• Shared Information Virtual Surfaces (SIVS)

  A shared information surface for use with distributed players to analyze collaboration on pattern recognition and situational assessment tasks.

  The project approach is to study the principles of Naturalistic Decision Making (NDM) as applied to team decision making and develop tools to improve collaboration among team members.  The objective of the research is to understand how peer groups collaborate and make decisions in exercises characterized by risky outcomes under normal and urgent conditions based on a “Team Recognition Primed Decision-Making” cognitive model.  Players have a joint virtual surface upon which to share information and play an experimental game. Teams engage in pattern recognition, collaborate and then act.  Independent variables include: information (common, private, reliability), interaction (structured, free form), leadership, time pressure, collaboration (text, audio, graphic, video, gesturing) and coupling (loose, tight).  Experiments have been designed to test mechanisms to more quickly share patterns among team members through using the concepts of information “chunking” and negotiated “push-pull” information exchanges.  Chunking refers to grouping or expanding pattern significance thru mnemonics, chunk size, variation of icon types and ordering of chunks.  Push-pull of information will be based on knowledge of issues wrt interruption, and knowledge developed in the areas of memory, attention management and perception.  The final product will be the recommendation of tools and aids to accelerate team member collaboration when engaged in NDM type decision tasks.  Possible results could be used in DARPA AugCog program or incorporated into the knowledge wall.

  The “Team Recognition Primed Decision-Making” cognitive model continues to be validated.  Real-time gesturing or telepointing is detrimental to decision outcomes because it is distracting.  Tools to support pattern sharing have been developed that improves the collective recognition of patterns by a team; “chunk” sharing is better than “discrete item” sharing.  Chunk sharing is superior even when teams are under time pressure.  Task awareness tools aid in team synchronization.  Future experiments will involve dynamic tasks and negotiated interrupts.
   

• ONR Workshop Presentation (January, 2006)
• AMCIS Best Paper Presentation (August, 2005)
• ONR Workshop Presentation (January, 2005)
• Video capture (AVI) of game software in 2004
• DSS 2004 Presentation (July, 2004)
  
  
• ONR Workshop Presentation (January, 2003)
• Video capture (AVI) of game software in 2001

Publications

• Hayne, S., Smith, C.A.P. and Vijayasarathy, L. (under third review), “The Use of Pattern-Communication Tools and Team Pattern Recognition,” IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication.

• Hayne, S. and Smith, C.A.P (forthcoming), “The Relationship Between e-Collaboration and Cognition,” International Journal of e-Collaboration. 

• Hayne, S., Smith, C.A.P. and Turk, D. (2003), “The Effectiveness of Groups Recognizing Patterns,” International Journal of Human Computer Studies, 59(5):523-543.

• Initial Literature Review
  
  

Dr. Stephen C. Hayne - Principal Investigator