CAREER: Leveraging Personal Digital Appliances to Support Informal Collaboration

Georgia Tech Research Corporation, Atlanta GA

Investigators

Abstract

This project investigates how informal collaboration in the workplace can be supported by calendar information available via personal digital appliances. The goal is to retain the flexibility and individual usability of personal devices while also enabling collaborative sharing of data, such as schedule and location information. However, the leap from personal use to group collaboration is not trivial, as individuals must assess what information they are willing to share, how they currently use that information, and how they value the benefits of collaboration. To explore these issues, the research will use probabilistic reasoning techniques to ascertain the likelihood of finding a colleague at a scheduled event. The system will analyze and distribute personal calendar information to faculty, staff and students at the PI's institution. Different visualization techniques offer trade-offs among precision, privacy, self-explanation, aggregation and effort in obtaining information. By analyzing the feasibility, adoption, use and social norms formed in response to these new capabilities, we contribute to the growing interest in informal collaboration, interfaces for serendipitous information, and the use of Bayesian networks.