Download CHAPTER 1 - AUSpace - Athabasca University

technologies enabling information exchange and collaboration among people with
varying goals and purposes. Questions relating to the social computing intersection
included:
1. Which device(s) offers the easiest methods of connecting to other people or systems?
2. Which device(s) permits easy transfer of documents and files?
The general questions. The general discussion questions asked the expert
reviewers which device(s) they would choose for themselves, a colleague, and a distance
education student. The general questions included:
1. Which device would you recommend to your colleagues? Why?
2. Which device would you recommend to adult distance education students? Why?
3. Which device would you choose for yourself?
a. Why did you choose this device over the others?
b. Would you recommend any improvements to this device/
4. Which device would you not recommend, if any?
a. What improvements would make this device more acceptable?
Data Collection and Recording Procedures
The two phases of data collection included the device evaluation and the face-to
face-discussion.
Phase One: Device Evaluation
The first phase involved the expert reviewers individually evaluating each device.
The expert reviewers received and evaluated one device each week on a rotating basis.
This schedule was the only way to distribute the seven devices within an eight week data
collection period. The devices were reset after each use in order to ensure that each
81