SHORT NOTE Evaluation of Alternative Media Used with a Groupware Editor in a Simulated Telecommunications Environment

Abstract

Writing efficiency using a groupware editor was evaluated in six configurations by factorially combining three communication media (audio only, audio plus video, and face-to-face) each with and without groupware editing in a within-subjects design. Twelve subjects familiar with journalistic writing were matched into dyads and wrote news articles based on sets of questions about video clips shown to them. The quality of the writing task products was consistently high and showed no differences among conditions. Results indicated that face-to-face conditions resulted in significantly less time to complete the task than did other communication conditions. When groupware editing was used, however, all communication media were equally efficient. The results were discussed in terms of the benefits of using the groupware editor to increase efficiency when face-to-face communication is not practical. Methodological procedures were discussed as a means of reducing team variability in evaluating groupware using telecommunications.

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