NEH GRANT PROPOSAL 1

            DRAFT 2  COLAB STUDIOS:

            Augmenting Collaborative Creation of New Digital Literature for Cyberspace

            Laurence J. Victor    March 28,2007

 

NOTE: I am putting this draft version on QuickDoc so interested parties may comment. I have attempted to rewrite the draft according to feedback from comments on the first draft. However, I don’t feel that this draft is more suitable for the grant reviewers than the first draft (which I felt may have been suitable). I am not sure I can write such a grant proposal.  In this version of the NARRATIVE I have left the instructions from the grant and have organized the narrative as to their outline.  I have created a number of appendices. The narrative, with the instructions deleted, is within the 15 page, 11 font, double space limitation. Submission deadline: April 3. 2

 

Much needs polishing. I am sending this as a QuickDoc document for convenience. Feel free to give me general comments by email or by phone. If you are able to give me detailed comments on parts, please use QuickDoc. 3

 

Thank you for your time and effort,  Larry

             

            ABSTRACT –  separate PDF document 4

             

            Statement of significance and impact

             

            Colab Studios: Augmenting Collaborative Creation of New Digital Literature for Cyberspace 5

             

            New technologies often reinforce old practices before they give rise to the emergence of new practices. New digital technologies have the potential of creating new realities, new worlds. Even the most advanced users of new technologies, often because they were early adopters, are often blocked in adapting the new realities by their honed skills in using the newly enhanced old practices from the old paradigms. Today the board room (sitting around a table), the desktop (one person per workstation), and the classroom are barriers to the actualization of the new reality potentials of digital technology. 6

            In spite of the exciting ability to present art, music, dance -- the products of cultures studied by the humanities -- the contemporary digital world (by constraining forms for discourse) has yet to enhance the dialog and thinking of the humanities. The new digital technologies have yet to significantly enhance dialog at the frontiers of human thought, and on topics now critically relevant to the future of humanity. 7

             

            A colab studio is not just another arrangement of workstations; it is a confluence of a number of synergizing new paradigms. Collaboration, from the old paradigm, is a process that enables persons with different skills to integrate and focus on a common objective, using their pre-existing skills and knowledge. That the participants might individually learn significantly during collaboration (other than the learning to work together) or that they might synergize and collectively apply their new skills to emergent creativity is not a priority. If and when it happens, it is usually by serendipity, and then, often ignored. 8

             

            The processes to be performed in colab studios are hoped to transcend these barriers, and the "colab" process is more than simple collaboration. "Colab" also involves new types and levels of learning, as individuals and as teams, often exploring at the frontiers, as action research - making the "lab" of colab reflect this learning/research feature - which is as much in the concepts and attitudes users bring to the colab studio as in the arrangement and functioning of the intelligent tools in the colab studio. 9

             

            The term "studio" emphasizes the production process, the primary focus of activity in colab studios. More than a team workstation to construct a prior designed product, the colab studio enhances the synergetic creativity of participants in producing a "webdoc", a packet of computer code (files, for example, for website or blogs), that can be accessed online and used by others with conventional computers. Most webdocs will be multi-media and both interactive and participatory for their users/audience. 10

             

            Although colab studios facilitate the production of a vast diversity of products, my primary goal is that the webdocs enable a wide population to explore the changing nature of humankind and our universe in ways that will facilitate the resolution of our crisis of crises. I envision future generations of improved colab studios becoming a standard tool of humans in their co-creation of a better world for themselves. 11

             

            Colab studios re-engender those deep human needs for close, face-to-face work/dialog at the waterhole, grain grinding, gathering and hunting, hut constructing, dining, and preparing for & performing celebrations. What colab studios add is the ability to record this creative activity and integrate edited parts of the recording into the production. Modern research is discovering a complex system of subconscious signaling and even brain-brain resonance in face-to-face interaction. This has yet to be simulated with the best of our online yet synchronous systems of video conferencing. 12

             

            Colab studios will complement, not compete with the rapidly developing systems of asynchronous digital interaction - necessary for global human coherence. Indeed, colab studios may significantly improve the augmentation power of virtual systems - where both individual workstations and colab studios can be active nodes. 13

             

            TABLE OF CONTENTS – a separate pdf document

            LIST OF PARTICIPANTS – a separate pdf document

             

            NARRATIVE 14

             

            Enhancing the humanities through the use of emerging technologies 15

             

            IMAGINE 16

            Imagine you have a significant flash of insight triggered by the association of an essay just read online, a report of a recent discovery, and in context of a book you are reading.  You quickly write about your insight and post it into your blog, where it might attract a few comments and then slide into the basement (searchable) archive of cyberspace. But you have another option: you schedule time at a convenient colab studio and invite three of your local colleagues to join you in a few sessions in the colab studio to create a webdoc related to your insight. Your colleagues are referred to your blog entry and are encouraged to contribute some spontaneous comments. 17

             

            You and your colleagues meet at the colab studio, which is equipped with a wide assortment of intelligent collaboration tools, more than most individuals can afford. The technical staff is there to support you, who have been selected according to the specific processes you want to engage in the colab studio. You and your colleagues will be given instructions on use of the colab studio where your profile of colab studio competencies on record indicate a need for instruction. Some instruction may have been done individually at home if that person alone lacked the requisite competencies. 18

             

            You have the option to sit or stand in the colab studio, even move about. Each of you is equipped with a quality wireless microphone and where you sit or stand has a camrecorder able to follow you with minor movements. Available in separate windows or monitors are the texts involved: the essay, the report of the discovery, access to pages in the book you were reading, your blog entry and the comments of your colleagues. 19

             

            You and your colleagues start a verbal dialog on the potential relevance of your insight.  Your objective is to create a webdoc in the colab studio (possibley involving more than one session) that will share the potentials of your insight with a larger audience in cyberspace. The webdoc will be in a format that will be entertaining, educational, and with features to attract participation from the online audience. 20

             

            As each person talks, they will be recorded and the others will listen. The person talking may accompany their speech by sketching on a pen/pad or by standing at an electronic whiteboard. Those listening are patient letting the speaker complete his or her thought package. However, if there are specific moments a listener deems special and would like later to comment on, they can electronically mark the recording with an index that may include a value scale. Listeners may also attach brief notes to these indexed moments. 21

             

            The dialog may continue, each person contributing to the dialog as listeners index important moments. Depending on how the team prefers to timeweave, they can call for a replay of an indexed segment, after which dialog can continue related to that indexed segment and that branching dialog is automatically linked to the original recording.  Over time, this will generate a branching tree of dialog segments. A diagrammatic map of these segments can be displayed and listened to. Notes and sketches can also be viewed. During the playing/viewing of any segment, it can be paused and indexed, and another segment branched from that point. 22

             

            During the dialog reference may be made to any part of the texts. These parts can be easily marked, copied and linked to that part of the recorded video. During the dialog a database search may be suggested, which could be performed by the colab studio staff, and dialog could be recorded as some of the items resulting from the search are accessed and examined. 23

             

            This may conclude the first session, or by shifting position in the colab studio, the participants may begin to design the webdoc to be composed of segments from their dialog along with sections of text and graphics. Dialog during this active webdoc construction might also be recorded, as new insights are often triggered when creating. Participants may suggest other segments for inclusions in the webdoc: some linked from cyberspace, some video or animated graphics, and even background music. 24

             

            The product, the webdoc to be posted in cyberspace may contain segments of the video recorded dialog. Or, some may be transcribed and presented as text. Future generations may provide the cyberspace user options for both viewing and participating. Feedback from viewers may lead to revisions; or other teams in other colab studios could create another webdoc building on the original, and linked back to it. 25

             

            Other participants may join some of the core group in crafting the webdoc, persons whose focus is more on effective communication and not so involved with the content. If the core participants have apprentice learners, the latter may be involved in polishing the webdoc for posting in cyberspace. New learners are expected to participate in the whole process. 26

             

            This is but one example of the many uses of colab studios. See Appendices for sample activities/products for colab studios. 27

             

            Provide a clear and concise explanation of the start-up activities and the ultimate project results noting their value to scholars, students, and general audiences in the humanities. 28

             

            It is important to distinguish the objectives of this pilot start-up and the intended consequences of achieving those objectives, the ultimate goal being the spreading use of viable colab studios. The colab studio created during the start-up will be primitive and attractive to use only for those desiring to further the improvement of colab studios. After a few generations of development, colab studios may be as popular as cell phones or laptops. The evolving adaptation of new technologies is a complex process, often with many surprises. 29

             

            "Colab studio" refers to both a physical setting with intelligent tools and a mental concept of what potential creative processes and products can emerge when the setting matches the cognitive needs of those using colab studios. An introductory description of colab studios and its potential uses is given in the abstract of this proposal. 30

             

            Although colab studios will find users from many domains of human endeavor, they will be especially attractive to the humanities, which may be one of the domains least served by digital technology. Digital technology has brought much of the production of human creation to scholars, students and general audiences. Music, dance, drama, art, sculpture, poetry and even simulated tours of historical architectural sites are available to broadband viewing online; and much more will be available in the future. 31

             

            What is not yet well augmented by digital technology is human dialog and discourse on the more abstract issues that serve as context for the perceivable products of human creativity. Digital technology has increased both the volume and response time for dialog on critical issues to the humanities. But, to me - a participant for decades - computer forums, listservs, and email threads have not improved the quality of discourse. Concerns about quality and ease of interaction openly discussed in the late 1980s and 1990s remain unresolved. 32

             

            There are many reasons for this, and colab studios cannot alone resolve this difficulty; but colab studios will be a valuable tool in bringing quality to discourse in the humanities, for both scholars and the general public. 33

             

            Describe the scope of the project activities, the relationship of the project to other published and ongoing work in the field, and major issues to be addressed. 34

             

            Much R&D is underway to create systems for virtual collaboration, including synchronous sessions where participants are linked by cameras, chat, and electronic white boards for sketching. Numerous difficulties remain for this program, which I won't discuss here. The dominant metaphors, however, remain one worker per workstation, with limited mobility; and the conference table. Neglected in these metaphors are the individual cognitive, social, and emotional differences between participants and the newly discovered brain-brain resonances between persons in close face-to-face dialog. The confining boxes of the workstation, conference or lecture chair contradict our long evolutionary heritage as intimate social beings engaged in collective pursuits. 35

             

            I remain a strong supporter for the development of virtual communities, projects, and collaboration. My vision of colab studios complements the virtual - essentially substituting a team in a colab studio for an individual in a workstation in the virtual settings.  Nor will colab studios compete with moments when individuals wish to create solo - and personalized versions of colab studios will replace the desktop. 36

             

            As far as I know, there is no current interest in developing settings where small teams will work with multiple input/output interfaces, while their dialog and work is recorded. They probably exist in situations where such close activity is required; but such settings are probably created in-house and are specialized.  If you have ever tried to instruct another on using a complex application, or yourself has attempted to be so instructed, you are well aware of how contemporary computer systems are designed for one user at a time, and are difficult for two persons to collaborate with one desktop setting.  This situation may be used to argue against the utility or need for colab studios. Other viable explanations can be given for this situation -- but the psychological complexity of persons changing modes of practice appears to require a colab studio (even a primitive one) to create the web documents (webdocs) that will attract and hold their attention to demonstrate the utility and viability of colab studios. 37

             

            The scope of the start-up project activities is simple. It is exploratory, an attempt to demonstrate a concept, even if in primitive form. This first colab studio will lack many features of future colab studios, and its ease of use will be far from desired. But a start must be made. 38

             

            In rough outline, the first stage will be to brainstorm specifics for the pilot colab studio, and involve consultant experts as to compatibility and cost, selecting what fits the budget. Consultants will then construct and be available to maintain the colab studio. This should be completed during the first six months of the start-up project. These consultants will need to be paid for their competitive services. The next 12 months will be devoted to running as many sessions (of different types) as possible in the colab studio. Core participants in the colab studio will be volunteers, some support staff will probably require payment. We will attempt to tune up the colab studio from feedback. At the termination of the grant I expect to continue using the colab studio, promoting the concept and seeking resources to create a second generation. The possibility of charging teams to use colab studio facilities will be explored. 39

             

            Applicants should provide a rationale for the compatibility of their methodological approach with the intellectual goals of the project and the expectations of its users. 40

             

            There are two populations to be effected by colab studios. The first are any cyberspace surfer who discovers and chooses to engage a webdoc created by colab studios. Some of this population will seek out other colab studio productions, and some will desire to use colab studios. It will be possible to invite a few online participants to colab studio sessions. 41

             

            The second population will be be those interested in using colab studios to better share their ideas in cyberspace. Special promotional and educational programs will be needed to attract participants to the use of colab studios (and to their continued improvement). I anticipate these will be created using colab studios. The promotion of colab studio use among scholars and students will need special attention. 42

             

            The modalities of cyberspace are in rapid transition, with video and multimedia becoming readily available online. However, the ability of individuals to create quality content for cyberspace is a delicate issue. Easy to use digital video recording, editing, and posting, such as in YouTube creates the illusion that creating quality content is an easy to learn competency. There may be a few rare persons capable of mastering all the skills required for quality production. But, from personal experience and considerable effort in trying, I find that I lack skills and time to keep up with the new technologies and maintain my systems' functionality. Also, I believe it is important that creators have early feedback as to the perceptibility of productions by persons of differing cognitive styles. I fear that without colab studios, production of quality content for cyberspace will be limited to those with resources to employ talent and provide expensive technology; establishing another digital gap. Colab studios would be popular among many retired professionals who no longer have access to the resources of their institutions. 43

             

            One prime motivation to create colab studios is to have a setting to specifically augment exploratory, creative collaboration - and not just a system to facilitate coordination of actions in pre-designed projects. 44

             

            NEH views the use of open source software as a key component in the broad distribution of exemplary digital scholarship in the humanities. If either the start-up project or the long-term project is not predicated on generally accessible open source software, explain why and also explain how the Endowment's dissemination goals will still be satisfied by the project. 45

             

            The products of the pilot colab studio, webdocs, will be accessible from The Internet using open source operating systems and applications. Non open source software may be used in the pilot colab studio if such software doesn't yet exist open source (and a movement would be undertaken to promote such open source development). Also, I will be using some of my personal non-open source software and other equipment (such as an electronic whiteboard) in the colab studio. It will be our objective that future generations of colab studios employ open source software. 46

             

            History and duration of the project 47

             

            Provide a concise history of the project, including information about preliminary research or planning, previous related work, previous financial support, publications produced, and resources or research facilities available. 48

             

            I began thinking about colab studios over a decade ago, with discussions on my website and papers drafted for presentation at conferences. During this time I have repeatedly attempted to collaborate with others at a single workstation, but we always found the arrangement uncomfortable. For the past few years my attention has been divided among many issues, including the development of virtual projects and communities. During this work I frequently returned to thinking that I, and many others, needed colab studios to improve the quality of online discourse. I had been giving more attention to creating a pilot colab studio to demonstrate its viability. My recent discovery of the NEH Digital Humanities start-up grant  sparked my interest to shift my attention full to colab studios. 49

             

            Relevant Documents     http://ourworld.cs.com/larryvictor137/RelDocs/index.htm 50

             

            http://ourworld.cs.com/larryvictor137/RelDocs/pcp_vienna.html 51

             

            http://ourworld.cs.com/larryvictor137/RelDocs/cognitivetools.html 52

             

            http://ourworld.cs.com/larryvictor137/RelDocs/cy2020r.htm 53

             

            http://ourworld.cs.com/larryvictor137/COLAB.WEB/httoc.htm 54

             

            http://ourworld.cs.com/larryvictor137/RelDocs/pima2020.htm#LRDDP 55

             

            In 1995 I assisted Paul C.  Wohlmuth (now deceased), Professor of Law and Director of the Institute for Law and Systems Research in creating and facilitating a five day conference on "The Crisis of Text". Paul sought me out after attending a presentation I gave at an Asilomar conference of the International Society for Systems Science in June 1994. The title of the paper was "The Fundamental Reality of Text".  I organized the video taping of all presentations and audience, mixing from three cameras. The presentations (including mine) were published in the Journal of Contemporary Legal Issues (Vol 6, 1995). The participants were a broad diversity of expertise crossing many disciplines.  Unfortunately, the lack of resources and the death of Paul curtailed our intentions of producing an edited version of the video taped sessions.  Although not a high priority, a webdoc could be made in a colab studio by integrating video segments with sections from their published presentations. 56

             

            My available research facilities are my personal computers and peripherals, which are listed in the Appendices. 57

             

            It is anticipated that work on projects initiated during the term of a Digital Humanities Start-Up Grant will continue after the period of the grant. The applicant should describe plans for that work and probable sources of support for subsequent phases of the project. 58

             

            I propose to continue use of the colab studio after the grant period, seeking support for upgrading the colab studio and working to motivate others to create additional colab studios. 59

             

            Staff 60

             

            Identify the project director and collaborators who would work on the project during the proposed grant period, and describe their responsibilities and qualifications. 61

             

            Project Director: Laurence J. Victor 62

             

            Provide résumés for the principal collaborators (maximum of two pages each) in an appendix. 63

            Project directors must devote a significant portion of their time to their projects. 64

             

            The project director is retired and will devote full time to the project. 65

             

            All persons directly involved in the conduct of the proposed project--whether or not their salaries are paid from grant funds--should be listed, their anticipated commitments of time should be indicated, and the reasons for and nature of their collaboration explained. 66

             

            These persons: consultants, technicians, sysops, colab staff, and core participants will all be selected during the grant process. 67

             

            If the project has an advisory board, provide a statement of its function and a list of board members. 68

             

            The Advisory Board will assist the project director in the selection of consultants, review their proposals, and consult with the project director over major decisions, including assistance in selecting core participants and production activities in the colab studio. 69

·         Roger Caldwell

·         Daniel Davidson

·         David Braden

             

            Methods 70

             

            Describe in detail the tasks to be undertaken and the computer technology to be employed, indicating what technical and staff resources will be required, as well as the staff's experience with the technology and its application to the humanities. 71

             

            In describing methods and technology, keep in mind the distinction between the pilot colab studio to be constructed during the grant and the further generations and variations to follow. Specific technologies to be part of the pilot colab studio will be determined during the first 6 month phase, involving paid consultants in selecting technologies within performance and cost limitations. 72

             

            The selection of the consultants will be part of the first phase. I will be assisted by my Advisory Board, and early consultants will assist in selecting later consultants. This is a bootstrap process. Some consultants will need to be from the Tucson area, those to be involved in the actual setup and maintenance of the colab studio. Other consultants can work online. 73

             

·         The pilot colab studio will be located in a physical space sufficient for 3 core participants and 3 support staff to move about freely, as well as flexible seating for all when appropriate. Core participants and staff will be adequately trained in the use of the colab studio. The space will have broadband connectivity. 74

·         All equipment must be easily moveable so different configurations can be explored. As many connections as possible should be wireless. 75

·         Adequate, multiple input devices (keyboards, mice, graphic pads/pens, microphones, cameras) will be located to enable participants to sit or stand, and move about. I will contribute an electronic whiteboard. We may experiment with variations of input devices, such as one hand keyboards and dynamic pointer devices. 76

·         If possible, the recording of all input should be synchronized. If and how this can be done, within the budget, will be determined by the consultants. 77

·         Multiple monitors with ability of displaying many simultaneous windows should be viewed from different locations in the colab studio. 78

·         When possible, more than one participant should be able to work concurrently in the same window. 79

·         Whether the computer system will be a single specialized constructed computer or a network of purchased computers will be determined by the consultants.  Backup and security will be a priority. 80

·         Software will be selected for both recording and later editing and construction of web documents. Training programs will be required for use of some of this software. Some software will be donated, other software will first be selected open source, if available. Compatibility of software will be important. 81

             

            How the colab studio will be used is described elsewhere in this proposal. A list of hardware and software that I will bring to the project is included in the Appendices. 82

             

            Reminder: the metaphor for the colab studio is a few different craftspersons working concurrently on a mixed media artform. In a colab studio the participants work to create a webdoc for cyberspace while their dialog and activity is recorded and some of it integrated into their production. Many of the webdocs will be relevant to the humanities. 83

             

            Describe plans for evaluating the results of the start-up activities. This evaluation should be simultaneously summative with regard to the Digital Humanities Start-Up Grant and formative with regard to the long-term project goals. 84

             

            Project design and management software will be employed for this project, enabling ongoing evaluation. The project will be conducted as an action-research endeavor, with specific attention given to learning what to do better in the next generation.  Feedback from cyberspace users of all productions will be explicitly solicited. All participants in the colab studio will be asked to evaluate the process. A summative evaluation of the whole project will be composed in the colab studio and made available online. 85

             

            Final Product and Dissemination 86

             

            Describe the plans to disseminate the project results through various media (printed articles or books, presentations at meetings, electronic media or some combination). Applicants should also discuss how the project's ultimate product is likely to be disseminated and what provisions will be made for the long-term maintenance of such a product. 87

             

            All web documents created during the project will be accessible from a website, available to anyone online.  This web site and the colab studio project will be promoted on various websites and blogs. Some web documents may be distributed on DVDs.  Reports of the project will be organized and distributed, probably leading to a book on colab studios. 88

             

            The project's ultimate product will be generations of improved colab studios, with many variations. I will continue development myself with resources I solicit from organizations who want to use colab studios. Others may initiate development of colab studios to market for profit. Colab studios will open creative collaboration to many, creating new web documents that will revolutionize cyberspace and contribute to humanity facing the challenges of our future. 89

             

            Work Plan 90

             

            Describe the specific tasks that will be accomplished during the grant period and identify the staff members involved. The start-up activities described in the proposal should be completed by the end of the grant period. 91

             

            THEMES OF PROJECT DESIGN & IMPLEMENTATION 92

             

            For two decades the author of this proposal has followed, with many limitations, the development of computer and communications technology. The basic idea of the colab studio (and its function in society) is over a decade old, although many of the specific technologies to create a viable colab studio were then in their infancy. Today there are a great many excellent technologies (hardware and software) from which a selection could be made to cobble together a pilot version of a colab studio.  Specialized versions of colab studios may already exist. The author has lacked the resources, detailed expertise, and time to survey what is available and select compatible components. The grant would provide funds to employ consultants to conduct such a survey and make the selection. 93

             

            Although a user of computers and online interaction since the early 1980s, the author is overwhelmed with the complex task of selecting hardware and software, learning to use them effectively, and maintaining the functionality of his system. A functional colab studio will need competent technicians and system operators (sysops).  The grant would provide for both acquiring the requisite base equipment and for the employment of technicians and sysops. 94

            The whole project is below described as eight sub-projects or themes, which would overlap temporally, so they cannot properly be called steps or phases. 95

             

·         Theme A.  Select a "Board of Directors" for the project - persons known by the principal author to be willing to devote time for a token financial reward  Like the principal author, they would be primarily motivated by contributing to the success of creating a viable pilot colab studio. In theme I we would add necessary detail to the design; create task descriptions for consultants (for hardware and software selection) and for technicians and sysops; and design/implement a process to seek and select candidates for these positions. 96

·         Theme B.  The consultants would be given projects (which they would help design) to select requisite hardware and software. Contributions from companies will be sought. Prospective technicians and sysops will be partly involved in the selections process, as these would be tools they would use and be responsible for. Technicians and sysops may double as paid consultants for selection.  The latter will need to be selected from the Tucson area, whereas other consultants could be from anywhere with internet connectivity.  Most of the design will be conducted online, including synchronous video conferencing.  Theme B will also include the design of a formative evaluation scheme for the colab studio to gather information to aide in the design of the next generation of colab studios. 97

·         Theme C.  Constructing the colab studio and making it functional.  Theme C will overlap with Theme B. This will include determining the site of the colab studio. 98

·         Theme D.  To design the core activities to be augmented by the colab studio. Although the pilot colab studio of this grant proposal will be located physically in Tucson, many in cyberspace may become involved in its design and implementation.  Some may even visit Tucson to use it. Others may watch its development in anticipation of cloning (with improvements) the colab studio in their own location. Future colab studios could also be mobile.  Those interested from cyberspace will participate in designing the core activity.  Theme D will begin early so it will be up and ready when the colab studio is functional. A portfolio of proposed uses of the pilot colab studio will be created and participants selected.  Core participants will give their time to the project because of interest, although a token reward may be appropriate. They will be selected from groups and persons in the Tucson area active online in topics related to the humanities, and such activist groups as Sustainable Tucson and those studying consciousness. 99

·         Theme E.  Design and select participants for support staff of core activity in the colab studio.  Core members should be as free as possible of responsibility for the functioning of the colab studio.  Colab studio staff will enable their use of the colab studio. Staff may be asked to do routine processes, such as searches for the core team. The staff will be vitally important in keeping the recording of the discourse among core participants accurate, facilitating instant replay when requested, and indexing those moments deemed most significant (to assist in later editing). Support staff may include mediators for core participants when needed. 100

·         Theme F.  Design an evaluation process for the use of the colab studio, as an action research project, and select participants.  Data collection for evaluation may be separate from analysis, which could be done by others online.  Although not an explicit part of the project, if others wish to research the data generated by the project, they would be encouraged to do so. 101

·         Theme G.  Once a core team has completed (a draft) of a product, it should be made available online, with facility for interaction and feedback.  As result of feedback, the core team may wish to meet again in the colab studio. Many diverse sessions will be conducted during the latter phase of the project. See Appendices for a sampling of products that might be created in colab studios. 102

·         Theme H.  An ongoing history of the project created during the project and a debriefing (recorded) of all participants as the last phase of the project, including recommendations for the next generation of colab studios.  Other independent projects may initiate creation of variations of colab studios during this project. 103

 

 

            APPENDICES 104

 

            SAMPLE ACTIVITIES/PRODUCTS FOR COLAB STUDIOS 105

             

            DOCUMENT CRITIQUE 106

            A web document of relevance (which could include text, graphics, art, even video) is available from cyberspace and is to be critiqued by teams of "qualified" persons. This team may or may not include an original author of the document in question.  The objective of colab studio sessions with this document as focus is to create for cyberspace a coherent web of pages that represent the ideas, critiques, and recommendations that arise from the participants in the colab studios (including a link to the original document as well as marked up versions). 107

             

            The colab studio session may begin with a free discussion, all recorded. As in such discussions one person may wish to respond to a point by the person talking  - who has yet to complete his or her thought. The person wanting to respond could push a button to mark that moment in the session. The discussion could continue freely for a while, participants marking moments they would like to return to.  At appropriate intervals a break in discussion would be called (possibly by a staff mediator) and core participants may wish to have replays made of the discussion prior to their marked moment, after the replay that person could then respond, and the response would be linked to the marked moment. This would create a hyperweb dialog, which would take some learning to be comfortable viewing. 108

            Ideally, a graphic display of all recorded segments from session should be available to assist editing. This raw set of recording with the accessible diagramatic display should be preserved and be part of the archive, for later analysis and study if desired.  Editing for selected audiences in cyberspace could be done as an extension of the session by existing participants, be done by them at a later session where the objective is editing and possible continuation, or may be done by a different team of participants. 109

             

            DOCUMENT CREATION 110

            This variation would play out similar to the document critique. In this case an individual has an idea and seeks input and assistance in creating a document for distribution online.  The author starts with some text fragments, and possibly some self recorded audio or video segments. These are treated as the initial text of the document in the document critique session.  With the author of the idea present,  s/he can be probed in the session and the probes and his/er responses, edited, can be come components of the created document.   Book size web documents can be co-created in colab studios. 111

             

            There is a vast diversity of documents whose creation could be augmented by colab studios.  Traditional "papers" contributed to print journals and magazines on scholarly, literary, and scientific/technological topics could be enhanced through being created in colab studios - and may have greater impact.  Web documents can be created in colab studios that serve as interactive learning expeditions for learners in cyberspace - where learners can contribute to the improvement of the educational document.  Complex projects can be designed with project design/management software in colab studios - where the final product (the plan to be implemented) will include video discussion segments that explain reasons for choices. Quantitative data can be presented as animated graphics with embedded video commentary; software for producing a variety of animated graphics {see Hans Rosling at http://www.gapminder.org/ } can be used by teams in colab studios to create many very informative sequences that could be linked to other web documents. Animated graphics illustrating quantitative relationships can be a crossover from the scientific to the humanities as an artform. 112

             

            FACILITATING DIALOG 113

            Great advances have been made in facilitating face-to-face dialog among persons with diverse and often conflicting opinions and worldviews. {See NCDD at http://www.thataway.org/ .}   What these lack is a viable means of recording the dialog for later research and making edited versions available in cyberspace.  Although the standard vision of the colab studio is not for the larger sized groups usually facilitated, the processes could be more closely researched in colab studios. Later generations of colab studios may be able to work with larger groups.  The facilitated dialog, edited, could be a web document. 114

             

            GUIDED CYBERSPACE TOURS & LEARNING EXPEDITIONS 115

            This is a venue between the extremes of the passively viewed tv, cable, downloaded or streaming video AND free surfing in cyberspace using search engines or just following a chain of links.  A selected team of colab studio core participants can assemble a tour through various webpages with commentary. Overlays could be made to highlight parts of the original webpage (without altering that page), as well as audio alone or A/V commentary. Viewers of these web tours could simply watch, going with with the flow - or pausing and sometimes taking branch expeditions (some which can be highlighted with brief commentary in the main tour). In time, selected tour leaders may become popular and compose from later generations of colab studios.  Tours would primarily enlighten, inform and entertain. Learning expeditions would have the additional objective of facilitating specific content and/or skills learning, and would assertively involve the user. 116

             

            NEW INTEGRATED LITERATURE AND ARTFORMS 117

            The field is wide open with colab studios for small teams to create a wide diversity of "programs" - that would be alternatives to dramas, concerts, movies, tv dramas, gameshows, museums, etc.  Using the products of other more specific studios, these could be woven into multi-media formats to create a new and exciting media. 118

             

            BUDGET NARRATIVE 119

             

            Even though this application is a rush effort, my discovering the grant less than a month from deadline, the proposal (if there would have been more time) would still have been generative, and not laid out with specific tasks on a specific timeline.   Although desiring to create colab studios for over a decade I have been blocked by the lack of resources to investigate and select, construct, and tune a viable colab studio from existing technology. The grant will provide me resources to conduct these initial steps, after which the project should be self sufficient. 120

             

            The grant funds will be devoted primarily to creating and maintaining a viable pilot colab studio.  Those who use the colab studio as core participants will not be funded by the grant. Indeed, if the colab studio is successful, people should eventually be attracted to pay to use it, which would contribute to the extra hours the staff and technicians may be needed. 121

             

            I have human resources to assist me in selecting technically competent persons to design, construct and maintain the colab studio.  They will do this without pay, but a token reward would be appropriate.  I, as director, will seek compensation only for those services I must perform as director - and not as participator in the use of the colab studios.  Yet, I expect to devote full time, and more, to this venture.  I am retired and have the time to give to what has been a longtime dream. Other organizations may be attracted to contribute resources to this project, but they cannot be secured within the time allotted. 122

             

            I will contribute what computer equipment I have to the project.  I expect to locate the colab studio near to my residence so I can have 24/7 access. 123

             

            The initial challenge will be selecting/creating the software to enable the colab studio to function as desired.  All features desired may not be initially possible. For example, the easy linking hyperweb dialog system for dynamic displays. But, there is no doubt that a minimal, yet viable, colab studio can be constructed within 6 months of the availability of funds.  If certain features take longer to develop, they will be integrated into the project as they become ready.  We expect to begin conducting sessions in the colab studio 6 months into the funded project. 124

 

DRAFT BUDGET CATEGORIES 125

 

·        Maximum:  $30,000 over 18 months, 20% max for hardware & software 126

·        Hardware & Software:  $6,000 (20%) 127

·        Travel:   Project Director required to attend one meeting in D.C.: $1,000 128

·        Colab Studio Space rental and utilities: ($400/mo)  $7,200 129

·        Grant Administrative Costs: ($100/mo) $1,800 130

·        Supplies & Online Costs: ($200/mo)  $3,600 131

·        Token Rewards for Advisory Board  $900 132

·        Consultants for Design & Setup  and Staff, Sysop & Technician   $9,500 133

·        Obviously, the last item needs more resources, unless persons with the requisite competencies are willing to contribute part of the time to the project. 134

·        I will integrate what equipment and software I have to the project, and we may seek other donations when underway. 135

 

             

            LARRY'S BIO 136

             

            STATS 137

             

·        Instructor of Psychology, Pima Community College, Downtown Campus, Tucson, AZ 1974-1997.  Retired 138

·        Academic Director & Chief Intake Psychologist, Chazen Institute, a residential treatment center for emotionally disturbed children. 1972-74. 139

·        PhD in Educational Psychology, University of Minnesota, Thesis: On Understanding Laws of Invariance, 1968-70. 140

·        Post-Doctoral Fellowship, Minnesota Center for Research in Human Learning, Univ. of Minnesota, 1968-70. 141

·        Associate with Center for Philosophy of Science, directed by Dr. Herbert Feigl, University of Minnesota, 1964-70. 142

·        Curriculum Developer, Minnesota Mathematics and Science Teaching Project (MINNEMAST) at University of Minnesota, 1964-68. 143

·        Assistant Professor of Physics, University of Minnesota, 1964-66. 144

·        Public School Teaching, Tuckahoe High School, NY, 1963-64. 145

·        PhD in Physics, Yale University, Thesis: Coorelations Between Auroral and Geomagnetic Micropulsations, 1958-1965. 146

·        Auroral Scientist, Arctic Institute of North America, Byrd Station in Antarctica, 1960-1962. 147

·        MS in Physics, University of Chicago, 1956-58. 148

·        BS in Physics, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, 1952-56. 149

 

 

            BODY 150

             

            I am a 72 year old, healthy, retired professional. Although I earned two PhDs, in physics and educational psychology, my learning has been transdisciplinary. The unifying theme of my formal higher education was the history and philosophy of science and technology, which was in the context of the evolution of human cultures. Other unifying themes were future studies and fundamental change in education. 151

             

            When on the faculty of the University of Minnesota I was an associate with Herbert Feigl's center for philosophy of science and had a post-doctoral fellowship with the Center for Research in Human Learning. At Minnesota I was part of a major project developing an integrated K-6 curriculum in mathematics and science. 152

             

            I have discovered the vast diversity of human cognitive competencies primarily because of my unique lack of imagery in any sensory modality. This has been both a handicap and an asset in comprehending the humanities and the sciences; as well as comprehending why some persons have difficulty comprehending what appears evident to others. My handicap limits my full experiencing of the arts, but this lack has increased the appreciation of what I was missing, and I became sensitive to the great variation of experiencing others have, even those who have mental imagery. 153

             

            Part of my motivation to create a colab studio is to develop a medium suitable for many modalities that would enable the better sharing of complex content. But, coming from the null point of having no imagery, I am sensitive to the difficulty everyone has in comprehending others with different mental imagery competencies. One of the uses of viable colab studios will be to mediate dialog between individuals with different cognitive styles. 154

             

            I graduated high school without seeing television, and I got my PhD in physics using a slide rule. I knew about computers early but didn't start using them until they could serve me - wordprocessing. I began communicating with others via computers and telephone and was part of the movement online through the late 1980s and 1990s. 155

             

            I witnessed the diversion of intelligent tool development to the business paradigms: groupware for business meetings, workstations for single workers, and education computer use preserving the classroom model. Virtual communities and projects were our goal in the late 1980s, but we still have to create viable tools for virtual collaboration. Although I remain very interested in online collaboration, both asynchronous and synchronous (with realtime video and audio interaction at a distance), the colab studio proposed in this grant is a tool that challenges the traditional paradigms. 156

             

            I have written much, but formally published little as what I desired to share required a dynamic multi-modal media that is only now coming available. Yet, I have written much that is digitally stored, which could fill a number of books. So of which can be accessed from my website, http://home.comcast.net/~nucoms/ , which might be viewed as an early blog. 157

             

 

EDUCATION AND TRAINING SYSTEM FOR COLAB STUDIOS 158

 

Most computer/cyberspace users have highly idiosyncratic styles. Even those who had some instruction develop their own preferences for using their selected software and their own patterns of online activity.  Few people actually observe others working and few have any interest about how others use their computer or cyberspace. Given the great diversity of applications and the many levels of use in each application, it is safe to say that most users actualize only a very small percent of their potential with intelligent tools and cyberspace.  Many are quite resistant to learning new applications, and even avoid version updates.  Many learn only a few features of an application and refuse to delve deeper into its potentials - some which would make their work easier and more productive. 159

 

Because of this situation tested methods for instructing people to use intelligent tools and cyberspace have yet to be developed. This is made more difficult when we consider the vast diversity of cognitive competency and styles in the population. This pilot project will not attempt to solve this large educational problem. However, it will attend to the educational and training needs of all involved, and in doing so may shed some light on the larger issue. 160

 

An early project for the colab studio will be to produce training programs for its use. {Useful here may be the application, Camtasia by TechSmith and also to use education curriculum software, such as Moodle}. We will also develop a questionnaire inventory of each person's computer/cyberspace knowledge and competencies. This may eventually involve asking them to perform specific tasks and record their behavior for later analysis and feedback. 161

 

Training will also be needed for the staff, technicians, and sysops - although they will also be involved in developing training programs for core participants. The amount of training for core participants will depend on the specific nature of their sessions.  Some sessions can be conducted with minimal training, others may require considerable training. All training programs will attempt to assess the summative levels acquired in the training, providing remediation training if indicated. 162

 

The development and implementation of the training program will be closely related with the overall research component of the project. 163

 

RESEARCH INTO THE DYNAMICS OF COLLABORATION 164

 

A system will be designed and implemented to collect relevant data for the assessment and evaluation of the whole pilot project, and the component activities. The evaluations will be formative, providing feedback to all as to necessary improvements as well as evidence of successes.  Summative evaluations will be conducted periodically and used as components of a final evaluation report.  This final report would include specific recommendations for the creation of the next generation of colab studios. These later generations may be developed in the private sector as there may be a large market for variations of colab studios.  Additional external research projects may use the products and data from this pilot project to study collaborative behavior.  Feedback from such studies could recommend changes in the procedures and protocols of colab studios. 165

 

            EQUIPMENT & SOFTWARE DONATED 166

            GLOSSARY 167

            REFERENCES 168