The New Jersey Institute of Technology's
Electronic Theses & Dissertations Project

Title:	Design and evaluation of a list gathering tool in a web-based collaborative environment
Author:	Wang, Yuanqiong
View Online:	njit-etd2003-117 (xvi, 289 pages ~ 12.3 MB pdf)
Department:	Department of Information Systems
Degree:	Doctor of Philosophy
Program:	Information Systems
Document Type:	Dissertation
Advisory Committee:	Hiltz, Starr Roxanne (Committee co-chair) Turoff, Murray (Committee co-chair) Fjermestad, Jerry (Committee member) Van de Walle, Bartel Albrecht (Committee member) Rice, Ronald E. (Committee member)
Date:	2003-08
Keywords:	Social decision support Decision support system CSCW List gathering Knowledge management System analysis and design
Availability:	Unrestricted
Abstract:	This research focuses on how to build a "list" structure to combine individual items of information into some sort of structure that converts the individual items of information into a structure of knowledge relative to the problem. Software was designed to provide relationships among and comparisons of the contributions in a "list" structure, so that individual members of a group process will be able to understand the contributions of information made by the group as a whole. A List Gathering Tool was designed and implemented, which is one component in a Web-based Social Decision Support System (SDSS) Toolkit. Then, a two-by-two factorial design (list tool support vs. no list tool support, and voting tool support vs. no voting tool support, respectively) controlled experiment and several field studies were carried out to assess the effects of this List Gathering Tool in a group problem solving process. Overall, the evaluation results are encouraging. The utilization of the List Gathering Tool or the SDSS Toolkit does tend to improve the ability to discover valid alternatives. An additional set of field trials illustrated how the SDSS Toolkit can be utilized in a collaborative learning environment to improve teaching and students' learning experience. This system will also work for very practical applications in large group settings.