SPOT: using collaborative technologies for developing collaborative technologies

The SPOT project applies emerging collaborative tools and techniques to assist in the development of such tools. The Software Development Group (SDG) of National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) is developing several frameworks for deploying tools as collaborative applications. SPOT exercises SDG's collaborative frameworks while creating a collaborative project management tool. This tool makes visible the goals, activities, and the status of the various projects within the organization. This includes explicating the various competencies and responsibilities of the people within the organization. To be effective, collaborative technologies need to support fluidly defined groups by making visible the activities and structure of the group in an accessible manner. SPOT attempts to achieve this by bringing together emerging concepts from computer science, cognitive systems engineering, and social sciences. We describe our use of a task-focused approach that makes heavy use of end-user participation from work-study surveys through early paper prototype evaluation to iterative prototyping. SPOT is an interdisciplinary project between cognitive systems engineering and speech communications. Our combined perspectives enable our team to combine organizational modeling techniques with cognitive engineering principles to mutually inform the design and enhance the practical utility of the evolving software product.