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CALL FOR PAPERS
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Special Issue of the
Electronic Journal on Virtual Culture
COMPUTERIZED TOOLS AS INTERMEDIARIES
IN THE COMMUNICATION OF MENTAL MAPS
Guest Editor
Donald L. Day, Syracuse University
D01DAYXX@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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BACKGROUND
Traditionally, tools -- whether screwdrivers or decision
support systems -- have been treated as static, in the sense that
they facilitate application of a user's existing talents by
implementation of a limited range of specific functions. In this
view, regardless of how sophisticated a tool may be, it is
considered a mere instrument whose purpose is to extend the
user's capabilities. Tool and user are thought of as a unified
entity, together acting within and upon a task environment.
The alternative approach which frames this special issue holds
that tools embody the experiences, biases and worldviews (mental
models) of their developers. (Ask any left-handed person who has
tried to use a pay telephone in a roadside booth.) In this view,
tools transmit process preferences, procedural models and task
success criteria from their developers to their users.
Computerized tools form one especially apt instance of this
latter, more cognitive approach. Whether they be CASE packages
for the generation of software applications, network management
systems that facilitate concurrent engineering, design support
aids for architects, or voicemail sequencing programs,
computerized tools can be dynamic intermediaries for the
communication of mental maps between tool developers and tool
users.
[Further background to the concepts upon which the special
issue is based is available in an article published in the April
1993 Electronic Journal of Communication. See the end of this
call for access details.]
SUGGESTED TOPICS
For this special issue of the Electronic Journal on Virtual
Culture, we solicit original papers addressing any aspect of
cognitive communication between tool developers and users (or
among networked users) which makes use of computerized tools as
its medium. By this, we do not mean computer-mediated
communication as it is typically understood (electronic messaging
among users). Instead, we seek treatments of the behavioral and
perceptual responses of users and the process engineering intent
of developers.
The following list of suggested topics is meant only to
demonstrate the bredth of treatments possible within this
approach. Any and all topics that fall within the framework
described above will be considered.
o case studies of specific tools which clearly communicate
mental models among stakeholders
o conceptual treatment of key factors in networked small-
group behavior, the transfer of process knowledge, or
cognitive encoding/decoding which are attributable to the
effects of communication through tools
o factors of situational specificity which affect the impact
of computer-mediated communication among stakeholders
(including the cultural context of tool use)
o the relationship of the framework model to other major
models of interpersonal communication
o aspects of learning theory as they relate to knowledge
augmentation due to tool use
o comparison of essential communicative characteristics of
tool use across domains (e.g., software engineering vs.
publication design)
o the role of perceived constraints and creativity in users'
acceptance of developers' process models
o the impact of tool communication upon users' decision-
making processes.
SUBMISSION PROCEDURES
The language of this issue is English. Contributors are asked
to draft a 400-word abstract of their proposed papers, including
brief reference to key concepts, existing literature and
methodological approach. Abstracts should be sent email to the
guest editor no later than July 15, 1993. (Note that the second
character in his account ID is a zero, not the letter "o".)
Abstracts will be reviewed by the guest editor and by the EJVC
editorial staff. Contributors will be notified by August 1
whether or not their proposals are accepted for the issue.
Final papers conforming to the EJVC Guidelines for Authors
should be submitted to the guest editor via email no later than
October 1, 1993. The guidelines are available via anonymous ftp
as the file author.guide in subdirectory /pub/ejvc at
byrd.mu.wvnet.edu (case-sensitive). Each submission will be blind
refereed by at least two qualified professionals.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Guest Editor: Donald L. Day, IST, 4-282 Center for Science &
Technology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
13244-4100. Internet: D01DAYXX@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx;
BITNET: D01DAYXX@SUVM.
EJVC Editor-in-Chief:
Ermel Stepp, Marshall University. Internet:
M034050@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.
EJVC Co-Editor: Diane Kovacs, Kent State University. Internet:
DKOVACS@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; BITNET: DKOVACS@Kentvm.
CALL FOR REFEREES
Although the Electronic Journal on Virtual Culture is
fortunate to have a substantial number of consulting and
associate editors on its board, critiques by specialists in
disciplines related to the focus of the special issue would be a
valuable addition to our screening process.
If you would like to volunteer as one of these specialists,
retrieve the file notification.ofinterest via anonymous ftp from
the subdirectory /pub/ejvc at byrd.mu.wvnet.edu. Please use this
file as a model for your offer to referee, sent via email to one
of the contacts listed above. And, thanks.
ACCESSING THE RELATED ARTICLE
IN THE ELECTRONIC JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION
Send an electronic mail message to Comserve@Rpitsvm (bitnet) or
Comserve@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx (internet) with the following text on the
first line:
Send Day V3N293
No other words or symbols should appear in the message. After
dispatching the mail to Comserve, you will receive a file
containing the full text of the article.
If you wish to find out more about other articles appearing in
this issue of EJC/REC, send an electronic mail message to
Comserve at one of the addresses above with the following text on
the first line:
Send EJCTOC V3N293
You will be sent the table of contents for that issue of
EJC/REC, which contains abstracts of all the articles that
appeared in the issue and information about how to retrieve
them.
----------------------------------------------------------------
End of CALL FOR PAPERS, Computerized Tools
CALL FOR PAPERS
----------------------------------------------------------------
Special Issue of the
Electronic Journal on Virtual Culture
COMPUTERIZED TOOLS AS INTERMEDIARIES
IN THE COMMUNICATION OF MENTAL MAPS
Guest Editor
Donald L. Day, Syracuse University
D01DAYXX@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
----------------------------------------------------------------
BACKGROUND
Traditionally, tools -- whether screwdrivers or decision
support systems -- have been treated as static, in the sense that
they facilitate application of a user's existing talents by
implementation of a limited range of specific functions. In this
view, regardless of how sophisticated a tool may be, it is
considered a mere instrument whose purpose is to extend the
user's capabilities. Tool and user are thought of as a unified
entity, together acting within and upon a task environment.
The alternative approach which frames this special issue holds
that tools embody the experiences, biases and worldviews (mental
models) of their developers. (Ask any left-handed person who has
tried to use a pay telephone in a roadside booth.) In this view,
tools transmit process preferences, procedural models and task
success criteria from their developers to their users.
Computerized tools form one especially apt instance of this
latter, more cognitive approach. Whether they be CASE packages
for the generation of software applications, network management
systems that facilitate concurrent engineering, design support
aids for architects, or voicemail sequencing programs,
computerized tools can be dynamic intermediaries for the
communication of mental maps between tool developers and tool
users.
[Further background to the concepts upon which the special
issue is based is available in an article published in the April
1993 Electronic Journal of Communication. See the end of this
call for access details.]
SUGGESTED TOPICS
For this special issue of the Electronic Journal on Virtual
Culture, we solicit original papers addressing any aspect of
cognitive communication between tool developers and users (or
among networked users) which makes use of computerized tools as
its medium. By this, we do not mean computer-mediated
communication as it is typically understood (electronic messaging
among users). Instead, we seek treatments of the behavioral and
perceptual responses of users and the process engineering intent
of developers.
The following list of suggested topics is meant only to
demonstrate the bredth of treatments possible within this
approach. Any and all topics that fall within the framework
described above will be considered.
o case studies of specific tools which clearly communicate
mental models among stakeholders
o conceptual treatment of key factors in networked small-
group behavior, the transfer of process knowledge, or
cognitive encoding/decoding which are attributable to the
effects of communication through tools
o factors of situational specificity which affect the impact
of computer-mediated communication among stakeholders
(including the cultural context of tool use)
o the relationship of the framework model to other major
models of interpersonal communication
o aspects of learning theory as they relate to knowledge
augmentation due to tool use
o comparison of essential communicative characteristics of
tool use across domains (e.g., software engineering vs.
publication design)
o the role of perceived constraints and creativity in users'
acceptance of developers' process models
o the impact of tool communication upon users' decision-
making processes.
SUBMISSION PROCEDURES
The language of this issue is English. Contributors are asked
to draft a 400-word abstract of their proposed papers, including
brief reference to key concepts, existing literature and
methodological approach. Abstracts should be sent email to the
guest editor no later than July 15, 1993. (Note that the second
character in his account ID is a zero, not the letter "o".)
Abstracts will be reviewed by the guest editor and by the EJVC
editorial staff. Contributors will be notified by August 1
whether or not their proposals are accepted for the issue.
Final papers conforming to the EJVC Guidelines for Authors
should be submitted to the guest editor via email no later than
October 1, 1993. The guidelines are available via anonymous ftp
as the file author.guide in subdirectory /pub/ejvc at
byrd.mu.wvnet.edu (case-sensitive). Each submission will be blind
refereed by at least two qualified professionals.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Guest Editor: Donald L. Day, IST, 4-282 Center for Science &
Technology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
13244-4100. Internet: D01DAYXX@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx;
BITNET: D01DAYXX@SUVM.
EJVC Editor-in-Chief:
Ermel Stepp, Marshall University. Internet:
M034050@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.
EJVC Co-Editor: Diane Kovacs, Kent State University. Internet:
DKOVACS@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; BITNET: DKOVACS@Kentvm.
CALL FOR REFEREES
Although the Electronic Journal on Virtual Culture is
fortunate to have a substantial number of consulting and
associate editors on its board, critiques by specialists in
disciplines related to the focus of the special issue would be a
valuable addition to our screening process.
If you would like to volunteer as one of these specialists,
retrieve the file notification.ofinterest via anonymous ftp from
the subdirectory /pub/ejvc at byrd.mu.wvnet.edu. Please use this
file as a model for your offer to referee, sent via email to one
of the contacts listed above. And, thanks.
ACCESSING THE RELATED ARTICLE
IN THE ELECTRONIC JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION
Send an electronic mail message to Comserve@Rpitsvm (bitnet) or
Comserve@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx (internet) with the following text on the
first line:
Send Day V3N293
No other words or symbols should appear in the message. After
dispatching the mail to Comserve, you will receive a file
containing the full text of the article.
If you wish to find out more about other articles appearing in
this issue of EJC/REC, send an electronic mail message to
Comserve at one of the addresses above with the following text on
the first line:
Send EJCTOC V3N293
You will be sent the table of contents for that issue of
EJC/REC, which contains abstracts of all the articles that
appeared in the issue and information about how to retrieve
them.
----------------------------------------------------------------
End of CALL FOR PAPERS, Computerized Tools