Domain-oriented design environments are cooperative problem-solving systems that support designers in complex design tasks. In this paper we present the facilities and architecture of Argo, a domain-oriented design environment for software architecture. Argo’s architecture is motivated by the desire to achieve reuse and extensibility of the design environment. It separates domain-neutral code from domain-oriented code, which is distributed among intelligent design materials as opposed to being centralized in the design environment. Argo’s facilities are motivated by the observed cognitive needs of designers. These facilities extend previous work in design environments to support reflection-in-action, opportunistic design, and comprehension and problem-solving. Keywords: Domain-oriented design environments, critics, software architectures, architectural styles, humancomputer interaction, human cognitive skills.

This paper introduces the special issue of Knowledge-Based Systems on HumanComputer Collaboration (HCC). It derives a set of fundamental issues from a definition of collaboration, introduces two major approaches to HCC, and surveys each approach, showing how it formulates and addresses the issues. It concludes by proposing some themes that should characterize a unified approach to human-computer collaboration. 1 Introduction Collaboration is a process in which two or more agents work together to achieve shared goals. Thirty researchers came together in Raleigh, North Carolina in October of 1993 for a AAAI Fall Symposium dedicated to this topic. The goal of the symposium was to achieve a better understanding of Human-Computer Collaboration (HCC), collaboration involving at least one human and one computational agent. In particular, the symposium sought to explore the fundamental nature of collaborative problem solving, understand the constraints brought to bear by the differing charac...

The design of software for learners must be guided by educational theory. We present a framework for learner-centered design (LCD) that is theoretically motivated by sociocultural and constructivist theories of learning. LCD guides the design of software in order to support the unique needs of learners: growth, diversity, and motivation. To address these needs, we incorporate scaffolding into the context, tasks, tools, and interface of software learning environments. We demonstrate the application of our methodology by presenting two case studies of LCD in practice.

Critiquing systems are a type of active, knowledge-based design support system. They propose to positively influence designers' cognitive processes by pointing out potential problems and contentious issues while designers work. To investigate the effects such systems have on the activities of professional designers, a design environment containing a critiquing system was designed, built, and evaluated for a specific area: phone-based interface design. Four professional designers were observed using the environment to solve realistic design tasks. Our protocol analyses indicate that such systems do influence the behaviour of designers, but often indirectly. Designers were observed anticipating the activity of the system and taking preventative steps to avoid it. Differential effects depending on the designers' level of domain experience were also observed. Overall, the system was better suited to the needs of highly experienced designers. Keywords : Critiquing Systems, Cognitive Ergono...

Abstract: In the information age, lifelong learning and collaboration are essential aspects of most innovative work. Fortunately, the computer technology which drives the information explosion also has the potential to help individuals and groups to learn much of what they need to know on demand. In particular, applications on the Internet can be designed to capture knowledge as it is generated within a community of practice and to deliver relevant knowledge when it is useful. Computer-based design environments for skilled domain workers have recently graduated from research prototypes to commercial products, supporting the learning of individual designers. Such systems do not, however, adequately support the collaborative nature of work or the evolution of knowledge within communities of practice. If innovation is to be supported within collaborative efforts, these domain-oriented design environments (DODEs) must be extended to become collaborative information environments (CIEs), capable of providing effective community memories for managing information and learning within constantly evolving collaborative contexts. In particular, CIEs must provide functionality that facilitates the construction of new knowledge and the shared understanding necessary to use this knowledge

Current fashion in "user-friendly" softw overreliance on direct manipulation inte: (and thus trhly user-friendly), applicatk faes and domain-enriched languages th This paper discusses some of the desigqr ation of such programmable applications,5 "SchemePaint," a graphics application t interface with an interpreter for (a "gral; Copyright ) Massachusetts Institu This report describes research done at the Artificial Int Institute of Technology. Support for the laboratory's in part by the Advanced Research Projects Agency of It Naval Research contract N00014-89-J-3202 and by the number MIP-9001651.

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Design critiquing systems are a type of intelligent user interface used to support human designers in decision making. This paper places design critics in the larger context of intelligent user interface approaches and surveys several critiquing systems. Each approach and system is evaluated with respect to a five-phase design improvement process. This paper concludes with a summary of the state of the art in critiquing systems and recommendations for future research directions. 1.

This paper describes theories and computer systems illustrating two innovative models of computer support for integrating working and learning. The VDDE system illustrates the design critiquing model helping individual professionals in analyzing current work situations, applying existing knowledge to these situations, and articulating new knowledge. The SmartMedia system illustrates the domain construction model helping communities of practice to collaboratively evolve new ways of working. KEYWORDS: Communities of Practice, Critiquing, Design Environments, Domain Construction, Workplace Learning. NATURE OF WORKPLACE LEARNING Workplace learning is fundamentally different from traditional school learning (see Table 1). Empirical studies of professional practice, by ourselves and others [12, 13, 17, 18], show that while the focus is primarily on getting the job done, learning is inextricably intertwined with working. Specifically, in order to do their job, professionals must continuall...