Towards a social affordances perspective of media capabilities and interface design

Abstract

AbstractThis study examined the relationships between collaborative group work and communication technologies. First, a model of experience depicting the most perceptually relevant aspects of group work was produced using self‐guided focus groups and survey responses. Eleven elements of the group work context, their interrelationships, and technologies supporting collaborative activity were described. The model suggested communication technologies are situated within contexts of use that affect and are affected by relevant aspects of that context. Participant task groups then resolved various problems using one of three technologies: face‐to‐face, voice conferencing, or chat. Activity unfolded longitudinally allowing for the emergence of situated actions, interaction, and technology effects. Individual and collective perceptions of how technology affected each element of the model, and how those elements impacted perceptions of technology, were analyzed via in‐depth interviews.