Designing an Online Civic Participation Platform: Socio-Computational Supports for Finding, Enlisting, and Motivating Contributors
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Attracting new members to online communities and encouraging substantive participation is an open research problem at the intersection of behavioral and social sciences, computer science, and human computer interaction. eGovernment communities, which are intended to promote civic engagement and deliberative discussion, particularly struggle with challenges of motivation and under-contribution since barriers to entry can be significant and the personal benefits and impacts of participation may be non-obvious when compared with the costs in terms of time and effort. This presentation describes projects undertaken as part of the Cornell eRulemaking Initiative (CeRI) to address such issues. In particular, it details development of our civic engagement platform and the socio-computational supports we have designed for intelligently routing work, recommending content during deliberative writing, providing personalized moderation, and facilitating consensus-building and collaboration.
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Designing an Online Civic Participation Platform: Socio-Computational Supports for Finding, Enlisting, and Motivating Contributors
- 1. DESIGNING AN ONLINE CIVIC PARTICIPATION PLATFORM Socio-Computational Supports for Finding, Enlisting, and Motivating Contributors ! Elizabeth!L.!Murnane! elm236@cornell.edu!
- 2. Today’s Presentation • Introduc:on! • eGovernment!&!eRulemaking!background! • Cornell!eBRulemaking!Ini:a:ve,!Regula:onRoom! • Recruitment!of!(underBrepresented)!stakeholders! • Facilita:ng!engagement!&!collabora:on! • Assessing!quality!&!value!of!par:cipa:on!
- 3. About Me Research( • Interests:!User!Modeling;!Recommender!Systems;!Social!Compu:ng! • Domains:!Mental!&!Physical!Health,!Civic!Innova:on! ! Current( • PhD!student!B!Cornell!Informa:on!Science!(2011Bpresent)! • CommiVee:!Profs.!Dan!Cosley!(chair),!Claire!Cardie,!Geri!Gay! ! Background( • MIT!S.B.!in!Mathema:cs!with!Computer!Science,!2007! • CoBfounder!of!MIT!CSAIL!startup,!2007B2011! • NSF!Graduate!Research!Fellow,!2011! (
- 4. Background • “eBGovernment”,!“Open!Government”! ! • Goals! • alert!and!engage!ci:zens! • increase!informa:on!access! • provide!interac:ve!discussion!spaces!with!lowered!barriers!for! engagement!that!welcome!diverse!opinions! ! • In!prac:ce! • redundant,!irrelevant,!polarized!content! • policymakers!&!ci:zens!frustrated!
- 5. Background • “eBGovernment”,!“Open!Government”! ! • Goals! • alert!and!engage!ci:zens! • increase!informa:on!access! • provide!interac:ve!discussion!spaces!with!lowered!barriers!for! engagement!that!welcome!diverse!opinions! ! • In!prac:ce! • redundant,!irrelevant,!polarized!content! • policymakers!&!ci:zens!frustrated!
- 6. Background • “eBGovernment”,!“Open!Government”! ! • Goals! • alert!and!engage!ci:zens! • increase!informa:on!access! • provide!interac:ve!discussion!spaces!with!lowered!barriers!for! engagement!that!welcome!diverse!opinions! ! • In!prac:ce! • redundant,!irrelevant,!polarized!content! • policymakers!&!ci:zens!frustrated!
- 7. Rulemaking • Rulemaking:!process!federal!agencies!use!to!create! regula:ons!(“rules”)! • Public!no:ce!!!open!comment!period!!!agency!evalua:on! • 2001B2010:!over!38,000!rules!finalized! • 2003B2010:!568!major!rules!with!$100!million!economic!effect! • Tradi:onally!dominated!by!sophis:cated!and!resourced!en::es! ! • e5Rulemaking:!the!use!of!digital!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! technologies!to!support!this!process! • S:ll!poses!barriers!that!prevent!effec:ve,!broad!engagement! from!ci:zens!
- 8. Rulemaking • Rulemaking:!process!federal!agencies!use!to!create! regula:ons!(“rules”)! • Public!no:ce!!!open!comment!period!!!agency!evalua:on! • 2001B2010:!over!38,000!rules!finalized! • 2003B2010:!568!major!rules!with!$100!million!economic!effect! • Tradi:onally!dominated!by!sophis:cated!and!resourced!en::es! ! • e5Rulemaking:!the!use!of!digital!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! technologies!to!support!this!process! • S:ll!poses!barriers!that!prevent!effec:ve,!broad!engagement! from!ci:zens!
- 9. Rulemaking • Rulemaking:!process!federal!agencies!use!to!create! regula:ons!(“rules”)! • Public!no:ce!!!open!comment!period!!!agency!evalua:on! • 2001B2010:!over!38,000!rules!finalized! • 2003B2010:!568!major!rules!with!$100!million!economic!effect! • Tradi:onally!dominated!by!sophis:cated!and!resourced!en::es! ! • e5Rulemaking:!the!use!of!digital!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! technologies!to!support!this!process! • S:ll!poses!barriers!that!prevent!effec:ve,!broad!engagement! from!ci:zens!
- 10. CeRI: Cornell eRulemaking Initiative • Mul:Bdisciplinary!team! • Law!school,!Legal!Informa:on!Ins:tute,!Scheinman!Ins:tute!on!Conflict! Resolu:on,!Communica:on,!Informa:on!Science,!Computer!Science! • Addressing!behavioral!&!technical!challenges! • Social!+!behavioral!sciences,!NLP,!HCI!
- 12. RegulationRoom.org Since!2010! launch:! • 5!rulemakings! • DOT,!CFPB! partnerships! • Recogni:on! !
- 13. Civic Engagement Cycle 2 1 3 • Collaboration • Summarization • Consensus • Identify stakeholders • Target • Motivate • Learn • Question • Contribute
- 14. Civic Engagement Cycle • Learn • Question • Contribute 2 1 3 • Collaboration • Summarization • Consensus • Identify stakeholders • Target • Motivate
- 15. Civic Engagement Cycle 2 1 3 • Collaboration • Summarization • Consensus • Identify stakeholders • Target • Motivate • Learn • Question • Contribute
- 16. Civic Engagement Cycle 2 1 3 • Collaboration • Summarization • Consensus • Identify stakeholders • Target • Motivate • Learn • Question • Contribute
- 17. Participation Patterns Since 2010: • 40,500 visitors made 60,000 site visits • 1,566 registered users • 5 separate hosted rulemakings • 1,544 individuals participated in various forms • 609 actively engaged in deliberation • 1,537 total comments generated • 80% of participants never took part in a rulemaking prior
- 18. Hurdles to civic engagement 1. Motivated awareness barrier 2. Information barrier 3. Participation literacy barrier
- 19. Hurdles to civic engagement 1. Motivated awareness barrier 2. Information barrier 3. Participation literacy barrier
- 20. Hurdles to civic engagement 1. Motivated awareness barrier 2. Information barrier 3. Participation literacy barrier
- 21. Hurdles to civic engagement 1. Motivated awareness barrier 2. Information barrier 3. Participation literacy barrier
- 22. Hurdles to civic engagement 1. Motivated awareness barrier 2. Information barrier 3. Participation literacy barrier
- 28. Hurdles to civic engagement 1. Motivated awareness barrier 2. Information barrier 3. Participation literacy barrier
- 29. Motivated Awareness • Communica8ons(outreach(plan( • Iden:fy!stakeholders! • Outreach!–!email,!phone,!online!communica:on! • Social!&!online!media!–!TwiVer,!Facebook,!Google!ads! • Coordinated!media!outreach! • Framing!(pos!vs.!neg;!loss!vs.!gain;!episodic!vs.!thema:c)! • Personal!stake! • Par:cipa:on!efficacy! • Leveraging!exis:ng!social!networks! • Peer!referencing! • Peer!generated!invites!vs.!authority!figure!invites!
- 30. Motivated Awareness • Communica8ons(outreach(plan( • Iden:fy!stakeholders! • Outreach!–!email,!phone,!online!communica:on! • Social!&!online!media!–!TwiVer,!Facebook,!Google!ads! • Coordinated!media!outreach! • Framing!(pos!vs.!neg;!loss!vs.!gain;!episodic!vs.!thema:c)! • Personal!stake! • Par:cipa:on!efficacy! • Leveraging!exis:ng!social!networks! • Peer!referencing! • Peer!generated!invites!vs.!authority!figure!invites!
- 31. Motivated Awareness • Communica:ons!outreach!plan! • Iden:fy!stakeholders! • Outreach!–!email,!phone,!online!communica:on! • Social!&!online!media!–!TwiVer,!Facebook,!Google!ads! • Coordinated(media(outreach( • Framing!(pos!vs.!neg;!loss!vs.!gain;!episodic!vs.!thema:c)! • Personal!stake! • Par:cipa:on!efficacy! • Leveraging!exis:ng!social!networks! • Peer!referencing! • Peer!generated!invites!vs.!authority!figure!invites!
- 32. Motivated Awareness • Communica:ons!outreach!plan! • Iden:fy!stakeholders! • Outreach!–!email,!phone,!online!communica:on! • Social!&!online!media!–!TwiVer,!Facebook,!Google!ads! • Coordinated!media!outreach! • Framing!(pos!vs.!neg;!loss!vs.!gain;!episodic!vs.!thema:c)! • Personal!stake! • Par:cipa:on!efficacy! • Leveraging!exis:ng!social!networks! • Peer!referencing! • Peer!generated!invites!vs.!authority!figure!invites!
- 33. Motivated Awareness • Communica:ons!outreach!plan! • Iden:fy!stakeholders! • Outreach!–!email,!phone,!online!communica:on! • Social!&!online!media!–!TwiVer,!Facebook,!Google!ads! • Coordinated!media!outreach! • Framing!(pos!vs.!neg;!loss!vs.!gain;!episodic!vs.!thema:c)! • Personal!stake! • Par:cipa:on!efficacy! • Leveraging(exis8ng(social(networks( • Peer!referencing! • Peer!generated!invites!vs.!authority!figure!invites!
- 34. Hurdles to civic engagement 1. Motivated awareness barrier 2. Information barrier 3. Participation literacy barrier
- 35. Accessibility • No:ces!of!proposed!rulemaking!(NPRMs)! • Economic!analyses! ! " Triage!! " Transla:on! " Layering!
- 36. Accessibility • No:ces!of!proposed!rulemaking!(NPRMs)! • Economic!analyses! ! " Triage!! " Transla:on! " Layering!
- 37. Accessibility • No:ces!of!proposed!rulemaking!(NPRMs)! • Economic!analyses! ! " Triage!! " Transla:on! " Layering!
- 38. Triage
- 39. Translation • Airline!regula:on!=!25,000!word!No:ce!of!Proposed!Rulemaking! (NPRM)!+!34,000!word!CostBBenefit!Analysis! • Home!mortgage!NPRM!>!800!manuscript!pages! • Graduate!school!level!readability!score! ! In!addi:on,!the!Bureau!has!the!authority! to,!amer!considering!enumerated!factors,! condi:onally!or!uncondi:onally!exempt! any!class!of!covered!persons,!service! providers,!or!consumer!financial!products! or!services!from!any!provision!of!this!:tle,! or!from!any!rule!issued!under!this!:tle,!as! the!Bureau!determines!necessary!or! appropriate!to!carry!out!the!purposes!and! objec:ves!of!this!:tle![:tle!X!of!the!DoddB Frank!Act].! Consumers!have!the!right!to!dispute!a!debt! in!collec:on,!and!both!FTC!and!CFPB!get!a! lot!of!complaints!that!collectors!have!the! wrong!debtor!or!are!trying!to!collect!more! than!what's!owed.! vs.!From!an!original!NPRM! From!a!translated!NPRM!
- 40. Layering
- 41. Hurdles to civic engagement 1. Motivated awareness barrier 2. Information barrier 3. Participation literacy barrier
- 48. Site Design • Suppor:ng!moderator!efforts!&!communica:ng!norms! • “Endorse”!func:on! • “Recommend”!func:on!
- 49. Site Design • Suppor:ng!moderator!efforts!&!communica:ng!norms! • “Endorse”!func:on! • “Recommend”!func:on! • Teaching!community!and!commen:ng!norms!
- 50. Site Design • Suppor:ng!moderator!efforts!&!communica:ng!norms! • “Endorse”!func:on! • “Recommend”!func:on! • Teaching!community!and!commen:ng!norms! • Increasing!the!visible!value!of!contribu:on! • Trivia!challenges,!points,!badges,!rewards!
- 56. Mechanical Turk study • Members:!core,!ac:ve,!peripheral,!outsiders! • Mo:va:ng!peripheral!members!to!increase!ac:vity! • Manipulate!commen:ng!interface!to!prompt!contribu:on! • Study!par:cipants:!Mechanical!Turk!Workers! • Opportunity! • Worker!challenges,!mo:va:ons,!communi:es! • Experiences,!astudes!regarding!Amazon!policies!
- 57. Mechanical Turk study • Members:!core,!ac:ve,!peripheral,!outsiders! • Mo:va:ng!peripheral!members!to!increase!ac:vity! • Manipulate!commen:ng!interface!to!prompt!contribu:on! • Study!par:cipants:!Mechanical!Turk!Workers! • Opportunity! • Worker!challenges,!mo:va:ons,!communi:es! • Experiences,!astudes!regarding!Amazon!policies!
- 58. Mechanical Turk study • Members:!core,!ac:ve,!peripheral,!outsiders! • Mo:va:ng!peripheral!members!to!increase!ac:vity! • Manipulate!commen:ng!interface!to!prompt(contribu8on( • Study!par:cipants:!Mechanical!Turk!Workers! • Opportunity! • Worker!challenges,!mo:va:ons,!communi:es! • Experiences,!astudes!regarding!Amazon!policies!
- 59. Mechanical Turk study • Members:!core,!ac:ve,!peripheral,!outsiders! • Mo:va:ng!peripheral!members!to!increase!ac:vity! • Manipulate!commen:ng!interface!to!prompt!contribu:on! • Study!par:cipants:!Mechanical(Turk(Workers( • Opportunity! • Worker!challenges,!mo:va:ons,!communi:es! • Experiences,!astudes!regarding!Amazon!policies!
- 60. Mechanical Turk study • Members:!core,!ac:ve,!peripheral,!outsiders! • Mo:va:ng!peripheral!members!to!increase!ac:vity! • Manipulate!commen:ng!interface!to!prompt!contribu:on! • Study!par:cipants:!Mechanical!Turk!Workers! • Opportunity( • Worker!challenges,!mo:va:ons,!communi:es! • Experiences,!astudes!regarding!Amazon!policies!
- 61. Measuring Engagement • Standard(web(analy8cs( • #!of!visitors,!comments,!page!views! • Volume!of!new!voices! • 64%!<!volume!<!98%! • Civic!educa:on! • Value!to!policymakers! • Public!comments!cited!in!both!finalized!rules! • Incorporate!public!comments!despite!industry!opposi:on! • In!airline!rule,!cited!comments!appear!in!almost!20!different! sec:ons!of!agency’s!discussion!of!new!rule!
- 62. Measuring Engagement • Standard!web!analy:cs! • #!of!visitors,!comments,!page!views! • Volume(of(new(voices( • 64%!<!volume!<!98%! • Civic!educa:on! • Value!to!policymakers! • Public!comments!cited!in!both!finalized!rules! • Incorporate!public!comments!despite!industry!opposi:on! • In!airline!rule,!cited!comments!appear!in!almost!20!different! sec:ons!of!agency’s!discussion!of!new!rule!
- 63. Measuring Engagement • Standard!web!analy:cs! • #!of!visitors,!comments,!page!views! • Volume!of!new!voices! • 64%!<!volume!<!98%! • Civic(educa8on( • Value!to!policymakers! • Public!comments!cited!in!both!finalized!rules! • Incorporate!public!comments!despite!industry!opposi:on! • In!airline!rule,!cited!comments!appear!in!almost!20!different! sec:ons!of!agency’s!discussion!of!new!rule!
- 64. Measuring Engagement • Standard!web!analy:cs! • #!of!visitors,!comments,!page!views! • Volume!of!new!voices! • 64%!<!volume!<!98%! • Civic!educa:on! • Value(to(policymakers( • Public!comments!cited!in!both!finalized!rules! • Incorporate!public!comments!despite!industry!opposi:on! • In!airline!rule,!cited!comments!appear!in!almost!20!different! sec:ons!of!agency’s!discussion!of!new!rule!
- 66. To Conclude… • Challenges!are!social,!psychological,!procedural,!technological!! • Must!iden:fy!and!nurture!required!capabili:es!
- 67. To Conclude… • Challenges!are!social,!psychological,!procedural,!technological!! • Must!iden:fy!and!nurture!required!capabili:es! • More!projects!to!determine!strategies!and!resources!to!sa:sfy! both!policymakers!&!ci:zens!
- 68. To Conclude… • Challenges!are!social,!psychological,!procedural,!technological!! • Must!iden:fy!and!nurture!required!capabili:es! • More!projects!to!determine!strategies!and!resources!to!sa:sfy! both!policymakers!&!ci:zens! Thank(you!( Ques:ons,!feedback,!and!guidance!welcome! ! Elizabeth!Murnane! elm236@cornell.edu!