The goal of this seminar is to examine several critical
issues facing the Group Performance Environments Research (GROUPER) Laboratory:
How do we understand and improve tools and techniques for improving information
flow and knowledge sharing among distributed experts conducting time-critical
tasks in complex engineering systems? We will focus on a combination
of factors that all have significant impacts on our problems of interest
(which include Mission
Control Center operations at NASA's Johnson Space Center):
There is a primary reference / text for this course:
Newell, A. (1992). Unified Theories of Cognition (The William James Lectures, 1987). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
and a book for background reading:
Raymond, E. S. (1999). The Cathedral and the Bazaar: Musings on Linux and Open Source by an Accidental Revolutionary. Sebastopol, CA: O'Reilly & Associates.
Additional readings will be assigned as the course progresses, based on student ideas and my changing moods.
There will be several distinct for seminar interactions. We are currently scheduled to meet in 250GRIS, which is actually the IE Office. Instead, we will be meeting in 136 GRIS (GROUPER Lab) on most Thursdays. Rather than just being a lecture, or paper critique, these meetings will be focused on discussing aspects of the research problems and comparisons between different approaches relevant to solving our applied projects. Notice, however, that we will not be meeting for the entire 3 hours specified; instead, we will organize topics for online discussion that arise from the face to face interactions and issues that require additional background work. Finally, we will have some meetings at a social / meal venue, instead of the Lab venue.
The following dates are reserved for group work; no formal class will occur. (Don't worry, you'll have plenty to do on those days)
BC