Networked Topic-Sharing Mirror

This project builds on previous work by Masayuki OKAMOTO. Okamoto has created a large-screen shared information environment. Please see his home page for a detailed description of the system. It is a shared video space, with easy-to-use shared object manipulation.

Networked Topic-Sharing Mirror will add features that encourage quicker group connection and cross-cultural adjustment in team attitudes and actions. People who use the system will provide information about their own cross-cultural experience and abilities (such as language knowledge, or time spent in other cultures). We will make this information visible by bilingually tagging people's onscreen images. We believe that these visual reminders will help people adjust behavior toward others in the group, and use one another's abilities best for the group. These tags can be easily toggled on or off by group members.

This is a picture of two people using the previous system, designed by Okamoto.

We also plan to create a set of information cards that list common differences in behavior between the two cultures in the group, to use as a discussion generation device. These cards would be written in both languages, and could be easily manipulated by group members and used as discussion aids. We think these cards will help teach group members to look out for certain common cross-cultural problems, and also give them an opportunity to build connections and common understanding.

In June, we will conduct a study to examine whether the first prototype of this system enhances communication between American and Japanese university students, at Kyoto University, with participants from the Stanford Japan Center (visiting Stanford undergraduates) and from Kyoto University (Japanese undergraduate students).

team members: Okamoto and Isbister