1 © 2009 Volker Wulf, University of Siegen
Communities of Practice:
A conceptual frame for Human-Centred Computing
Volker Wulf
University of SiegenInternational Institute for Socio-Informatics (IISI), Bonn
Fraunhofer FIT, Sankt Augustin
2 © 2009 Volker Wulf, University of Siegen
Content
Theories of Practice Communities and Networks of Practise Research Agenda Innovative Applications for specific practices
» Wearable Computing supporting the Paris fire brigade» Expert Finding inside a German industrial association» Computer Club to integrate a Bonn neighborhood
Practice based design methods» Virtual Prototyping» End User Development» Appropriation Infrastructure
Conclusion
3 © 2009 Volker Wulf, University of Siegen
Theories of Practise
Theoretician of Practise» Bourdieu (1977 and 1990) Giddens (1979 and 1984), Garfinkel
(1967) and Latour (1993): Sociological theories focusing on social practises
» Reckwitz (2002 and 2003): Line-out of an idealized theory of social practise
Practise is understood to be a mainly routinized pattern of human action» Consisting of mental and physical aspects» Grounded in background knowledge (know how, forms of
understanding, state of emotion and motivational knowledge)» Importance of artefacts and their use
Examples of practises» Specific manner to work, to cook, or to play soccer
4 © 2009 Volker Wulf, University of Siegen
Theories of Practise (2)
Shared practises constitute sociality» Common language use» Common perception of the world» Common identity
Practises are reproduced situatedly within specific contexts
Human cognition and action cannot be understood to be rational or determined by social structures, but» Historical predisposition» Collective framing» Reflexivity
5 © 2009 Volker Wulf, University of Siegen
Socio-cultural Theories of Learning
Goal: understanding learning as a situated and collective activity
Learning takes place inside specific social entities: Communities and Networks of Practice» Learning happens when conducting a bundle of related
(work) activities» Learning is demand-driven and identity forming
Similarities and differences in practices identify opportunities for learning» Practices segregate the social world
6 © 2009 Volker Wulf, University of Siegen
Communities and Networks of Practice
Community of Practice» Working together, need to coordinate their work practice» Tightly knit together, common identity» Common language use, shared values
Networks of Practice» Practice in common in a broader sense, but do not work
together» Occupational communities, often do not interact directly or
know each other in person» Information passing rather than knowledge creation
7 © 2009 Volker Wulf, University of Siegen
A Practise-based Perspective on Social Systems
CoP
NoP
Orgas
8 © 2009 Volker Wulf, University of Siegen
A Practice-based Perspective on Social Systems
Practices are differentiated to various extends» Inside vs. outside of a NoP» Inside vs. across organizational boundaries
Differentiated practices evolve over time Appropriation of computer applications, like other
artifacts, challenges practices HCC-Challenge: Design for change within and among
practice-based social entities
9 © 2009 Volker Wulf, University of Siegen
Research AgendaIn
nova
tive
arte
fact
sfo
r sp
ecifi
c pr
actic
es Wearable Computing to support Paris fire brigade
Computer Club to integrate Bonn neighborhood
Expert Finding inside German industrial association
End User Deve lop-
ment
Appr. Infra-struc- tures
Virtual Proto- typing
10 © 2009 Volker Wulf, University of Siegen
Understanding Work Practices inside the Paris Fire Department
22 Interviews
• Covering different CoPs in the organisation: central control unit, different fire stations, special forces, department of public relations
• Newcomer upto the deputy general• 23 hours of recording
Immersive practical experience (5x24h)
About 200 photos and 10 videos
Problem: lacking situated information
11 © 2009 Volker Wulf, University of Siegen
Wearable Technologies: Visions to support Fire Fighters
Helmet-integrated dedicated sensors
Head-Up Display(LCD or see-through technology)
Optimised Speech Acquisition(throat or bone microphones,…)
Emergency Signalling
Arm-mounted Display
Glove-integrated Sensors(accelerometers for MMI,…)
Sensors for toxic substances identification
12 © 2009 Volker Wulf, University of Siegen
An industrial association and its member companies: an organizational view
13 © 2009 Volker Wulf, University of Siegen
An industrial association and its member companies: a CoP perspective
14 © 2009 Volker Wulf, University of Siegen
Expert Finding: Identifying Expertise and supporting Networks of Practice
Goal: Making common practice visible across organizational boundaries
Similarity among individuals‘ documents as an approximation for shared practices» Documents selected from yellow pages and users‘ personal
folders» Text analysis with different methods
Evaluation» Installation: one section, central units, and one member company» High interest in presenting themselves» Helpful to find expertise inside the association» Helpful to distribute information towards members» Organizational boundaries need to be considered
15 © 2009 Volker Wulf, University of Siegen
Expert Finder: Recommended Experts
16 © 2009 Volker Wulf, University of Siegen
Bonner Altstadt: An Ethnic Perspective
German origin
Turkish origin
Different other origins
17 © 2009 Volker Wulf, University of Siegen
Come_In: Computer Club House
Goal: Impact identity by establishing common practice» Across the ethnical communities » Across generations (parents and children)
Practice: Multimedia projects in a computer club house» Projects: “family history”, “soccer teams”, “houses and
places” Shared Practice leads to
» Club house is operating since three years» Increase in social interaction among families participating in
the club» Negotiation of meaning across communities (full of conflicts)
18 © 2009 Volker Wulf, University of Siegen
Some Impressions
19 © 2009 Volker Wulf, University of Siegen
Research AgendaIn
nova
tive
arte
fact
sfo
r sp
ecifi
c pr
actic
es Wearable Computing to support Paris fire brigade
Computer Club to integrate Bonn neighborhood
Expert Finding inside German industrial association
End User Deve lop-
ment
Appr. Infra-struc- tures
Virtual Proto- typing
20 © 2009 Volker Wulf, University of Siegen
IT Design Challenges
Meeting the specific needs of a particular CoP» Understanding existing practice» Anticipating future practice» Defining the role of IT» Supporting appropriation processes
Designing for appropriability across different CoPs, NoPs, or organizations» Understanding the diversity of existing practices» Anticipating a diversity of future practices» Defining the role of IT and allowing for flexibility
– Different modes to appropriate the same artefact
– Technical flexibility designed into the artefact
» Supporting appropriation processes across CoP boundaries
21 © 2009 Volker Wulf, University of Siegen
Wearables: Innovative Techniques of Prototyping
Paper: low efforts
VR: interaktivity
and fun
Living Lab: maximal validity
• Bridging the gap between the CoPs of Designers and Users
22 © 2009 Volker Wulf, University of Siegen
IT Design Challenges
Meeting the specific needs of a particular CoP» Understanding existing practice» Anticipating future practice» Defining the role of IT» Supporting appropriation processes
Designing for appropriability across different CoPs, NoPs, or organizations» Understanding the diversity of existing practices» Anticipating a diversity of future practices» Defining the role of IT and allowing for flexibility
– Different modes to appropriate the same artefact
– Technical flexibility designed into the artefact
» Supporting appropriation processes across CoP boundaries
23 © 2009 Volker Wulf, University of Siegen
End User Development
Challenge: Flexibility of Software Applications in Use
Interface» Direct Activation» Construction Metaphor
Architecture» Decomposition» Components and
Services
Collaboration» Shared Repositories» Recommender Systems
24 © 2009 Volker Wulf, University of Siegen
Appropriation Infrastructures
» Among users: create a network of practice around an application
– Help text wiki
» Between users and software developers: bridge between the CoPs of designers and CoPs/NoPs of users
– Requirements tracking system
Challenge: Integrate Communication Channels into the software artefact
25 © 2009 Volker Wulf, University of Siegen
Conclusion
Practice-orientation is an interesting framework (vs. purely prescriptive design (methods))» Application design» Development of methods
Core task in social computing» Changing existing practices» Bridging among different practices
Practice-orientation requires long-term (action) research perspective» Trustful cooperation with fields of application» Reliable technical artefacts» Facilitation of socio-technical processes
Practice-orientation is a risky research framework
26 © 2009 Volker Wulf, University of Siegen
Conclusion (2)
Related work (STS, ethnography, participatory design)» Long-term perspective, design-orientation, focus on
knowledge and identity
Theoretical Challenges» Boundaries of practices need to be understood and
negotiated» Design implications are sometimes vague (e.g. boundary
object)» Problems with „abstraction“ and „generalization“ of findings
Quality of design is evaluated in social practice
27 © 2009 Volker Wulf, University of Siegen
Many thanks to my colleagues at the University of Siegen and
Fraunhofer FIT
Markus Klann Bernhard Nett Volkmar Pipek Tim Reichling Markus Rohde Kai Schubert Gunnar Stevens Anne Weibert
Matthias Betz Alexander Boden Christian Dörner Sebastian Draxler Tobias Dyrks Jan Heß Dorothea Kugelmeier Claudia Müller