Virtual information role in group dynamics examined

Have you ever had difficulty recalling details of a comment that happened at a meeting six months ago? Imagine being able to revisit that time and place and find it, as well as notes, messages and links from the other attendees.

A project aimed at developing an iPhone application which will investigate the relationship between collaboration, technology, and how time-place information is generated has won funding from The University of Auckland, National Institute of Creative Arts and Industries (NICAI) Faculty Research Development Fund.

The project, Digital Fieldnotes, steered by Dr Dermott McMeel from the School of Architecture and Planning and Associate Professor Robert Amor, from Computer Science, will address such questions as: “How do mobile technologies affect group cohesion, interaction and conflict?” and “How are problem solving and team working influenced by having access to mobile devices and additional layers of virtual information?”

Design and construction have traditionally been interdisciplinary activities with collaboration between architects, engineers, contractors and sub-contractors and communication remains an increasingly pivotal element in that collaboration.

“Time and place are important constituents of the design and construction process. As they change we privilege different information sources and content and relevance of communications can differ markedly,” says Dr McMeel. “We believe that mobile phone technology has a major role to play in place-time mediation and in providing meaningful interactions between design and construction parties.”

Previous research points to new technology (including the proliferation of applications such as Facebook, Twitter, NING and Second Life) influencing the dynamics of group working. Technologies such as Studio Wikitecture facilitate collaborations where participants from disparate geographical location collaborate across different time.

Robert Amor says: "The confluence of sensor-laden, powerful mobile devices with sophisticated web services will forge location-based tools that we can only dream of today. The time and location collaborative aspects of this project are right at the forefront of research in this field."

The University of Auckland’s National Institute of Creative Arts and Industries comprises the School of Architecture and Planning, Elam School of Fine Arts, the Centre for New Zealand Art Research and Discovery (CNZARD), the School of Music and the Dance Studies Programme.