Simone Braun
Andreas Schmidt
Don’t Annoy the Informal Teacher:
Context-Aware
Context Aware Mediation of Communication
for Workplace Learning
FZI Research Center for Information Technologies
Information Process Engineering
Karlsruhe, GERMANY
{Simone.Braun|Andreas.Schmidt}@fzi.de
http://www.fzi.de/ipe
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Outline
Motivation
Informal Teaching
Context-Aware Communication Mediation as Method
Architecture
Conclusions
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Motivation
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Motivation
Technology-Enhanced Workplace learning is beginning to
acknowledge the importance of informal learning
• formal learning is only the tip of the iceberg
Informal learning activities are
characterized by
y
• changing roles
• social interactions
• communication activities
Informal learning is a reciprocal activity
• an informal learner always involves an „informal teacher“
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Informal Teaching
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Informal Teaching
Informal teaching can be beneficial for the teacher
• deepening the understanding (cognitive elaboration)
• gaining social esteem
• ...
but it can also be annoying, interrupting and disturbing
• pulled out of own work and learning processes
ll d t f k dl i
• classical problem of expert finder applications
As we need to integrate learning processes into work
processes, we also need to integrate teaching processes into
the work processes „on the other side“
on
• balance interests on both sides!
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Why Does It Annoy?
Wrong timing
• in stress situations meetings etc
situations, etc.
Subject switch
• afford high cognitive load
Partner relationship
• willingness to help depends on observed quality of social relationship
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Context-Aware
Context Aware Communication Mediation
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Method
Context-aware communication mediation for better
knowledge-sharing
knowledge sharing
• overcome the gap in communication between the learner and the
informal teacher
• by considering the learner’s and the teacher’s context
Course:
1. Analyze the learner‘s and the teacher‘s context
2.
2 Match the contexts to minimize the costs and to maximize the benefits
on both sides
3. Adapt the communication mediation appropriately
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The Teacher‘s Context Factors
Interruptibility
• receptiveness for interruptions
p p
Current Task
• disruptions while working on a complex task or being in a meeting causes
annoyance
Preferred Communication Channel
• channels require different attention
Cost of Interruption
• arising economic costs from the interruption
Competence Level
• has to be higher than the learner‘s ones for acting as teacher
• for recommendation as teacher
Relevance of Request
q
• e.g. for deepening the own understanding
Social Relationship with the learner
• affects the willingness to help
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The Learner‘s Context Factors
Urgency
• quickest possible support mediation if the learner can‘t continue without
q p pp
Preferred Communication Channel
• which are available?
Cost of Delay
• arising economic costs until receiving support
Current Task
• determines location and dimension of the knowledge gap
f
Competence Level
• identification of the appropriate informal teacher
pp p
Subject of Request
• with reference to the teacher‘s current task, the teacher can answer faster and
better
Social Relationship with the teacher
• asking for help means admitting weakness
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Architecture
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Architecture
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Distributed User Context Management
User context data is sensitive data
Distributed architecture where context data is stored on the
machine of the user can be trust building
trust-building
Central
User Context Manager
Local Local Local Local Local
Context Context Context Context Context
Source Source Source Source Source
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Conclusions
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Conclusions
Informal teaching strongly depends on healthy social
relationships and positively valued communication processes
Context-aware
Context aware Communication Mediation combines unified
messaging techniques and workplace learning support in a
socially aware
socially-aware manner
Future plans:
• broaden the basis of communication channels
• social-awareness for user-adaptive learning and teaching support
LOKMOL ’06
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Contact
Simone Braun
Dept.
Dept Information Process Engineering
FZI Research Center for Information Technologies
Karlsruhe, GERMANY
Simone.Braun@fzi.de
Si B @f i d
Andreas Schmidt
d eas Sc dt
Dept. Information Process Engineering
FZI Research Center for Information Technologies
Karlsruhe,
K l h GERMANY
Andreas.Schmidt@fzi.de
http://www.im-wissensnetz.de
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