Lessons learned from the implementation of a reflexive groupware system

Strongly influenced by Human Sciences, the CSCW research domain has fully integrated the need for malleability in groupware systems. However, even if we understand why groupware need malleability, it is still difficult to know how to achieve it. We have been working for a few years on the DARE project, a reflective groupware. We then defined the co-evolution principle. DARE has now ended. This paper presents some of the lessons that were derived from this work. These lessons have been used to create a new reflective groupware called CooLDA (Cooperative Layer supporting Distributed Activities) that should support co-evolution more successfully.

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