Information Design
Resume:
Information Behavior of Small Groups:
Implications for Design of Digital Libraries
Nan Zhou Gerry Stahl
College of Information Science and Technology, College of Information Science and Technology,
Drexel University Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA, 19104 Philadelphia, PA, 19104
abqozb@r.postjobfree.com abqozb@r.postjobfree.com
work in small groups of 3 or 4, and are given a non-routine math
Abstract. We report findings of a study that investigates the
problem to solve. In sessions conducted in VMT, we observe
information behavior of online small groups engaged in math
participants actively engaged in various information practices
problem solving and discuss the implications for designing digital
within the group. We believe that analyzing how participants
libraries that can support learning of younger students and their
constitute their information problem and how they address it
broader information practices.
using available resources can provide us with a better
Categories and Subject Descriptors understanding of fundamental problems of information behavior.
This could inform the design of information resources and digital
K.3.1 Computer Uses in Education
libraries. In this paper, we look at sample interactions that
General Terms illustrate the negotiation of information needs, the use of
information resources and the co-construction of meaning.
Design, Human Factors
2. RESEARCH METHOD
Keywords
We have held over 70 sessions with groups of students logging in
Information Behavior, Digital Libraries, CSCL
from home or school. Some sequences run with the same group
for four sessions over two weeks. Our participants range from 6th
1. INTRODUCTION
to 12th grade. In most cases, group participants come from across
Digital libraries have the potential to enhance learning by
the country. The interactions are mediated entirely through the
providing resources and connectivity among people [1]. Yet, it is
virtual environment. We started with experimenting using AIM
a challenging research problem to design a digital library on a
and later developed our own VMT Chat that has a chat program
specific subject for younger users (e.g. from elementary to high
along with a shared whiteboard. We also tried integrating wiki
school) and, particularly, to support their collaboration and
into the environment as a shared workspace where groups build
learning. Many digital libraries are not explicitly designed to
on each other s ideas. A typical VMT session is about one hour
support learning, which is a much more complex practice than
long. Participants work on a math problem collaboratively in
simply browsing and searching. Most existing digital libraries are
small groups. The interactions are recorded and are available for
no more than repositories of information objects, organized
later analysis. Taking the group as the unit of analysis, we have
according to structures that may not be compatible with how
applied an ethnomethodologically-informed approach [3] based
young users would organize them. Deeper understanding of how
on aspects of conversation analysis [4] to analyze information
the users of a particular age group look for information for
practices of participants. Such micro-level analysis usually
learning purposes are needed in order to design digital libraries to
focuses on episodes of activities that are of research interest and
support their information practices, e.g. information needs
examines them at great detail from an interactional perspective.
formulation, information seeking and information use.
The Math Forum (mathforum.org) is an established organization
3. DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS
that provides online educational resources for mathematics,
Negotiation of information needs. When working on a math
including math digital libraries and mentoring services. The
problem, participants try to identify what is known and what they
Virtual Math Teams (VMT) [2] project is designing and
still need to know. In excerpt 1 from a VMT session, three
deploying a service to bring students together to explore math
participants identified by initials are trying to figure out what the
collaboratively in online environments. Students are invited to
height of a pool is, which is not directly given in the math
problem but might be implied from the problem description. AME
starts with posing the question, which provides the group what he
Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for understands and calls for assessment of the information. It turns
personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are
out to be an information problem that they need to resolve, that is,
not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that
to produce a shared understanding of what is known and what
copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. To copy
needs to be known. For AME and HOL, the height didn t seem to
otherwise, or republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists,
be a problematic issue at the beginning: AME thinks the height is
requires prior specific permission and/or a fee.
25 whereas HOL thinks it is 2m. For KIM, the heights are given
JCDL 07, June 17 22, 2007, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Copyright 2007 ACM 978-1-59593-644-8/07/0006 5.00.
in the picture. The conflict of their views initiates a negotiation participants in understanding how the information could help
and co-construction of their information needs. Here we see how solve this . Upon JAS s request, NISH draws a tree diagram on
information needs like the height emerge as a product of the the shared whiteboard to illustrate the idea (which is recorded on
social interaction engaged in resolving a problematic issue, or in the session history that is not shown here). They are engaged in
other words, their shared information problem. constructing the meaning of permutation in their particular
problem context.
AME The height of the olympic pool is 25 right? 7:32:31
well the way i know how to find number of possibilities
NISH
KIM rereading 7:32:50 is through permutations and tree diagrams
HOL height is 2m 7:33:33 JAS can you show us by drawing on the board?
AME wha? 7:33:39
EUR i dunno bout the permutation
I think we're looking at a side view - so the
KIM heights are given in the picture 7:33:44 EUR how do u use it to solve this
AME I disagree 7:34:38 JAS i dun either
Excerpt 4: Discussing how to use information.
it says, "They are usually 50 meters by 25
KIM meters, when looking from the top" 7:36:30
We have observed that when some potentially useful information
HOL ? 7:36:50 is brought in, participants may have difficulty applying it locally.
They have to do the work of constructing the meaning of
KIM then, "the picture below shows the depths" 7:37:59
AME yeah but whats the height? 7:38:19 information and make real information meaningful and useful for
themselves. Information here is not a static object bounded in a
HOL height from what perspectiv 7:38:58
box but interactionally constructed through social interactions.
Excerpt 1: Negotiation of an information problem.
Use of information resources. We have observed that when
4. IMPLICATIONS
encountering the need for information, participants in most cases
The findings from this study have important implications for
turn to the group for help. The group serves as a primary resource
designing digital libraries for learning. 1) They speak to the need
for them. This is not surprising because there is locally produced
for digital libraries to incorporate spaces and functions to support
information that may be only available in their local situation and
social interaction, since seeking and using information with other
the group understands the context of the information question.
people is a natural and primary practice for many users. A shared
Participants ask questions to seek information, offer what they
work space where people can interact with others and ask
know in response to information inquiry, articulate their
questions may help information seeking and sense making. 2) One
understanding, or recall what they have learned in prior
can go beyond the notion of a digital library as a simple
experiences. There are observable tactics that participants use to
repository with static information. To meet users needs, a library
frame their information questions, such as offering a candidate
can support broader information practices, which may be oriented
answer or calling for participation. In excerpt 2 s session, SUP
to problem solving, learning or other tasks. 3) Digital libraries can
has a question regarding edge lengths (of a triangle). The
be integrated with learning environments to offer an integration of
question is directed to the group with a candidate answer provided
resources and interactional spaces that can support learning and
( jone of the 3 sides? ), which is taken up by AVR who provides
knowledge building within communities of practice. At VMT, we
a straightforward answer. In some other cases, we see similar
build up a digital library of the work of those virtual math teams
information questions being addressed differently, for example,
to which all the groups contribute content. It is a shared
by providing a link to some resource that may have the answer.
interactional space where participants collaboratively build
SUP what does itmeans by edglengths?
knowledge. 4) Analyses of our experiences at VMT shed light on
SUP jone of the 3 sides? understanding how people construct information problems, pose
AVR edgelength means length of a side information questions and use information resources. This is just
Excerpt 2: An information-seeking question. an initial step in designing digital library facilities to support the
information behavior of small groups in a networked world.
NISH hope this doesnt sound too stupid, but wuts a summation
137 The sum of all terms from a to b
5. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
JAS http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigma_notation
This work is supported by grants DUE 0333493, IERI 0325447,
Excerpt 3: Different answers to an information question.
SBE-0518477 from the NSF NSDL, IERI and SLC programs.
Using online resources is also observed as a common practice.
Many participants demonstrate they are familiar with using online
6. REFERENCES
resources. Students seem to have expectations for online
resources to provide them straight answers, such as a formula that [1] Borgman, C. L. (1999). "What are digital libraries?
solves the problem. But there seems to be a discrepancy between Competing visions," Information Processing & Management,
students perception of what online resources can offer and the 1999 (35), pp. 227-243.
reality in which resources fail to satisfy their needs. Analyzing [2] http://mathforum.org/vmt
such information search breakdowns helps us understand how
[3] Garfinkel, H. (1967). Studies in ethnomethodology.
young students search for information.
Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Construction of meaning. In excerpt 4 s session, participants are
[4] Sacks, H. (1992). Lectures on conversation. Oxford, UK:
working on finding out the number of possible paths between two
Blackwell.
points on a grid. NISH proposes that permutations can be used to
find out the possibilities, which poses a problem for other
Copyright 2007 ACM 978-1-59593-644-8/07/0006 5.00.
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