%0 Conference Proceedings %B Proceedings of the 52nd Hawai'i International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS-52) %D 2019 %T Helping data science students develop task modularity %A Jeffery Saltz %A Heckman, Robert %A Kevin Crowston %A Sangseok You %A Yatish Hegde %K data science %K modularity %K Stigmergy %X

This paper explores the skills needed to be a data scientist. Specifically, we report on a mixed method study of a project-based data science class, where we evaluated student effectiveness with respect to dividing a project into appropriately sized modular tasks, which we termed task modularity. Our results suggest that while data science students can appreciate the value of task modularity, they struggle to achieve effective task modularity. As a first step, based our study, we identified six task decomposition best practices. However, these best practices do not fully address this gap of how to enable data science students to effectively use task modularity. We note that while computer science/information system programs typically teach modularity (e.g., the decomposition process and abstraction), and there remains a need identify a corresponding model to that used for computer science / information system students, to teach modularity to data science students.

%B Proceedings of the 52nd Hawai'i International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS-52) %G eng %U http://hdl.handle.net/10125/59549 %R 10.24251/HICSS.2019.134 %> https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/modularity-HICSS-final-afterReview.pdf %0 Conference Proceedings %B OpenSym %D 2018 %T Stigmergic coordination in Wikipedia %A Amira Rezgui %A Kevin Crowston %K Coordination %K distributed groups %K on-line epistemic community %K Stigmergy %K Wikipedia %X

We examine a novel approach to coordination, namely stigmergic coordination, that is, coordination mediated by changes to a shared work product. Stigmergy stands in contrast to the two coordination approaches identified in the existing literature on coordination, explicit coordination, based on direct communication through discussion page or user talk pages, and implicit coordination, based on unspoken expectations and shared mental models of the task to be accomplished. We look for evidence of stigmergic coordination in the context of Wikipedia, as one of the most successful experiments in online collaborative knowledge building. Using a novel approach to identifying edits to the same part of a Wikipedia article, we show that a majority of edits to two example articles are not associated with discussion on the article Talk page, suggesting the possibility of stigmergic coordination. However, some amount of discussion does seem to be related to article quality, suggesting the limits to this approach to coordination.

%B OpenSym %G eng %U http://www.opensym.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/OpenSym2018_paper_34.pdf %> https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/stigmergic-coordination-wikipedia%20final.pdf %0 Conference Paper %B International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS) %D 2011 %T Boundary-spanning documents in online communities (Research-in-Progress) %A Carsten Østerlund %A Kevin Crowston %K boundary objects %K Documents %K Genre %K Online communities %K provenance %X Online communities bring together people with varied access to and understanding of the work at hand, who must collaborate through documents of various kinds. We develop a framework articulating the characteristics of documents supporting collaborators with asymmetric access to knowledge versus those with symmetric knowledge. Drawing on theories about document genre, boundary objects and provenance, we hypothesize that documents supporting asymmetric groups are likely to articulate or prescribe their own 1) purpose, 2) context of use and 3) content and form and 4) provenance in greater detail than documents used by people with symmetric access to knowledge. We are testing these hypotheses through content analysis of documents and instructions from a variety of free/libre open source projects. We present preliminary findings consistent with the hypotheses developed. The completed study will suggest new directions for research on communications in online communities, as well as advice for those supporting such communities. %B International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS) %C Shanghai, China %8 12/2011 %G eng %> https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/s1-ln10612586-928182863-1939656818Hwf394207478IdV-120335818210612586PDF_HI0001.pdf %0 Conference Paper %B “Computing for Citizen Science” workshop at the IEEE eScience Conference %D 2011 %T Gaming for (citizen) science: Exploring motivation and data quality in the context of crowdsourced science through the design and evaluation of a social-computational system %A Nathan Prestopnik %A Kevin Crowston %K Citizen Science %K data quality %K Design %K Design Science %K Games %K Gaming %K Motivation %K Participation %K Social Computational Systems %X In this paper, an ongoing design research project is described. Citizen Sort, currently under development, is a web-based social-computational system designed to support a citizen science task, the taxonomic classification of various insect, animal, and plant species. In addition to supporting this natural science objective, the Citizen Sort platform will also support information science research goals on the nature of motivation for social-computation and citizen science. In particular, this research program addresses the use of games to motivate participation in social-computational citizen science, and explores the effects of system design on motivation and data quality. A design science approach, where IT artifacts are developed to solve problems and answer research questions is described. Research questions, progress on Citizen Sort planning and implementation, and key challenges are discussed. %B “Computing for Citizen Science” workshop at the IEEE eScience Conference %C Stockholm, Sweden %8 12/2011 %U http://itee.uq.edu.au/~eresearch/workshops/compcitsci2011/index.html %> https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/gamingforcitizenscience_ver6.pdf %0 Conference Paper %B "Computing for Citizen Science" workshop at the IEEE eScience Conference %D 2011 %T Mechanisms for Data Quality and Validation in Citizen Science %A Wiggins, Andrea %A Newman, Greg %A Stevenson, Robert D. %A Kevin Crowston %K Citizen Science %K data quality %K data validation %X Data quality is a primary concern for researchers employing public participation in scientific research, or “citizen science,” to accomplish data collection and analysis tasks. This mode of scientific collaboration relies on contributions from a large, often unknown population of volunteers with widely variable expertise. In this paper, we review the commonly employed mechanisms for ensuring data quality. We also discuss results of a survey of citizen science projects that reports on the use of some of these mechanisms, noting that it is most common for projects to employ multiple mechanisms to ensure data quality and appropriate levels of validation. %B "Computing for Citizen Science" workshop at the IEEE eScience Conference %C Stockholm, Sweden %8 12/2011 %U http://itee.uq.edu.au/~eresearch/workshops/compcitsci2011/index.html %> https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/PID2090593.pdf %0 Generic %D 2010 %T A Capability Maturity Model for Scientific Data Management %A Kevin Crowston %A Jian Qin %K Data Management %K eScience %X In this paper, we propose a capability maturity model (CMM) for scientific data management (SDM) practices, with the goal of supporting assessment and improvement of these practices. The CMM describes key process areas and practices necessary for effective SDM. The CMM further characterizes organizations by the level of maturity of these processes, meaning the organizational capability to reliably perform the processes. We suggest that this framework will be useful to organizations in evaluating and planning improvements to their SDM practices. %B American Society for Information Science and Technology (ASIST) Annual Conference %C Pittsburgh, PA %8 10/2010 %9 Working Paper %> https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/CMM%20for%20DM%20to%20share.pdf %> https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/100714%20ASIST%20Poster%20final_0.pdf %0 Generic %D 2008 %T Asynchronous Decision-Making in Distributed Teams (Poster) %A Li, Qing %A Heckman, Robert %A Allen, Eileen E. %A Kevin Crowston %A Eseryel, U. Yeliz %A James Howison %A Wiggins, Andrea %K Decision-Making %K FLOSS %B Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work %C San Diego, CA %8 8–12 November %G eng %> https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/CSCW2008Poster11x17Draft.pdf %0 Conference Paper %B Academy of Management Conference %D 2007 %T Distance Matters, Except When It Doesn't: Discontinuities in Virtual Work %A Mary Beth Watson-Manheim %A Chudoba, Katherine M. %A Kevin Crowston %K Discontinuity %K Virtuality %X Virtual work has become an increasingly common phenomenon in today's organizations. Substantial and continuing changes in organizational processes and IT infrastructure have increased the pace and intensity of working across traditionally impermeable boundaries, enabling diverse forms of collaboration. However, our understanding of the consequences and implications of virtual work still lags and research results have been contradictory. We suggest that some of these inconsistencies have been because the boundaries that characterize virtual work-time, space, culture, organization, and so forth-are objective demarcations that are not uniformly problematic. It is only when those working in virtual settings perceive a boundary to be a discontinuity that it hinders work processes. We develop a model of virtual work that differentiates between boundaries and discontinuities, which helps account for contradictory findings. By examining the process of virtual work in more detail, we can uncover issues that are the underlying cause of problems, rather than deal with the more obvious symptoms that can mask underlying problem. Our model has implications both for research and for those working in virtual environments. %B Academy of Management Conference %C Philadelphia, PA %G eng %> https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/13412.pdf %0 Conference Proceedings %B Proceedings of the International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS) %D 2006 %T Emergent decision-making practices in technology-supported self-organizing distributed teams %A Heckman, Robert %A Kevin Crowston %A Li, Qing %A Allen, Eileen E. %A Eseryel, U. Yeliz %A James Howison %A Kangning Wei %K Decision-Making %K FLOSS %X We seek to identify work practices that make technology-supported self-organizing distributed (or virtual) teams (TSSODT for short) effective in producing outputs satisfactory to their sponsors, meeting the needs of their members and continuing to function. A particularly important practice for team effectiveness is decision making: are the right decisions made at the right time to get the work done in a way that satisfies team sponsors, keeps contributors happy and engaged, and enables continued team success? In this research-in-progress paper, we report on an inductive qualitative analysis of 120 decision episodes taken by 2 Free/libre Open Source Software development teams. Our analysis revealed differences in decision-making practices that seem to be related to differences in overall team effectiveness. %B Proceedings of the International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS) %C Milwaukee, WI, 10–13 Dec %G eng %> https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/Emergent%20Decision%20Making%20Practices%20In%20Technology%20Supported%20Self%20O.pdf %0 Conference Paper %B Academy of Management Conference %D 2004 %T The paradox of discontinuities and continuities: Toward a more comprehensive view of virtuality %A Mary Beth Watson-Manheim %A Chudoba, Katherine M. %A Kevin Crowston %K Discontinuity %K Virtuality %X Understanding the fundamental dynamics in virtual work environments is a challenge for organizational researchers. We propose that virtuality is, paradoxically, generally composed of factors that simultaneously simplify and complicate the work environment. We use the metaphorical construction of continuities and discontinuities to explore this phenomenon, and show that considering boundaries as creating discontinuities in work environments enhances our understanding in two ways. First, the language of discontinuities allows us to employ the device of paradox to explore the underlying dynamics of virtuality. This device makes it easier to examine the more complex reality of virtual work. Second, consideration of discontinuities draws attention to possible problems encountered in virtual work environments and ways that individuals and teams may compensate for the tension and differences implicit in discontinuities; in other words, paying attention to the seemingly logical antithesis of discontinuities, or continuities. By taking a process perspective, one can focus on the behavioral component of work, which in turn, has a subjective component. An example from a field study of a global virtual team is examined to illustrate the usefulness of the discontinuities/continuities framework. %B Academy of Management Conference %C New Orleans, LA %> https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/paradox2004.pdf %0 Journal Article %J Information, Technology & People %D 2002 %T Discontinuities and continuities: A new way to understand virtual work %A Mary Beth Watson-Manheim %A Chudoba, Katherine M. %A Kevin Crowston %K Discontinuity %K Virtuality %X "Virtual’’ is a potent buzzword, freely applied to many situations, with many meanings. In this exploratory study, we develop a more precise understanding of "virtual’’ to describe changing work environments. Specifically, we propose a framework to classify work environments based on the type of discontinuities involved. Discontinuities are gaps or a lack of coherence in aspects of work. The framework allows us to compare research across different topics and work settings. We use the framework to classify 75 published articles on virtual work environments or earlier, related research streams. We observed that many studies were simultaneously addressing existing or emerging continuities, factors or strategies for overcoming discontinuities. The focus of "virtual’’ is on changes in the work environment; however, our analysis suggests the need to be equally aware of factors that have not changed and which may become more critical with the introduction of discontinuities. %B Information, Technology & People %V 15 %P 191–209 %G eng %N 3 %R 10.1108/09593840210444746 %> https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/itp2002.pdf %0 Conference Paper %B Academy of Management Conference %D 2002 %T Discontinuities and Post-Bureaucratic Organizing: A Framework and Research Propositions %A Chudoba, Katherine M. %A Kevin Crowston %A Mary Beth Watson-Manheim %K Discontinuity %K Virtuality %X Some organization theorists argue that prevailing theories of organizing are based primarily on detailed observations of bureaucratic work, but that the nature of work today is sufficiently different to bring the applicability of these theories into question. They note in particular the growth in white collar and service workers, the rise of “contingent work” and the increased application of computer technologies. While various kinds of non-bureaucratic work such as project-based work and non-traditional employees such as contractors is not new, the pace and intensity of work enabled by communications technologies suggest that a postbureaucratic theory of work may be appropriate. Indeed, “virtual” has become shorthand for novel work arrangements involving telecommuters or virtual organizations. We propose that an increasingly important characteristic of non-bureaucratic work settings is the fact that the workers in these environments face discontinuities, that is, a lack of coherence in aspects of their work, such as the work setting, task, relations with other workers or managers. In this paper, we argue that studying how discontinuities have been managed in a variety of settings may offer insights into the nature of post-bureaucratic work. The first contribution of this paper is a framework that illuminates commonalties in diverse non-bureaucratic work settings and thus suggests how the existing research in these settings might be integrated. Based on this framework, we then consider how various existing theories might be integrated into a theory of post-bureaucratic organizing. We conclude by proposing a set of questions for future research based on this perspective. %B Academy of Management Conference %C Denver, CO %G eng %> https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/academy2002.pdf