Using the participatory patterns design (PPD) methodology to co-design groupware: Confer a tool for workplace informal learning
EdMedia 2016, Vancouver, Canada, (June 2016)Abstract
This paper proposes a methodology which attempts to address the barriers to the development of successful educational design research through a process which identifies gaps in current practices and devises innovations to target them. Educational design research assumes an ambitious position: a dual commitment to understand and contribute to both theory and practice. This task is confounded by the complexity of the domain and the inherent multi-stakeholder nature of most initiatives. Three barriers to success are identified: the shortage of mechanisms for cross-stakeholder dialogue, the failure to account for existing practices and contexts, and the rigid processes dictated by the dynamics of research projects. We report findings from an attempt to address these barriers. Confer is a Groupware tool that provides support to bridge face2face and online discussions by workgroups and has been co-designed with users by following the Participatory Patterns Design (PPD) methodology. The PPD provides a framework for engaging multidisciplinary communities in collaborative reflection on educational innovation in a given domain.