Mark ChildsSenior Lecturer (TEL)

Supporting online collaborationMarch 2016

Online collaboration for design

• BIM Hub project• Loughborough, Coventry and Ryerson

(Toronto)• Funded by HEA • Follow on from Learning to Create a Better

Built Environment funded by Hewlett Packard• Altogether four years 2011-2015 of

intervention

Project structure

Loughborough Coventry RyersonMandatory Optional MandatoryProject Management

Structural Engineering

Architecture

Two cohorts (one per semester)

One cohort (both semester)

One cohort (both semesters)

Task• groups of two students from each university• Semester one: design a building• Semester two: write report• Using email, DropBox, Social MediaGoToMeeting

Also …

Of appeal to students because• Motivating• Authentic experience• Transferable skills• Perception of improved employability• More interesting than just working face-to-

face

IPO – Transactional Distance

(Source: Soetanto et al. 2012, 2014)

Professional ethosCompletion of tasks to timeGreater trustReliance on other alignments diminishesGreater co-operation

Lack of professional ethosFailure to complete tasks to timeDiminishing trustGreater reliance on other alignmentsReduced commitment to collaboration

Lessons learnt: Skills for online collaboration

• Commitment of participants to the collaboration. • Equitable and fair treatment of all participants. • Maintenance of trust within the collaboration. • Applying project management techniques.• Cultural differences.• Use of technology.• Digital literacy.• Working externally. • Need to address lack of socialisation.

Use of social media

Developing ability in online meetings

Improved over time (but correlation not causation)• Applying meeting management techniques; scheduling,

agendas, action points.• Improvement in IT skills.• Developing a greater understanding of the task.• Reification through creation of models.• Developing presence in online meetings.However …• Inauthenticity of virtual connections.• Lack of socialisation.

Developing Presence in GoToMeeting

• Early stages; talk offline, limited use of applications,

• Ah-ha moments, groups choose to clarify by showing on screen

• Experienced users, gesture, switch between applications, modify in realtime

Example of GoToMeeting

Developing presence in meetings

• Getting the technology right. • Fluency with software.• Online etiquette.• Don’t tell, show. • Keep the conversation on screen not offline. • Doodle• Modify each others’ work• Make an appearance• Socialise

Lessons learnt by students (we thought were self-evident)

• Not breaking off for private conversations. • Effectively supplementing face-to-face behaviours to

compensate for less physical presence. • Chairing meetings formally so that only one person speaks

at the same time and everyone gets a chance to contribute. • Planning and structuring meetings. • Ensuring everyone is included. • Eliminating echo. • Taking into account students with disabilities.• Don’t work in unsuitable areas.

Further informationhttp://bim-hub.lboro.ac.uk/

Twitter: @oc4d1

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Online-Collaborative-Design-7469178

Email mchilds@brookes.ac.uk