Visual Information as a Conversational Resource in Collaborative Physical Tasks

TLDR

Visual information is crucial for maintaining task awareness and fostering mutual understanding during collaborative tasks. The study examines how visual information functions as a conversational resource to support collaborative physical tasks. The authors use a theoretical framework and conduct two experiments varying visual information quantity and quality during a bicycle repair task to assess effects on performance and conversational strategies. Results show that varying visual information influences performance and conversational strategies, and the authors discuss how situational awareness and conversational grounding are achieved, offering design recommendations for remote collaborative repair systems.

Abstract

Abstract In this article we consider the ways in which visual information is used as a conversational resource in the accomplishment of collaborative physical tasks. We focus on the role of visual information in maintaining task awareness and in achieving mutual understanding in conversation. We first describe the theoretical framework we use to analyze the role of visual information in physical collaboration. Then, we present two experiments that vary the amount and quality of the visual information available to participants during a collaborative bicycle repair task. We examine the effects of this visual information on performance and on conversational strategies. We conclude with a general discussion of how situational awareness and conversational grounding are achieved in collaborative tasks and with some design considerations for systems to support remote collaborative repair.