Information seeking is typically situated within an interpersonal and problemsolving context. We have examined the process by which a group of medical students engages in collaborative information seeking within a pedagogy known as Problem-Based Learning (PBL). Here, the identity of learning issues (LIs) persists through successive phases of recognition, researching, reporting, and reflection. These explicit learning issues help to structure the interplay of individual and group efforts. A detailed theory and effective procedures have been developed to guide skilled tutors in coaching groups through collaborative information seeking around learning issues in face-to-face meetings. We are now exploring computer support to enhance this particular conception of knowledge seeking and to enable distance collaboration. The introduction of technology into PBL has implications for all four phases of the processing of LIs. Collaborative information environments offer the potential for integrati...

Information seeking is typically situated within an interpersonal and problem-solving context. We have examined the process by which a group of medical students engages in collaborative information seeking within a pedagogy known as Problem-Based Learning (PBL). Here, the identity of learning issues (LIs) persists through successive phases of recognition, researching, reporting, and reflection. These explicit learning issues help to structure the interplay of individual and group efforts. A detailed theory and effective procedures have been developed to guide skilled tutors in coaching groups through collaborative information seeking around learning issues in face-to-face meetings. We are now exploring computer support to enhance this particular conception of knowledge seeking and to enable distance collaboration. The introduction of technology into PBL has implications for all four phases of the processing of LIs. Collaborative information environments offer the potential for integrating knowledge from different phases and supporting aspects of collaboration. We use a metaphor of interpretive perspectives to help individuals and groups create multiple dynamic representations of shared knowledge to meet various interacting needs.

The Need for Computer Support .....................................................................................................................7 Interpretation in Design Methodology ............................................................................................................7 Interpretation in Lunar Habitat Design............................................................................................................8 The Tacit Basis of Understanding ...................................................................................................................8 The Philosophy of Interpretation.....................................................................................................................9 Computer Support for Interpretation .............................................................................................................10 The Hermes System.......................................................................................................................................12 Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................................12 Acknowledgments .........................................................................................................................................12 RefereNces .....................................................................................................................................................12 Armchair Missions to Mars: Using Case-Based Reasoning and Fuzzy Logic to Simulate a Time Series Model of Astronaut...