The Effects of Using Headphones and Speakers on Collaboration in an Audio-Only Workspace

摘要

Using an audio-only collaborative tool, sixteen pairs of sighted individuals constructed diagrams in a workspace where they used sound as the only means to communicate with each other and to access and edit diagrams. We examined the effects of delivering audio to such a workspace using headphones and speakers on the dynamics of the collaborations in terms of structure and organization. Our analysis showed a shift in the patterns of organization and transitions between categories of activities that users undertook to complete the task, which was not only related to the means for delivering audio but also to the pairs' working strategies.