We will focus on the human-computer interface design of groupware, as well as the implementation issues that must be faced when building these systems. Issues of interest include group awareness, multi-user interfaces, synchronous vs. asynchronous work, local vs. distributed work, floor control, social cues, privacy, security, and evaluation. Through reading and discussion of recent papers and student projects, we will explore a variety of current research topics.

The classroom we use will be outfitted with the latest in collaborative technology (computers, video cameras, monitors, and a Xerox LiveBoard). The small, conference-style room will promote a group learning experience. An innovation of the class will be that students will be able to, and if enrollment is high, encouraged to attend the course from their own office using remote collaboration tools (e.g., MBONE tools, such as those produced by the MASH group and the BMRC here at Berkeley). The course will also use meeting capture tools to record and archive the classroom discussions and slides for latter retrieval and review. The intention is to use exiting collaborative tools for "real work" (e.g., class presentations, discussions, and review) to allow students to become more familiar with the research area.

Prof. Landay will present introductory lectures to establish a common background. We will then study one or two papers in depth during each class meeting.  Everyone is expected to read each paper in advance and come prepared with critical questions.  Students will take turns giving presentations on the papers. Rather than resembling a lecture, these presentations will develop into roundtable discussions.

Students will team-up into groups of two to carry out a small-scale research project, such as creating a new collaborative tool or making a significant enhancement to an existing system. At the end of the semester students will present their research projects to the rest of the class and submit a write-up of the project in the format of an 8-page conference paper with appropriate citations.

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