Zhichao Wu Alex Duffy CAD Centre, DMEM, University of Strathclyde

1. Researcher’s Presentation Day ‘03 Collective Learning in design Zhichao Wu Alex Duffy CAD Centre, DMEM, University of Strathclyde

2. RPD’03 Collective learning in design Introduction Introduction • Learning and Collective learning • The objectives of the research • A brief review of current research • The focus of my work • The research methodology • The hypothesis • Findings • Conclusions

3. RPD’03 Collective learning in design Learning • Learning Learning involves some form of acquisition of new knowledge that is integrated into the existing pre-stored knowledge called memory. (Kemp, 1976; Persidis and Duffy, 1991; Sim, 2000) Memory can be considered to be the foundation upon which learning can take place. (Atkinson and Shiffrin, 1968; Gillund and Shriffin, 1984; Adelman, 1987; Cooper, 1995; Goker, 1997; Raichie, 1994; Shank, 1982) Learning • Collective learning “Collective learning is such kind of learning, where a group of individuals has learnt collectively” (Neergaard, 1994)

4. RPD’03 Collective learning in design The Objectives • Provide insights for team design through investigating the nature of collective learning. • Provide a basis for computer supported collective learning in design Objectives

5. RPD’03 Collective learning in design Current Research • Most of the current research focuses on individual learning in design. • A few related work in design: Agent-based learning in design (Grecu and Brown); and shared learning (Duffy and Duffy). • Some related work in other areas: team learning, organisational learning and collective learning in organisational study; Agent-based learning in Distributed Artificial Intelligence; Team learning in psychology; etc. Current Research • No comprehensive model of collective learning in design.

6. RPD’03 Collective learning in design The Focus of My Research Collective learning – What, How, and Why • A model of Collective learning in design My Research

7. RPD’03 Collective learning in design Investigation of current work An evolved model The phenomena of collective learning Collective learning model Protocol analysis Research Methodology Research Methodology

8. RPD’03 Collective learning in design The hypothesis • Team design and collective learning can be linked. • Elements of team design activities include team design goal, input knowledge, and output knowledge • Elements of collective learning activities include input knowledge, output knowledge, learning operators, rational triggers, and collective learning goal Hypothesis • There can be different forms of collective learning that make it unique from individual learning

9. RPD’03 Collective learning in design Learning Agent The hypothesis Common learning Knowledge Hypothesis

10. RPD’03 Collective learning in design Variety of knowledge sources Holistic knowledge Learning Learning Designing Designing Agent 1 Agent 2 The hypothesis Mutual learning 1 2 4 3 Agent m Agent n Holistic learning Hypothesis

11. RPD’03 Collective learning in design Protocol Analysis • The experiment: • A team meeting of the 5th year students in DMEM was recorded. • Process of protocol analysis: • Segmentation, coding, analysis and interpretation of data G: We have to use cartridge because we are using the cradle. Because Ge (an agent outside the team) said so … … P: Where do we put a grub screw at the side to keep it tight? • Key words, phrases, and sentences used to identify the elements of team design and collective learning activities. Protocol Analysis

12. RPD’03 Collective learning in design … G: I think it should be sealed along those edges so that the whole thing is sealed. P: What about a small gasket? G: What do you mean? P: Just a small gasket that seal around, but I don’t know how you’d seal it. G: Even just use silicon gel round the top. … Results – Team Design • Input knowledge: • There can be more than one agent’s who provide input knowledge for the team design activities. For example • Output knowledge: • Output knowledge can be inferred or derived from the input knowledge and the goal. Results • Team design goals: • Seem to be verbalised at the beginning of the design activities.

13. RPD’03 Collective learning in design Results-Collective Learning • Input knowledge: • Four modes of input knowledge have been identified. One to many Many to one Results Many to one plus itself Combination: an example

14. RPD’03 Collective learning in design M: What do you mean have just a thing up here (pointing to gadget) or what? D: Just design a system like what we’re talking about just now but instead of one that would take the tank off and have having air get into the system replacing the cartridge at certain stages, replacing the whole lot now at once… Explanation Results-Collective Learning • Output knowledge: • It can derived from the input knowledge of itself and other agents, or can be derived from only the other agents. G: See that’s the thing, the whole bit’s moving underneath it (pointing to sketch). It is just a kind of gets in the way. I mean if you were trying to build up a part and you’ve got this whole tank in the bottom, getting the part out’s going to be a bit of a problem; not a huge problem but it’s more difficult to get into to use. P: You could have (drawing) for real size you could have something like that. G: But they might design it not knowing - that’s the problem as well - not knowing that they’re putting a big tank at the top. … • Learning operators: • Learning operators work between different agents to acquire or transform knowledge. Acquisition, Discovery, Derivation , Explanation and Association are identified as learning operators M: (pointing to drawing) Aye, because this bit’s full of sponge anyway - right up to the top so we’re not needing tubes that fit in between the walls, we’re needing tubes that come into the top. G: Right so we’re gonna have to design a bit that totally sticks on there (drawing) like that. That whole bit’s gonna have to be sealed off where before we were just talking about an ordinary lid. M: Yes. • Rational triggers: • Agreement or disagreement; the failure or success of design; the disagreement of other agents’ design; different design ideas; and explanation. Results

15. RPD’03 Collective learning in design Collective learning goal: It can be inferred from the team design goals, input knowledge and output knowledge. Results-Collective Learning G: Right, we have to use cartridge because we are using the cradle, because Gerry said so. So we have to design a little bit to go on the top of this about this topic. D: Yeah. It is not just the tube into the ink recess or whatever it is called. M: Yeah. G: I think it should be sealed along those edges so that the whole thing is sealed. P: What about a small gasket? G: What do you mean? P: Just a small gasket and seal around, but I don’t know how you’d get that done and how you’d seal it. G: Even just silicon get roundthe top. D: But because it’s 3 compartments… Easier if it’s just a single compartment. But because it’s three you’d have to have rigid edges round here and seal across. P: Seal across here and here… you could possiblehave it coming in… G: So we’d need todo something with the fluid connector bit so that it doesn’t tangle up. P: Clarity. M: And we’ll just have to hope that other groups haven’t made it that long. G: We know what that depth is, Gerry told me that depth is. • Three forms of collective learning: • Common learning • Mutual learning Results • Holistic learning

16. RPD’03 Collective learning in design Results-Interactions G: We need to design something to seal the tube so it doesn’t leak, whether it is choosing a component like a rubber grommets, because we cannot just ram the tubes in. D: Grub screws? P: Where do we put a grub screw at the side to keep it tight? … • The rational (reason aspect) link: • The reasons that trigger collective learning. G: Is there anyway that we can incorporate the valve that operate and that is also run by the processor in the computer? So that when that is reaching out it allow the flow to reach in. G: Is there any other way to do it when it is being controlled? M: Just put valve on it or something. …. • The epistemic (knowledge aspect) link: • learning operators work between design agents. • The teleological (goal aspect) link: • Learning goal can precede design goal, or design goal can precede learning goal. Results

17. RPD’03 Collective learning in design Collective learning goal Collective learning Learning Operator Rational Trigger Epistemic Link Teleological link Rational Link ? Input knowledge Collective Memory Output knowledge Team design Team design goal A model of Collective L earning Model

18. RPD’03 Collective learning in design Conclusions • The hypotheses of collective learning in design has been evaluated through protocol analysis. • Collective learning exists in team design. • The elements of team design and collective learning, and the links have been analysed. • A model of collective learning in design was proposed. • In the future research, the proposed model will be evaluated and a computer supported means can be developed. Conclusions

19. Thank you very much!Question?email: chao@cad.strath.ac.uk

20. RPD’03 Collective learning in design The Assumption of The Analysis “The verbalisable cognitions can be described as states that correspond to the information that is in the focus of attention”, and “the information vocalised is the verbal encoding of the information in short-term memory”(Ericsson and Simon, 1984) Protocol Analysis