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International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction

HCII 2020: Learning and Collaboration Technologies. Human and Technology Ecosystems pp 108–129Cite as

A Conversational Agent as Facilitator: Guiding Groups Through Collaboration Processes

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Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNISA,volume 12206))

Abstract

Till now, conversational agents (CA) are often utilized as assistants to answer FAQs, but can they also be involved in other tasks with humans such as guiding them through a process as a group? We cooperate with an editorial office of an online journal and conduct an action design research project to instantiate a CA to facilitate their meetings. We design and develop the digital collaboration process (CP) of the meeting and a CA facilitator based on IBM Watson to integrate it in the digital environment to execute the CP. We conduct a pilot study and expert interviews to evaluate the CP and the derived design principles to facilitate the group during it and through its thinkLets. Our results show positive perception of the CA’s capability as a facilitator for a group within its limitations and its neutrality during group discussions perceived as one strengths compared to human facilitators.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

    Navid Tavanapour, Daphne Theodorakopoulos & Eva A. C. Bittner

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  1. Navid Tavanapour
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  2. Daphne Theodorakopoulos
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  3. Eva A. C. Bittner
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Correspondence to Navid Tavanapour .

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  1. Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus

    Panayiotis Zaphiris

  2. Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus

    Andri Ioannou

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Tavanapour, N., Theodorakopoulos, D., Bittner, E.A.C. (2020). A Conversational Agent as Facilitator: Guiding Groups Through Collaboration Processes. In: Zaphiris, P., Ioannou, A. (eds) Learning and Collaboration Technologies. Human and Technology Ecosystems. HCII 2020. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 12206. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-50506-6_9

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