Concept of Emergent Division of Labor and its Implementation to the Design of a Collaborative Concept Mapping Tool - "Kneadingboard"

In this paper, we describe an aspect of collaboration -emergent division of labor- wherein people interactively and contingently organize, maintain, and reorganize the division of labor. Emergent division of labor involves the following characteristics: (1) emergence of division of labor, (2) maintenance of division of labor, and (3) reorganization of division of labor. The authors have claimed that supporting emergent division of labor is a key issue in order to make collaborative learning successful. If this claim is on the right track, then supporting emergent division of labor can be a helpful design principle for developing a Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) system. Hence, the authors propose the following prerequisites for a CSCL system in order to support emergent division of labor: (1) awareness of the state of one's own tasks in progress, (2) awareness of the state of others' tasks in progress, and (3) awareness of others' awareness of the state of one's own tasks in progress. As an example of the CSCL system design based on this principle, the authors present a collaborative concept mapping tool termed as "KneadingBoard". KneadingBoard is intended for synchronous use, and its purpose is to help cross-pollination and the wrap-up of ideas for a small group. It is outlined in terms of the design principle based on the concept of emergent division of labor.