Conceptual Frameworks for the Development of CSCW Systems

摘要

Models and theories concerning cooperation have long been recognized as animportant aid in the development of Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) systems. However, there is no consensus regarding the set of concepts and abstractions that should underlie such models and theories. Furthermore, common patterns are hard to discern in different models and theories. This paper analyzes a number of exisitng models and theories, and proposes a generic conceptual framework based on the strengths and commonalities of these models. The authors analyze five different developments, viz., Coordination Theory, Activity Theory, Task Manager model, Action/Interaction Theory and Object-Oriented Activity Support model, to propose a generic model based on four key concepts common to these developments, viz. activity, actor, information and service.