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Characterizing Modes of Coordination: A Comparison between Oral and Artifact Based Coordination
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Date
2001
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Association for Computing Machinery
Abstract
The choice of communicative modality will greatly affect the way cooperative work is coordinated. Computer supported coordination brings about changes to communicative modalities-often the change is from oral to artifact based coordination. In order to inform the designed changes in modality we need to understand the characteristics of individual modes of coordination, and we need to compare modes before changes are implemented. Within this context the paper has two objectives: (1) to characterize oral and artifact based coordination, and (2) to establish an initial set of dimensions which will support a comparison between the two modes of coordination. The basis for both points is empirical: a field study of oral coordination in maritime operations, and a study of artifact based coordination in software engineering.