Research directions in designing intercultural interactions in collaborative virtual communities

Abstract

As applications and environments supporting collaborative virtual communities (CVEs) become increasingly available, opportunities to work, learn, play, and share experiences trans-culturally are not only more appealing, but also more feasible. Distributed cross-cultural and cross-organizational interactions are here, now. The emergence of such synchronous, post-geographical, virtual communities raises particular issues around fostering the intercultural 'chemistry' of online interactions and online community design.Elaine Raybourn and Andrew McGrath facilitated a one-day workshop at Group 99 on online community design, highlighting the potential for intercultural communication as an over-arching design principle. The program committee included Elizabeth Churchill, Alan Munro, Wolfgang Prinz, William Stubblefield, and Eunice Young. Workshop participants represented intellectually and culturally diverse backgrounds and fields including computer science, systems engineering, ethnography, HCI, intercultural communication, design, and psychology. Private sector, public sector, and university affiliations were also represented.