative Couple Therapy on Communication Patterns and Intimacy of Couples Referring to Counseling Centers of Behbahan, Iran

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M Sodani

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background and Aim: Intimacy is a key characteristic of marital relationships and is one of the most prominent characteristics of a successful marriage. Communication patterns can also determine marital satisfaction. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of coupled collaborative therapy on communication patterns and intimacy of couples referring to Behbahan counseling centers. Methods: In this research, a single-trial experimental design, which was also called a single-trial trial, was used as a clinical trial. This design has different types. In the present study, several asynchronous base lines were used. Contrary to large-scale group comparison schemes, this design focuses on individual levels, not on average differences in pre-test and post-test. Another point of this plan is that fewer subjects are needed and couples completed the intimate questionnaire and communication patterns on the baseline, treatment and follow-up. Purposeful sampling was voluntary. The population of the study consisted of all disturbed couples referring to Behbahan psychological clinics. From these couples, 3 couples were selected based on entry and exit criteria. For analyzing the data, visual analysis (chart drawing, clinical significance (the changeover index and normative comparison, as well as the percentage of recovery, have been used. Results: The results indicated that couples experience improvement in intimacy (30.95% and interactive constructive communication model (47.05%, and in the communication model, the expected return (29.55% and communication pattern Interactive avoidance (33.64% showed a decrease. Likewise, data analysis using normative comparison showed that the couples after the treatment did not differ from the couples to the norm. Conclusion: Participatory couples’s therapy may increase the intimacy and constructive communication patterns and decrease the communication patterns of waiting and withdrawal

Communication of Robot Status to Improve Human-Robot Collaboration

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Future space exploration will require humans and robots to collaborate to perform all the necessary tasks. Current robots mostly operate separately from humans due...

Structuring communication relationships for interprofessional teamwork (SCRIPT: a cluster randomized controlled trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kenaszchuk Chris

2007-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Despite a burgeoning interest in using interprofessional approaches to promote effective collaboration in health care, systematic reviews find scant evidence of benefit. This protocol describes the first cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT to design and evaluate an intervention intended to improve interprofessional collaborative communication and patient-centred care. Objectives The objective is to evaluate the effects of a four-component, hospital-based staff communication protocol designed to promote collaborative communication between healthcare professionals and enhance patient-centred care. Methods The study is a multi-centre mixed-methods cluster randomized controlled trial involving twenty clinical teaching teams (CTTs in general internal medicine (GIM divisions of five Toronto tertiary-care hospitals. CTTs will be randomly assigned either to receive an intervention designed to improve interprofessional collaborative communication, or to continue usual communication practices. Non-participant naturalistic observation, shadowing, and semi-structured, qualitative interviews were conducted to explore existing patterns of interprofessional collaboration in the CTTs, and to support intervention development. Interviews and shadowing will continue during intervention delivery in order to document interactions between the intervention settings and adopters, and changes in interprofessional communication. The primary outcome is the rate of unplanned hospital readmission. Secondary outcomes are length of stay (LOS; adherence to evidence-based prescription drug therapy; patients' satisfaction with care; self-report surveys of CTT staff perceptions of interprofessional collaboration; and frequency of calls to paging devices. Outcomes will be compared on an intention-to-treat basis using adjustment methods appropriate for data from a cluster randomized design. Discussion Pre-intervention qualitative analysis revealed that a

Clinician user involvement in the real world: Designing an electronic tool to improve interprofessional communication and collaboration in a hospital setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Terence; Lim, Morgan E; Mansfield, Elizabeth; McLachlan, Alexander; Quan, Sherman D

2018-02-01

User involvement is vital to the success of health information technology implementation. However, involving clinician users effectively and meaningfully in complex healthcare organizations remains challenging. The objective of this paper is to share our real-world experience of applying a variety of user involvement methods in the design and implementation of a clinical communication and collaboration platform aimed at facilitating care of complex hospitalized patients by an interprofessional team of clinicians. We designed and implemented an electronic clinical communication and collaboration platform in a large community teaching hospital. The design team consisted of both technical and healthcare professionals. Agile software development methodology was used to facilitate rapid iterative design and user input. We involved clinician users at all stages of the development lifecycle using a variety of user-centered, user co-design, and participatory design methods. Thirty-six software releases were delivered over 24 months. User involvement has resulted in improvement in user interface design, identification of software defects, creation of new modules that facilitated workflow, and identification of necessary changes to the scope of the project early on. A variety of user involvement methods were complementary and benefited the design and implementation of a complex health IT solution. Combining these methods with agile software development methodology can turn designs into functioning clinical system to support iterative improvement. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Negotiation as a metaphor for distributed problem solving

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Davis, R.; Smith, R.G.

1983-01-01

The authors describe the concept of distributed problem solving and defines it as the cooperative solution of problems by a decentralized and loosely coupled collection of problem solvers. This approach to problem solving offers the promise of increased performance and provides a useful medium for exploring and developing new problem-solving techniques. A framework is presented called the contract net that specifies communication and control in a distribution problem solver. Task distribution is viewed as an interactive process, a discussion carried on between a node with a task to be executed and a group of nodes that may be able to execute the task. The kinds of information are described that must be passed between nodes during the discussion in order to obtain effective problem-solving behavior. This discussion is the origin of the negotiation metaphor: task distribution is viewed as a form of contract negotiation. 32 references.

Communication vs. Information, an Axiomatic Neutrosophic Solution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Florentin Smarandache

2013-03-01

Full Text Available This study represents an application of the neutrosophic method, for solving the contradiction between communication and information. In addition, it recourse to an appropriate method of approaching the contradictions: Extensics, as the method and the science of solving the contradictions. The research core is the reality that the scientific research of communication-information relationship has reached a dead end. The bivalent relationship communication information, information-communication has come to be contradictory, and the two concepts to block each other. After the critical examination of conflicting positions expressed by many experts in the field, the extensic and inclusive hypothesis is issued that information is a form of communication. The object of communication is the sending of a message. The message may consist of thoughts, ideas, opinions, feelings, beliefs, facts, information, intelligence or other significational elements. When the message content is primarily informational, communication will become information or intelligence.

Challenges of Collaborative Governance; An Organizational Disocurse Study of Public Managers' Struggles with Collaboration in the Daycare Area

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Plotnikof, Mie

2015-01-01

dynamics by asking: how are public managers challenged through discursive constructions of collaborative governance? Empirically, the dissertation is based on a multi-site ethnographic case study of two local governments’ efforts to co-create new quality-management methods within the daycare sector...... discourses, and c) design issues related to social dynamics and power relations. The study shows that public managers are challenged by the ways in which discursive constructions of collaborative governance create more and less (dis-)organized communicative practices concerning a shared problem. Thereby......This doctoral study explores problematics of managing and organizing collaborative governance from an organizational discourse perspective. Collaborative governance is a public management practice developing currently to engage stakeholders in co-creating potential solutions to complex public...

An Instructional Simulation for Organizational Communication.

Science.gov (United States)

Pacanowsky, Michael; Farace, Richard V.

Ineffective communication in an organization is costly. This paper examines one of the many approaches to solving this problem--increasing employee awareness of communication by increasing employee communication skills and sophistication. Simulation games are an effective means of improving employee awareness. The simulation provides a common…

Advanced wireless mobile collaborative sensing network for tactical and strategic missions

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Hao

2017-05-01

In this paper, an advanced wireless mobile collaborative sensing network will be developed. Through properly combining wireless sensor network, emerging mobile robots and multi-antenna sensing/communication techniques, we could demonstrate superiority of developed sensing network. To be concrete, heterogeneous mobile robots including unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) are equipped with multi-model sensors and wireless transceiver antennas. Through real-time collaborative formation control, multiple mobile robots can team the best formation that can provide most accurate sensing results. Also, formatting multiple mobile robots can also construct a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication system that can provide a reliable and high performance communication network.

Problem-solving rubrics revisited: Attending to the blending of informal conceptual and formal mathematical reasoning

Science.gov (United States)

Hull, Michael M.; Kuo, Eric; Gupta, Ayush; Elby, Andrew

2013-06-01

Much research in engineering and physics education has focused on improving students’ problem-solving skills. This research has led to the development of step-by-step problem-solving strategies and grading rubrics to assess a student’s expertise in solving problems using these strategies. These rubrics value “communication” between the student’s qualitative description of the physical situation and the student’s formal mathematical descriptions (usually equations) at two points: when initially setting up the equations, and when evaluating the final mathematical answer for meaning and plausibility. We argue that (i) neither the rubrics nor the associated problem-solving strategies explicitly value this kind of communication during mathematical manipulations of the chosen equations, and (ii) such communication is an aspect of problem-solving expertise. To make this argument, we present a case study of two students, Alex and Pat, solving the same kinematics problem in clinical interviews. We argue that Pat’s solution, which connects manipulation of equations to their physical interpretation, is more expertlike than Alex’s solution, which uses equations more algorithmically. We then show that the types of problem-solving rubrics currently available do not discriminate between these two types of solutions. We conclude that problem-solving rubrics should be revised or repurposed to more accurately assess problem-solving expertise.

Problem Solving Model for Science Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Alberida, H.; Lufri; Festiyed; Barlian, E.

2018-04-01

This research aims to develop problem solving model for science learning in junior high school. The learning model was developed using the ADDIE model. An analysis phase includes curriculum analysis, analysis of students of SMP Kota Padang, analysis of SMP science teachers, learning analysis, as well as the literature review. The design phase includes product planning a science-learning problem-solving model, which consists of syntax, reaction principle, social system, support system, instructional impact and support. Implementation of problem-solving model in science learning to improve students' science process skills. The development stage consists of three steps: a) designing a prototype, b) performing a formative evaluation and c) a prototype revision. Implementation stage is done through a limited trial. A limited trial was conducted on 24 and 26 August 2015 in Class VII 2 SMPN 12 Padang. The evaluation phase was conducted in the form of experiments at SMPN 1 Padang, SMPN 12 Padang and SMP National Padang. Based on the development research done, the syntax model problem solving for science learning at junior high school consists of the introduction, observation, initial problems, data collection, data organization, data analysis/generalization, and communicating.

An Interprofessional Approach to Teaching Communication Skills

Science.gov (United States)

Sargeant, Joan; MacLeod, Tanya; Murray, Anne

2011-01-01

Introduction: Recent research suggests that effective interprofessional communication and collaboration can positively influence patient satisfaction and outcomes. Health professional communication skills do not necessarily improve over time but can improve with formal communication skills training (CST). This article describes the development,…

Collaboration support system for "Phobos-Soil" space mission.

Science.gov (United States)

Nazarov, V.; Nazirov, R.; Zakharov, A.

2009-04-01

Rapid development of communication facilities leads growth of interactions done via electronic means. However we can see some paradox in this segment in last times: Extending of communication facilities increases collaboration chaos. And it is very sensitive for space missions in general and scientific space mission particularly because effective decision of this task provides successful realization of the missions and promises increasing the ratio of functional characteristic and cost of mission at all. Resolving of this problem may be found by using respective modern technologies and methods which widely used in different branches and not in the space researches only. Such approaches as Social Networking, Web 2.0 and Enterprise 2.0 look most prospective in this context. The primary goal of the "Phobos-Soil" mission is an investigation of the Phobos which is the Martian moon and particularly its regolith, internal structure, peculiarities of the orbital and proper motion, as well as a number of different scientific measurements and experiments for investigation of the Martian environment. A lot of investigators involved in the mission. Effective collaboration system is key facility for information support of the mission therefore. Further to main goal: communication between users of the system, modern approaches allows using such capabilities as self-organizing community, user generated content, centralized and federative control of the system. Also it may have one unique possibility - knowledge management which is very important for space mission realization. Therefore collaboration support system for "Phobos-Soil" mission designed on the base of multilayer model which includes such levels as Communications, Announcement and Information, Data sharing and Knowledge management. The collaboration support system for "Phobos-Soil" mission will be used as prototype for prospective Russian scientific space missions and the presentation describes its architecture

Applying an Activity System to Online Collaborative Group Work Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Hyungshin; Kang, Myunghee

2010-01-01

This study determines whether an activity system provides a systematic framework to analyse collaborative group work. Using an activity system as a unit of analysis, the research examined learner behaviours, conflicting factors and facilitating factors while students engaged in collaborative work via asynchronous computer-mediated communication.…

A Framework for Analyzing the Collaborative Construction of Arguments and Its Interplay with Agency

Science.gov (United States)

Mueller, Mary; Yankelewitz, Dina; Maher, Carolyn

2012-01-01

In this report, we offer a framework for analyzing the ways in which collaboration influences learners' building of mathematical arguments and thus promotes mathematical understanding. Building on a previous model used to analyze discursive practices of students engaged in mathematical problem solving, we introduce three types of collaboration and…

Collaboration between paediatric surgery and other medical specialties in Nigeria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Philemon E Okoro

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Background: The quality of service and success of patient care and research in most fields of medicine depend on effective collaboration between different specialties. Paediatric surgery is a relatively young specialty in Nigeria and such collaborations are desirable. This survey assesses the nature and extent of collaboration between paediatric surgery and other specialties in Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This is a questionnaire survey carried out in November 2008 among paediatric surgeons and their trainees practising in Nigeria. Questionnaires were distributed and retrieved either by hand or e-mailing. The responses were then collated and analysed using the SPSS 17.0. Results: Forty-seven respondents were included in the survey. Forty-five (95.7% respondents thought that there was inadequate collaboration and that there was a need for an increased collaboration between paediatric surgery and other specialties. Anaesthesia, paediatrics and radiology are among the specialties where collaborations were most required but not adequately received. Collaboration had been required from these specialties in areas of patient care, training and research. Reasons for inadequate collaboration included the paucity of avenues for inter-specialty communication and exchange of ideas 33 (70.3%, lack of awareness of the need for collaboration 32 (68.1%, tendency to apportion blames for bad outcome 13 (27.7%, and mutual suspicion 8 (17%. Conclusion: There is presently inadequate collaboration between paediatric surgery and other specialties in Nigeria. There is a need for more inter-specialty support, communication, and exchange of ideas in order to achieve desirable outcomes.

Use of activity logs to improve online collaboration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

César Coll Salvador

2018-02-01

Full Text Available This article presents a review of works that center their interest in eLearning platforms and the data mining of participants’ activity. The studies in this research area generate information, through the analysis of such logs and data, that is provided to the students in real time to help them to collaborate and learn through collaboration on the platform. There are studies from different areas of study such as Learning Analytics, Educational Data Mining, Group Awareness Tools or Interaction Analysis Tools. The review takes a double perspective: i to analyze the data extracted from activity logs, their processing, the information generated and the ways to communicate it; and ii to explorer the model and the instruments used to assess how the information provided impact on online collaborative processes and/or the learning. The conclusions emphasize that the models of collaborative learning that justifies the selection of the data extracted from the activity logs, the processing, the information generated and provided to the students and the way of communicating it, are not explicitly stated. In addition, important biases are detected because of not considering the multidimensional nature of the collaborative learning processes. Also, few studies analyze the relations between students' uses of the information provided and the quality of their collaborative processes and learning results. The very few studies that do analyze such relation do not go into depth on the changes in group dynamics caused by information.

Communication roles that support collaboration during the design process

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sonnenwald, Diane H.

1996-01-01

supported knowledge exploration and integration, collaboration, and task and project completion by filtering and providing information and negotiating differences across organizational, task, discipline and personal boundaries. Implications for design methods, tools and education are discussed....

Creativity in Communications.

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, Robert A., Ed.

A collection of 20 essays on creative problem solving in advertising and sales promotion considers the relationship between client and agency and the degree of creativity that is necessary or desirable for each side to bring to their collaboration. The different essays are fully illustrated and specifically focus on such areas as creativity in…

Students Use Graphic Organizers to Improve Mathematical Problem-Solving Communications

Science.gov (United States)

Zollman, Alan

2009-01-01

Improving students' problem-solving abilities is a major, if not the major, goal of middle grades mathematics. To address this goal, the author, who is a university mathematics educator, and nine inner-city middle school teachers developed a math/science action research project. This article describes their unique approach to mathematical problem…

CAM: A Collaborative Object Memory System

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vyas, Dhaval; Nijholt, Antinus; Kröner, Alexander

2010-01-01

Physical design objects such as sketches, drawings, collages, storyboards and models play an important role in supporting communication and coordination in design studios. CAM (Cooperative Artefact Memory) is a mobile-tagging based messaging system that allows designers to collaboratively store

Toward a method of collaborative, evidence-based response to desertification

Science.gov (United States)

Overgeneralized narratives about how desertified ecosystems will respond to restoration actions may result in wasted resources, missed opportunities, or accelerated degradation. Evidence-based collaborative adaptive management (CAM) could solve this problem by providing site-specific information tha...

Is there a role for social technologies in collaborative healthcare?

Science.gov (United States)

Bacigalupe, Gonzalo

2011-03-01

The exponential growth, variety, and sophistication of the information communication technologies (ICTs) plus their growing accessibility are transforming how clinical practitioners, patients, and their families can work together. Social technologies are the ICTs tools that augment the ability of people to communicate and collaborate despite obstacles of geography and time. There is still little empirical research on the impact of social technologies in the case of collaborative health. Defining a set of social technologies with potential for developing, sustaining, and strengthening the collaborative health agenda should prove useful for practitioners and researchers. This paper is based on an extensive review of the literature focusing on emerging technologies and the experience of the author as a consultant to health care professionals learning about social technologies. A note of caution is required: the phenomenon is complex and hard to describe in writing (a medium very different from the technologies themselves). Hardware and software are in continuous development and the iterative adaptation of the emergent social technologies for new forms of virtual communication. (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved

Collaborative Multimedia Learning: Influence of a Social Regulatory Support on Learning Performance and on Collaboration

Science.gov (United States)

Acuña, Santiago Roger; López-Aymes, Gabriela

2016-01-01

This paper analyzes the effects of a support aimed at favoring the social regulatory processes in a computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environment, specifically in a comprehension task of a multimedia text about Psychology of Communication. This support, named RIDE (Saab, van Joolingen, & van Hout-Wolters, 2007; 2012), consists…

Interprofessional collaboration in research, education, and clinical practice: working together for a better future.

Science.gov (United States)

Green, Bart N; Johnson, Claire D

2015-03-01

Interprofessional collaboration occurs when 2 or more professions work together to achieve common goals and is often used as a means for solving a variety of problems and complex issues. The benefits of collaboration allow participants to achieve together more than they can individually, serve larger groups of people, and grow on individual and organizational levels. This editorial provides an overview of interprofessional collaboration in the areas of clinical practice, education, and research; discusses barriers to collaboration; and suggests potential means to overcome them.

Picturing diversity in the ATLAS collaboration

CERN Document Server

Biondi, Silvia; The ATLAS collaboration

2017-01-01

With over 3000 members from 178 institutes, the ATLAS Collaboration is naturally diverse. However, capturing this diversity through pictures can be a challenge. Photography is a powerful tool, allowing us to reveal the faces behind a story and give the public the unique opportunity to understand and appreciate the human aspects of ATLAS's scientific research. The role of photographs in portraying the diversity of the ATLAS Collaboration and on various communication platforms will be described. Their impact will be examined, with focus on engagement of new audiences.

Critical Thinking Skills Of Junior High School Female Students With High Mathematical Skills In Solving Contextual And Formal Mathematical Problems

Science.gov (United States)

Ismail; Suwarsono, St.; Lukito, A.

2018-01-01

Critical thinking is one of the most important skills of the 21st century in addition to other learning skills such as creative thinking, communication skills and collaborative skills. This is what makes researchers feel the need to conduct research on critical thinking skills in junior high school students. The purpose of this study is to describe the critical thinking skills of junior high school female students with high mathematical skills in solving contextual and formal mathematical problems. To achieve this is used qualitative research. The subject of the study was a female student of eight grade junior high school. The students’ critical thinking skills are derived from in-depth problem-based interviews using interview guidelines. Interviews conducted in this study are problem-based interviews, which are done by the subject given a written assignment and given time to complete. The results show that critical thinking skills of female high school students with high math skills are as follows: In solving the problem at the stage of understanding the problem used interpretation skills with sub-indicators: categorization, decode, and clarify meaning. At the planning stage of the problem-solving strategy is used analytical skills with sub-indicators: idea checking, argument identification and argument analysis and evaluation skills with sub indicators: assessing the argument. In the implementation phase of problem solving, inference skills are used with subindicators: drawing conclusions, and problem solving and explanatory skills with sub-indicators: problem presentation, justification procedures, and argument articulation. At the re-checking stage all steps have been employed self-regulatory skills with sub-indicators: self-correction and selfstudy.

Disentangling the Effects of Collaborative Social Platforms on Organizational Knowledge Practices and Innovation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Razmerita, Liana; Tan, Chee-Wee

Social media has given birth to a novel paradigm of knowledge management that entails both formal and informal communication to bring about collaboration via diverse applications. Through online conversations and virtual interactions, the advent of social media is accompanied by unprecedented means...... of sharing, externalizing and retaining knowledge. In doing so, social media allows the articulation of personal and collective knowledge for innovation and value co-creation (Razmerita et al. 2014). Emerging social-collaborative platforms in the likes of Podio, Jive, Trello, Yammer, and Slack promote...... communication, collaboration, and project work. These platforms incorporate social media and networking functionalities for realizing both synchronous and asynchronous cooperative efforts. This study hence takes a critical view of the adoption and deployment of collaborative social platforms in a knowledge...

An Approach for Autonomy: A Collaborative Communication Framework for Multi-Agent Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Dufrene, Warren Russell, Jr.

2005-01-01

Research done during the last three years has studied the emersion properties of Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS). The deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques applied to remote Unmanned Aerial Vehicles has led the author to investigate applications of CAS within the field of Autonomous Multi-Agent Systems. The core objective of current research efforts is focused on the simplicity of Intelligent Agents (IA) and the modeling of these agents within complex systems. This research effort looks at the communication, interaction, and adaptability of multi-agents as applied to complex systems control. The embodiment concept applied to robotics has application possibilities within multi-agent frameworks. A new framework for agent awareness within a virtual 3D world concept is possible where the vehicle is composed of collaborative agents. This approach has many possibilities for applications to complex systems. This paper describes the development of an approach to apply this virtual framework to the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) tetrahedron structure developed under the Autonomous Nano Technology Swarm (ANTS) program and the Super Miniaturized Addressable Reconfigurable Technology (SMART) architecture program. These projects represent an innovative set of novel concepts deploying adaptable, self-organizing structures composed of many tetrahedrons. This technology is pushing current applied Agents Concepts to new levels of requirements and adaptability.

The Lived Experiences of Leading Edge Certified Elementary School Teachers Who Use Instructional Technology to Foster Critical Thinking, Collaboration, Creativity, and Communication in Their Classrooms: A Phenomenological Study

Science.gov (United States)

Ruddell, Natalie

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the perceptions of current and former Leading Edge Certified (LEC) elementary school teachers regarding instructional technology practices that facilitate students' development of critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and creativity (4Cs) in one-to-one computer…

Crisis Communication

OpenAIRE

Anca Jarmila Guţă

2006-01-01

The paper presents the manner in which the crisis of different types can disturb the normal activity of an organization and also the modalities by which the communication in this situation can solve or attenuate the negative effects of a crisis.

Locally-sourced: How climate science can collaborate with arts & humanities museums to achieve widespread public trust and communication

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, C. G.

2017-12-01

Local history, art and culture museums have a large role to play in climate science communication. Unfortunately, in our current society, scientific evidence and logic is not universally accepted as truth. These messages can be dispersed through trusted institutional allies like humanities and arts museums. There are many reasons for scientific institutions to work with humanities and arts museums of all sizes, especially local museums that have personal, trusted relationships with their communities. First, museums (by definition) are public educators; the work that they do is to disperse challenging information in an understandable way to a wide array of audiences. Museums are located in every state, with over 35,000 museums in the nation; 26% of those are located in rural areas. These museums serve every demographic and age range, inspiring even those with difficulty accepting climate change information to act. Second, in a recent public opinion survey commissioned by the American Alliance of Museums, museums - especially history museums - are considered the most trustworthy source of information in America, rated higher than newspapers, nonprofit researchers, the U.S. government, or academic researchers. Scientific institutions must collaborate with local museums to improve science communication going forward. Not only will important climate and sustainability research be dispersed via trusted sources, but the public will engage with this information in large numbers. In 2012 alone, over 850 million people visited museums - more than the attendance for all major league sports and theme parks combined. A recent impact study shows that history and art museums, especially, are not seen as "having a political agenda," with over 78% of the public seeing these museums as trusted institutions. There are many ways in which the scientific community can collaborate with "the arts." This presentation will speak to the larger benefit of working with sister arts & humanities

Collaborative Web between open and closed science

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alessandro Delfanti

2008-06-01

Full Text Available “Web 2.0” is the mantra enthusiastically repeated in the past few years on anything concerning the production of culture, dialogue and online communication. Even science is changing, along with the processes involving the communication, collaboration and cooperation created through the web, yet rooted in some of its historical features of openness. For this issue, JCOM has asked some experts on the most recent changes in science to analyse the potential and the contradictions lying in online collaborative science. The new open science feeds on the opportunity to freely contribute to knowledge production, sharing not only data, but also software and hardware. But it is open also to the outside, where citizens use Web 2.0 instruments to discuss about science in a horizontal way.

Comparative International Communication Projects: Overcoming the Challenges

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frank Esser

2007-12-01

Full Text Available Over the last 10-20 years, comparative research in the feld of communication has almost become fashionable. Many factors are responsible for this, for example: an increased awareness of globalisation as a communication-driven process; an awareness of increased transnational conglomerization of media organizations; and the increasing use of the Internet which facilitates easier access to information around the world. But the big question is how to organize collaborative international communication research efectively? Which models of cooperation are available to us, and what are their advantages and disadvantages? In this article, I analyze fve ways of doing collaborative researches and their respective challenges.

Collaborative Information Technologies

Science.gov (United States)

Meyer, William; Casper, Thomas

1999-11-01

Significant effort has been expended to provide infrastructure and to facilitate the remote collaborations within the fusion community and out. Through the Office of Fusion Energy Science Information Technology Initiative, communication technologies utilized by the fusion community are being improved. The initial thrust of the initiative has been collaborative seminars and meetings. Under the initiative 23 sites, both laboratory and university, were provided with hardware required to remotely view, or project, documents being presented. The hardware is capable of delivering documents to a web browser, or to compatible hardware, over ESNET in an access controlled manner. The ability also exists for documents to originate from virtually any of the collaborating sites. In addition, RealNetwork servers are being tested to provide audio and/or video, in a non-interactive environment with MBONE providing two-way interaction where needed. Additional effort is directed at remote distributed computing, file systems, security, and standard data storage and retrieval methods. This work supported by DoE contract No. W-7405-ENG-48

An Overview of Web-Based School Collaboration: A History of Success or Failure?

Science.gov (United States)

Gouseti, Anastasia

2013-01-01

The notion of school collaboration has become widely recognised as an effective means of fostering cultural links and supporting communication between geographically separated schools. As shall be acknowledged in this paper, school collaboration follows on from a long history of collaborative initiatives across the past 50 years. However, the…

Collaborating on a Graphic Medicine Novel

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frølunde, Lisbeth

2018-01-01

The presentation centers on establishing creative collaborations to support the production of my graphic novel (Family Anecdotes) about mourning and mental health. I explore various challenges of authoring an “autobiofictional" graphic medicine novel – as an arts-based communication researcher, a...

Mind the gap in clinical trials: A participatory action analysis with citizen collaborators.

Science.gov (United States)

Price, Amy; Liew, Su May; Kirkpatrick, Jo; Price, Jazmin; Lopreto, Taylor; Nelken, Yasmin

2017-02-01

What are the strengths, gaps, expectations, and barriers to research engagement in clinical trials as communicated through social media? Clinical trials test treatments to provide reliable information for safety and effectiveness. Trials are building blocks in which what is learned in earlier research can be used to improve treatments, compare alternatives, and improve quality of life. For 20 years, the percentages of clinical trials volunteers have decreased whereas the costs of running clinical trials have multiplied. Participants enroll in trials to access latest treatments, to help others, and to advance science, but there is growing unrest. The priorities of those running the trials differ from those of the participants, and the roles for public research involvement lack clarity. Changes to bridge these gaps in the research culture are proposed through the use of participatory action research (PAR) in which stakeholders collaborate to improve research methodology, galvanize citizen participation, multiply health knowledge, problem-solve barriers to access, and explore the value of research volunteers as collaborators. PAR enabled the inclusion of citizens as full collaborators. Social media data were gathered for 120 days until saturation was reached. De-identified data were organized into a Strengths Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats framework and coded into themes for analysis. After the analysis, the authors prioritized potential solutions for improving research engagement. Strengths and opportunities remained constant through trial phases, disease burdens, and interventions. Threats included alienation, litigation, disparity, and shaming. Poor management and barriers to inclusion were identified as weaknesses. Opportunities included improving resource management and information quality. Barriers were minimized when relationships between staff and participants were inclusive, respectful, tolerant, and open to change. Participants' communications

Online Communication Tools in Biochemistry Teaching

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. O. Ferreira

2012-05-01

Full Text Available The  online  communication  tools  enable  new  ways  of  learning, especially  the  forums  in the context of online courses, and the understanding of interactions and collaborations in the  forums  can  improve  them.  The  study  aimed  to  analyze  the  online relationships,  as well  as  obtaining  evidence  of  the  use of  other  learning  tools in  a  biochemistry  subject, focusing on how students use the tool forum and its contribution to learning. The study was  carried  out  from  data  pre  and  post  course  questionnaires  as  well  as  log  of environment  access  and  discussion  forum.  The  forums  have  been  restructured  and systematized  for  analysis  and  creating  discursive  flows  between  statements.  The questionnaires showed the central role of forum and wiki for learning,  the importance of interactions, which was highlighted by the forum analysis. The results indicate that one of the ways to improve online biochemistry teaching is to stimulate interactive activities, participatory  moderation  and  pedagogical  support  by  tutors  and  mentors,  also encouraging  and  creating  strategies  to  collaboration  of  students  to  solve problems  and to collaborative knowledge construction.

Probabilistic Graphical Framework for Estimating Collaboration Levels in Cloud Manufacturing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gilseung Ahn

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Cloud manufacturing (CM is an emerging manufacturing model based on collaboration among manufacturing enterprises in a cloud computing environment. Naturally, collaboration is one of main factors that impacts performance in a variety of ways such as quality, lead time, and cost. Therefore, collaboration levels should be considered when solving operational issues in CM. However, there has been no attempt to estimate these levels between enterprises participating in CM. The collaboration level among enterprises in CM is defined as the ability to produce a manufacturing service that satisfies a customer by means of collaborative production amongst enterprises. We measure it as the conditional probability that collaborative performances are high given collaborative performance factors (e.g., resource sharing, information sharing, etc.. In this paper, we propose a framework for estimating collaboration levels. We adopt a probabilistic graphical model (PGM to develop the framework, since the framework includes a lot of random variables and complex dependencies among them. The framework yields conditional probabilities that two enterprises will reduce the total cost, improve resource utilization or quality through collaboration between them given each enterprise’s features, collaboration possibility, and collaboration activities. The collaboration levels the proposed framework yields will help to handle diverse operational problems in CM.

An evaluation of workspace awareness in collaborative, gesture-based diagramming tools

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Klaus Marius; Damm, Carsten

2004-01-01

Designing usable real-time, distributed collaboration tools is a complex but important task. Workspace awareness can potentially help in making realtime, distributed collaboration tools more usable through a communication of who is in the shared workspace and what they are doing. We present quali...

Communications skills for CRM training

Science.gov (United States)

Shearer, M.

1984-01-01

A pilot training program in communication skills, listening, conflict solving, and task orientation, for a small but growing commuter airline is discussed. The interactions between pilots and management, and communication among crew members are examined. Methods for improvement of cockpit behavior management personnel relations are investigated.

De-romanticising dialogue in collaborative health care research

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Phillips, Professor MSO Louise; Olesen, Birgitte Ravn; Scheffmann-Petersen, Michael

2018-01-01

in the tensional interplay of multiple voices whereby certain voices dominate. Finally, the article offers a typology of ideal types of collaborative research relations that can be used in the initial research phase as a platform for reflexive discussion between researchers and potential collaborative partners......In the current socio-political conjuncture, collaborative, dialogic forms of knowledge production abound and are idealised as democratic and inclusive. The aim of the article is to contribute to the body of critical, reflexive analyses of collaborative research by analysing how complex dynamics...... of exclusion as well as inclusion create tensions in researchers’ attempts to establish collaborative relations in the initial phase of an action research project. The analysis applies a framework combining Bakhtinian dialogic communication theory and Foucauldian theory to explore inclusion and exclusion...

Interpersonal Conflict in Collaborative Writing: What We Can Learn from Gender Studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Lay, Mary M.

1989-01-01

Discusses how gender studies reveal psychological and cultural sources of interpersonal conflict during collaboration. Notes that an awareness of these conflict sources enables scholars and teachers in technical communication to predict and ease interpersonal conflict among collaborators. (MM)

Midwives' and health visitors' collaborative relationships: A systematic review of qualitative and quantitative studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Aquino, Maria Raisa Jessica Ryc V; Olander, Ellinor K; Needle, Justin J; Bryar, Rosamund M

2016-10-01

Interprofessional collaboration between midwives and health visitors working in maternal and child health services is widely encouraged. This systematic review aimed to identify existing and potential areas for collaboration between midwives and health visitors; explore the methods through which collaboration is and can be achieved; assess the effectiveness of this relationship between these groups, and ascertain whether the identified examples of collaboration are in line with clinical guidelines and policy. A narrative synthesis of qualitative and quantitative studies. Fourteen electronic databases, research mailing lists, recommendations from key authors and reference lists and citations of included papers. Papers were included if they explored one or a combination of: the areas of practice in which midwives and health visitors worked collaboratively; the methods that midwives and health visitors employed when communicating and collaborating with each other; the effectiveness of collaboration between midwives and health visitors; and whether collaborative practice between midwives and health visitors meet clinical guidelines. Papers were assessed for study quality. Eighteen papers (sixteen studies) met the inclusion criteria. The studies found that midwives and health visitors reported valuing interprofessional collaboration, however this was rare in practice. Findings show that collaboration could be useful across the service continuum, from antenatal care, transition of care/handover, to postnatal care. Evidence for the effectiveness of collaboration between these two groups was equivocal and based on self-reported data. In relation, multiple enablers and barriers to collaboration were identified. Communication was reportedly key to interprofessional collaboration. Interprofessional collaboration was valuable according to both midwives and health visitors, however, this was made challenging by several barriers such as poor communication, limited resources, and

The Diesel Combustion Collaboratory: Combustion Researchers Collaborating over the Internet

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

C. M. Pancerella; L. A. Rahn; C. Yang

2000-02-01

The Diesel Combustion Collaborator (DCC) is a pilot project to develop and deploy collaborative technologies to combustion researchers distributed throughout the DOE national laboratories, academia, and industry. The result is a problem-solving environment for combustion research. Researchers collaborate over the Internet using DCC tools, which include: a distributed execution management system for running combustion models on widely distributed computers, including supercomputers; web-accessible data archiving capabilities for sharing graphical experimental or modeling data; electronic notebooks and shared workspaces for facilitating collaboration; visualization of combustion data; and video-conferencing and data-conferencing among researchers at remote sites. Security is a key aspect of the collaborative tools. In many cases, the authors have integrated these tools to allow data, including large combustion data sets, to flow seamlessly, for example, from modeling tools to data archives. In this paper the authors describe the work of a larger collaborative effort to design, implement and deploy the DCC.

KEEFEKTIFAN PENDEKATAN OPEN-ENDED DAN PROBLEM SOLVING PADA PEMBELAJARAN BANGUN RUANG SISI DATAR DI SMP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nuning Melianingsih

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menentukan keefektifan dan perbandingan keefektifan dari pendekatan open-ended dan problem solving pada pembelajaran bangun ruang sisi datar ditinjau dari pencapaian kemampuan penalaran, pemecahan masalah, dan komunikasi matematis. Penelitian ini adalah quasi experiment dengan desain pretest-posttest nonequivalent group design. Populasi penelitian mencakup seluruh siswa kelas VIII SMP Negeri 1 Pandak, Bantul, Yogyakarta. Selanjutnya dengan memilih secara acak dari keseluruhan kelas tersebut, terpilih kelas VIII F dan VIII G sebagai sampel penelitian. Untuk menguji keefektifan masing-masing pendekatan pembelajaran digunakan uji one sample t-test. Untuk menguji bahwa pendekatan open-ended lebih efektif daripada pendekatan problem solving, data dianalisis menggunakan MANOVA yang dilanjutkan dengan uji t-Bonferroni. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa kedua pendekatan pembelajaran efektif ditinjau dari masing-masing aspek, dan pendekatan open-ended lebih efektif daripada pendekatan problem solving pada pembelajaran bangun ruang sisi datar ditinjau dari pencapaian kemampuan penalaran, pemecahan masalah, dan komunikasi matematis di SMP. Kata Kunci: pendekatan open-ended, pendekatan problem solving, kemampuan penalaran, kemampuan pemecahan masalah, kemampuan komunikasi matematis   THE EFFECTIVENESS OF OPEN-ENDED AND PROBLEM SOLVING APPROACH IN MATTER OF FLAT SIDE CONSTRUCT IN JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL Abstract The aims of this research are to decide the effectiveness and the comparison of the effectiveness of open-ended and problem solving approach toward matter of flat side construct lesson viewed from achivement of reasoning ability, problem solving and mathematics communication. This study was a quasi experimental study using the pretest-posttest nonequivalent group design. The research population covered the entire VIII class students’ of SMP Negeri 1 Pandak, Bantul, Yogyakarta. From the population, classes of VIII F and

Designing Facilities for Collaborative Operations

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Norris, Jeffrey; Powell, Mark; Backes, Paul; Steinke, Robert; Tso, Kam; Wales, Roxana

2003-01-01

A methodology for designing operational facilities for collaboration by multiple experts has begun to take shape as an outgrowth of a project to design such facilities for scientific operations of the planned 2003 Mars Exploration Rover (MER) mission. The methodology could also be applicable to the design of military "situation rooms" and other facilities for terrestrial missions. It was recognized in this project that modern mission operations depend heavily upon the collaborative use of computers. It was further recognized that tests have shown that layout of a facility exerts a dramatic effect on the efficiency and endurance of the operations staff. The facility designs (for example, see figure) and the methodology developed during the project reflect this recognition. One element of the methodology is a metric, called effective capacity, that was created for use in evaluating proposed MER operational facilities and may also be useful for evaluating other collaboration spaces, including meeting rooms and military situation rooms. The effective capacity of a facility is defined as the number of people in the facility who can be meaningfully engaged in its operations. A person is considered to be meaningfully engaged if the person can (1) see, hear, and communicate with everyone else present; (2) see the material under discussion (typically data on a piece of paper, computer monitor, or projection screen); and (3) provide input to the product under development by the group. The effective capacity of a facility is less than the number of people that can physically fit in the facility. For example, a typical office that contains a desktop computer has an effective capacity of .4, while a small conference room that contains a projection screen has an effective capacity of around 10. Little or no benefit would be derived from allowing the number of persons in an operational facility to exceed its effective capacity: At best, the operations staff would be underutilized

Merging assistance function with task distribution model to enhance user performance in collaborative virtual environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khalid, S.; Alam, A.

2016-01-01

Collaborative Virtual Environments (CVEs) falls under Virtual Reality (VR) where two or more users manipulate objects collaboratively. In this paper we have made some experiments to make assembly from constituents parts scattered in Virtual Environment (VE) based on task distribution model using assistance functions for checking and enhancing user performance. The CVEs subjects setting on distinct connected machines via local area network. In this perspective, we consider the effects of assistance function with oral communication on collaboration, co-presence and users performance. Twenty subjects performed collaboratively an assembly task on static and dynamic based task distribution. We examine the degree of influence of assistance function with oral communications on user's performance based on task distribution model. The results show that assistance functions with oral communication based on task distribution model not only increase user performance but also enhance the sense of copresence and awareness. (author)

Technology-mediated collaborative learning: theoretical contributions based on analysis of educational practice

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Sonia CASILLAS MARTÍN

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Collaborative learning has been a subject of great interest in the context of educational research, giving rise to many studies emphasizing the potential of the collaboration process in student learning, knowledge building, the development of diverse abilities and improved academic performance. Based on a conceptual review and thorough reflection on this topic, this article presents the results of a case study carried out in different schools in the Autonomous Community of Castile y Leon (Spain in an attempt to identify patterns of common action through the implementation of collaborative learning methods mediated by information and communication technologies (ICT. Among the many outcomes of this study, we conclude by highlighting the need to plan collaborative work very carefully, taking advantage of the opportunities offered by ICT as communicative environments where it is possible to construct joint and shared learning. 

Resource Allocation Optimization Model of Collaborative Logistics Network Based on Bilevel Programming

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Xiao-feng Xu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Collaborative logistics network resource allocation can effectively meet the needs of customers. It can realize the overall benefit maximization of the logistics network and ensure that collaborative logistics network runs orderly at the time of creating value. Therefore, this article is based on the relationship of collaborative logistics network supplier, the transit warehouse, and sellers, and we consider the uncertainty of time to establish a bilevel programming model with random constraints and propose a genetic simulated annealing hybrid intelligent algorithm to solve it. Numerical example shows that the method has stronger robustness and convergence; it can achieve collaborative logistics network resource allocation rationalization and optimization.

Facilitating Collaboration in Online Groups

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Geralyn E Stephens

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Demonstrating the ability to collaborate effectively is essential for students moving into 21st century workplaces. Employers are expecting new hires to already possess group-work skills and will seek evidence of their ability to cooperate, collaborate, and complete projects with colleagues, including remotely or at a distance. Instructional activities and assignments that provide students with a variety of ways to engage each other have a direct and immediate effect on their academic performance. This paper shares the Facilitating Collaboration in Online Groups (FCOG instructional planning strategy. The strategy is designed for faculty use and familiarizes students with the process and technology necessary to collaborate effectively in online classroom groups. The strategy utilizes proven teaching techniques to maximize student-student and student-content relationships. Each of the four (4 sequential phases in the FCOG instructional planning strategy are discussed: 1 Creating Groups, 2 Establishing Expectations, 3 Communication Tools, and 4 Assignments and Activities. The discussion also contains implementation suggestions as well as examples of instructional assignments and activities that provide students with a variety of ways to collaborate to reach the learning outcomes.

Care, Communication, Learner Support: Designing Meaningful Online Collaborative Learning

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Robinson, Heather A.; Kilgore, Whitney; Warren, Scott J.

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to identify emergent themes regarding higher education instructors' perceptions concerning the provision of collaborative learning activities and opportunities in their online classroom. Through semi-structured interviews, instructors described their teaching experiences and reported specifically about the online…

Problem-formulation and problem-solving in self-organized communities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Foss, Nicolai J.; Frederiksen, Lars; Rullani, Francesco

2016-01-01

Building on the problem-solving perspective, we study behaviors related to projects and the communication-based antecedents of such behaviors in the free open-source software (FOSS) community. We examine two kinds of problem/project-behaviors: Individuals can set up projects around the formulation...

A trajectory-preserving synchronization method for collaborative visualization.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Lewis W F; Li, Frederick W B; Lau, Rynson W H

2006-01-01

In the past decade, a lot of research work has been conducted to support collaborative visualization among remote users over the networks, allowing them to visualize and manipulate shared data for problem solving. There are many applications of collaborative visualization, such as oceanography, meteorology and medical science. To facilitate user interaction, a critical system requirement for collaborative visualization is to ensure that remote users will perceive a synchronized view of the shared data. Failing this requirement, the user's ability in performing the desirable collaborative tasks will be affected. In this paper, we propose a synchronization method to support collaborative visualization. It considers how interaction with dynamic objects is perceived by application participants under the existence of network latency, and remedies the motion trajectory of the dynamic objects. It also handles the false positive and false negative collision detection problems. The new method is particularly well designed for handling content changes due to unpredictable user interventions or object collisions. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our method through a number of experiments.

Liner Shipping Fleet Deployment with Sustainable Collaborative Transportation

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Gang Du

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Facing sharp competition in the market for shipping companies, it is necessary to make reasonable and efficient decisions to optimize the container shipping line network so as to improve the shipping efficiency and reduce the transportation cost, as well as to realize the transportation sustainability. Therefore, the liner ship fleet deployment problem with collaborative transportation is proposed in this paper. This problem is formulated as a mixed-integer linear programming model that takes collaborative transportation into consideration. The model includes fixed cost, variable cost, berth cost, transport cost, penalty, compensation cost, and so on. To achieve the sustainable development of collaborative transportation, the shipping companies could make a selection between the internal routes and the external routes to serve each task by comparing the distance between the above routes. A real Asia-Europe-Oceania numerical experiment shows that the proposed sustainable collaborative transportation model can be efficiently solved by C++ calling ILOG CPLEX. Results demonstrate that the optimized shipping line network with sustainable collaborative transportation can improve the service efficiency, as well as the service level of shipping companies.

Connecting Problem-Solving Style to Peer Evaluations of Performance in Secondary Cooperative Learning Projects

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Bush, Sarah A.; Friedel, Curtis R.; Hoerbert, Lindsey R.; Broyles, Thomas W.

2017-01-01

With an evolving and expanding agricultural industry, it is crucial to provide future professionals with valuable experiences and skills in problem solving, communication, and teamwork. Agricultural summer programs for secondary students, which provide cooperative learning experiences with a focus on group work and problem solving, aim to help…

Pedagogy and/or technology: Making difference in improving students' problem solving skills

Science.gov (United States)

Hrepic, Zdeslav; Lodder, Katherine; Shaw, Kimberly A.

2013-01-01

Pen input computers combined with interactive software may have substantial potential for promoting active instructional methodologies and for facilitating students' problem solving ability. An excellent example is a study in which introductory physics students improved retention, conceptual understanding and problem solving abilities when one of three weekly lectures was replaced with group problem solving sessions facilitated with Tablet PCs and DyKnow software [1,2]. The research goal of the present study was to isolate the effect of the methodology itself (using additional time to teach problem solving) from that of the involved technology. In Fall 2011 we compared the performance of students taking the same introductory physics lecture course while enrolled in two separate problem-solving sections. One section used pen-based computing to facilitate group problem solving while the other section used low-tech methods for one third of the semester (covering Kinematics), and then traded technologies for the middle third of the term (covering Dynamics). Analysis of quiz, exam and standardized pre-post test results indicated no significant difference in scores of the two groups. Combining this result with those of previous studies implies primacy of pedagogy (collaborative problem solving itself) over technology for student learning in problem solving recitations.

Information Problem-Solving Skills in Small Virtual Groups and Learning Outcomes

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Garcia, Consuelo; Badia, Antoni

2017-01-01

This study investigated the frequency of use of information problem-solving (IPS) skills and its relationship with learning outcomes. During the course of the study, 40 teachers carried out a collaborative IPS task in small virtual groups in a 4-week online training course. The status of IPS skills was collected through self-reports handed in over…

Avoiding collapse: Grand challenges for science and society to solve by 2050

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Anthony D. Barnosky

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract We maintain that humanity’s grand challenge is solving the intertwined problems of human population growth and overconsumption, climate change, pollution, ecosystem destruction, disease spillovers, and extinction, in order to avoid environmental tipping points that would make human life more difficult and would irrevocably damage planetary life support systems. These are not future issues: for example, detrimental impacts of climate change (increased wildfires and extreme weather, sea-level rise, ocean acidification, pollution (contaminated drinking water in many parts of the world, rapid population growth in some areas (contributing to poverty, war, and increasingly frequent migration and overconsumption in others (a main driver of overexploitation of resources and greenhouse gas emissions, and new disease outbreaks (Ebola, Zika virus already are apparent today, and if trends of the past half century continue, even more damaging, long-lasting impacts would be locked in within three decades. Solving these problems will require some scientific and technological breakthroughs, but that will not be enough. Even more critical will be effective collaboration of environmental and physical scientists with social scientists and those in the humanities, active exchange of information among practitioners in academics, politics, religion, and business and other stakeholders, and clear communication of relevant issues and solutions to the general public. This special feature offers examples of how researchers are addressing this grand challenge through the process of discovering new knowledge and relevant tools, transferring insights across disciplinary boundaries, and establishing critical dialogues with those outside academia to help effect positive global change.

Implementation of a Recommender System using Collaborative Filtering

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Andrei-Cristian Prodan

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Nowadays, consumers have a lot of choices. Electronic retailers offer a great variety of products. Because of this, there is a need for Recommender Systems. These systems aim to solve the problem of matching consumers with the most appealing products for them. They do this by analyzing either the products information details (Content Based methods or users social behavior (Collaborative Filtering. This paper describes the Collaborative Filtering technique in more detail. It then presents one of the best methods for CF: the Matrix Factorization technique. Next, it presents two algorithms used for matrix factorization. Then, the paper describes the implementation details of a framework created by us, called Rho, that uses Collaborative Filtering. In the end, we present some results obtained after experimenting with this framework.

Highly efficient parallel direct solver for solving dense complex matrix equations from method of moments

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Yan Chen

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Based on the vectorised and cache optimised kernel, a parallel lower upper decomposition with a novel communication avoiding pivoting scheme is developed to solve dense complex matrix equations generated by the method of moments. The fine-grain data rearrangement and assembler instructions are adopted to reduce memory accessing times and improve CPU cache utilisation, which also facilitate vectorisation of the code. Through grouping processes in a binary tree, a parallel pivoting scheme is designed to optimise the communication pattern and thus reduces the solving time of the proposed solver. Two large electromagnetic radiation problems are solved on two supercomputers, respectively, and the numerical results demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms those in open source and commercial libraries.

Collaborative distance learning: Developing an online learning community

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Stoytcheva, Maria

2017-12-01

The method of collaborative distance learning has been applied for years in a number of distance learning courses, but they are relatively few in foreign language learning. The context of this research is a hybrid distance learning of French for specific purposes, delivered through the platform UNIV-RcT (Strasbourg University), which combines collaborative activities for the realization of a common problem-solving task online. The study focuses on a couple of aspects: on-line interactions carried out in small, tutored groups and the process of community building online. By analyzing the learner's perceptions of community and collaborative learning, we have tried to understand the process of building and maintenance of online learning community and to see to what extent the collaborative distance learning contribute to the development of the competence expectations at the end of the course. The analysis of the results allows us to distinguish the advantages and limitations of this type of e-learning and thus evaluate their pertinence.

Building Co-Management as a Process: Problem Solving Through Partnerships in Aboriginal Country, Australia

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Zurba, Melanie; Ross, Helen; Izurieta, Arturo; Rist, Philip; Bock, Ellie; Berkes, Fikret

2012-06-01

Collaborative problem solving has increasingly become important in the face of the complexities in the management of resources, including protected areas. The strategy undertaken by Girringun Aboriginal Corporation in north tropical Queensland, Australia, for developing co-management demonstrates the potential for a problem solving approach involving sequential initiatives, as an alternative to the more familiar negotiated agreements for co-management. Our longitudinal case study focuses on the development of indigenous ranger units as a strategic mechanism for the involvement of traditional owners in managing their country in collaboration with government and other interested parties. This was followed by Australia's first traditional use of marine resources agreement, and development of a multi-jurisdictional, land to sea, indigenous protected area. In using a relationship building approach to develop regional scale co-management, Girringun has been strengthening its capabilities as collaborator and regional service provider, thus, bringing customary decision-making structures into play to `care for country'. From this evolving process we have identified the key components of a relationship building strategy, `the pillars of co-management'. This approach includes learning-by-doing, the building of respect and rapport, sorting out responsibilities, practical engagement, and capacity-building.

Conceptualizing and measuring pharmacist-patient communication: a review of published studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Shah, Bupendra; Chewning, Betty

2006-06-01

Pharmacist-patient communication in community pharmacies has been studied for over 25 years with little effort to evaluate this research comprehensively. The main objective of this review is to examine and summarize how researchers have conceptualized, defined, and measured pharmacist-patient communication across studies and identify gaps in the literature. Articles were compiled from a search of (1) Medline, IPA, CINAHL, and PubMed databases using the keywords, "counseling", "patient communication", "patient counseling", "patient education", "patient consult( *)", and/or "pharmacists", (2) bibliographies of selected articles. The search generated 56 studies on community pharmacy, of which 39 studies met the inclusion criteria. Most studies (72%) have used the term patient counseling, although pharmacist-patient communication and patient education were also used. The definition of patient counseling varies across studies. Almost half of the studies (49%) conceptualized pharmacist-patient communication solely as a pharmacist information provision activity. A total of 16 studies (41%) also focused on pharmacists' interpersonal behavior in addition to the information provision activity of the pharmacist. In contrast, patient communication behavior and the exchange process between both parties has been understudied. A total of 16 studies (41%) used a retrospective design. All studies used a cross-sectional design, with varying modes of data collection such as mail surveys, telephone interviews, nonparticipant observation, and shopper studies. Taped encounters are rare. SUMMARY/IMPLICATIONS: This review revealed that most studies have focused on a one way communication of pharmacists to patients. A need for examining the patient-pharmacist dyad is apparent. Future research could explore a greater use of taped encounters to analyze the interactive communication process, affective components of communication such as collaborative problem solving, interpersonal

Collaborative Problem Solving and the Assessment of Cognitive Skills: Psychometric Considerations. Research Report. ETS RR-13-41

Science.gov (United States)

von Davier, Alina A.; Halpin, Peter F.

2013-01-01

Collaboration is generally recognized as a core competency of today's knowledge economy and has taken a central role in recent theoretical and technological developments in education research. Yet, the methodology for assessing the learning benefits of collaboration continues to rely on educational tests designed for isolated individuals. Thus,…

Communicative Elements of Action Research

Science.gov (United States)

Ryan, Thomas G.

2013-01-01

This review considers human communications as utilized within a research design; in this case collaborative action research (CAR), a derivative of action research (AR), to achieve outcomes that change, and move participants forward. The association between AR and CAR is a deliberate attempt by the author to draw attention to communicative actions…

Experiment In Aeronautical-Mobile/Satellite Communication

Science.gov (United States)

Jedrey, Thomas C.; Lay, Norman E.; Dessouky, Khaled

1992-01-01

Report describes study of performance of digital mobile/satellite communication terminals of advanced design intended for use in ground stations and airplanes in aeronautical-mobile service. Study was collaboration of NASA, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Communications Satellite Corp. (COMSAT), and International Maritime Satellite System (INMARSAT).

Collaborative learning using VoiceThread in an online graduate course

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu-Hui Ching

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Collaborative learning enables participants in a learning community to externalize and share knowledge, experiences, and practice. However, collaborative learning in an online environment can be challenging due to the lack of face-to face interaction. This current study examined twenty graduate students’ experiences of using VoiceThread for a collaborative activity in an entirely online course to explore students’ perceptions of using multi-modal communication for collaboration and knowledge sharing. The results of this study revealed that graduate students had very positive experiences toward using VoiceThread for collaborative learning. The participants found VoiceThread easy to learn and use, and reported that audio and video interaction on VoiceThread helped connect them with their peers. More than half of the participants interacted with peers using audio, followed by text and then by video. Half of the students felt they were more connected to peers; however, feeling more connected did not result in more participation as most of the students only participated at the level that met the course requirement. Participants identified benefits and drawbacks of using VoiceThread for collaboration as compared to using text-based discussion forums. The most frequently mentioned benefit of using VoiceThread for collaboration exemplifies its multi-modal affordance that enables learners to communicate emotion, personality, and other non-verbal cues conducive to better understanding and interpretation of meanings. About half of the participants indicated that they preferred VoiceThread to text-based discussion forums for collaborative learning activity. Challenges and implications for future research are also discussed.

C3: A Collaborative Web Framework for NASA Earth Exchange

Science.gov (United States)

Foughty, E.; Fattarsi, C.; Hardoyo, C.; Kluck, D.; Wang, L.; Matthews, B.; Das, K.; Srivastava, A.; Votava, P.; Nemani, R. R.

2010-12-01

The NASA Earth Exchange (NEX) is a new collaboration platform for the Earth science community that provides a mechanism for scientific collaboration and knowledge sharing. NEX combines NASA advanced supercomputing resources, Earth system modeling, workflow management, NASA remote sensing data archives, and a collaborative communication platform to deliver a complete work environment in which users can explore and analyze large datasets, run modeling codes, collaborate on new or existing projects, and quickly share results among the Earth science communities. NEX is designed primarily for use by the NASA Earth science community to address scientific grand challenges. The NEX web portal component provides an on-line collaborative environment for sharing of Eearth science models, data, analysis tools and scientific results by researchers. In addition, the NEX portal also serves as a knowledge network that allows researchers to connect and collaborate based on the research they are involved in, specific geographic area of interest, field of study, etc. Features of the NEX web portal include: Member profiles, resource sharing (data sets, algorithms, models, publications), communication tools (commenting, messaging, social tagging), project tools (wikis, blogs) and more. The NEX web portal is built on the proven technologies and policies of DASHlink.arc.nasa.gov, (one of NASA's first science social media websites). The core component of the web portal is a C3 framework, which was built using Django and which is being deployed as a common framework for a number of collaborative sites throughout NASA.