Virtual environments will be important for future collaboration. There are two end states of virtual environments - totally immersive video or computer-generated environments. Research has found that collaboration can be as good in virtual environments as in-person, and that more immersive environments lead to a stronger sense of togetherness. The technology is advancing to make large, realistic 3D displays cheaper. In the future, collaboration will involve effectively mixing video, virtual environments, augmented reality and other modalities to support different tasks.
How to Troubleshoot Apps for the Modern Connected Worker
Virtual Environments and the Future of Collaboration
1. Virtual Environments and the
Future of Collaboration
Ralph Schroeder
Oxford Internet Institute
TACTiCS, April 8 2011
2. Overview
• Real World Applications
• Why are Virtual Environments Important?
• Definition of Virtual Environments and Two End‐
states
• Some Findings
• Different Media For Being there Together
• Outlook for Technology, Society, and Collaboration
• Useful Tools for Thinking about the Future
• The Future of Distributed Collaboration
3. Real World Applications
• Business Meetings
– time and travel
• Training
– if difficult otherwise
• Design and Visualization
– Exploring spaces
• Online worlds
– For socializing
• Education
– Classes and co‐visualizations
5. Definition of Shared Virtual Environments and two End‐states
• Definition: presence, plus interacting, plus
Copresence
– Sensory experience of being in a place other than
the one you are physically in, and being able to
interact with it, and being there and interacting
with others
• There are only two End‐States: totally
immersive video vs. computer‐generated
• We can work backwards from these ‐ to less
immersive forms of being there together
21. More Findings
• videoconferencing has been available for decades, but is not
widely used
– the ‘I’m having a bad hair day’ problem
– Findings about skype and grandparents and distributed
couples: realism doesn’t matter, being there together does
• In online virtual worlds, some social cues are not needed,
some forms of non‐verbal communication have limited uses
• online virtual worlds are enjoyable for socializing and joint
spatial activity
• Avatars need consistency
• Voice is a reality check
• People develop a stake in their world
22. Different Media for Being Together
• Instant Messaging
• Social Networking
• Videoconferencing
• Mobile Phones
• Shared workspaces
• All have
– High‐Low Spatial Component
– Self‐presentation component
– Large or Small Group Interaction
23. Tools for Thinking about the Future
• Only Two End‐States (video versus computer‐
generated), with different affordances
• Online spaces support spatial interaction, social
norms, and engaging content
• There are limits to the number of others that can be
focused on
• Mixed or Augmented Reality are subject to attention
limits
• All mediated forms of togetherness approximate the
two end‐states
24.
25.
26. Technology and Social Outlook
• Technological problems are solvable
• the technology for large 3D displays and interaction is
becoming cheap and widespread
• Users adapt to modality and self‐representation
• co‐visualization and co‐manipulation of spaces works well
• lots of things can be done together in online worlds that can’t
be done in the real world
• online sociability be can better than real world sociability
• online spaces can be more imaginative and interesting than
real ones
• Convergence and mixing of modalities