The paper presents a formal model for a knowledge repository shared by members of a Virtual Community of Practice (VCPs), describes how the repository can be used to underpin collaborative problem solving, and how to build computer support for such processes. The repository comprises the resources used and developed by VCPs particularly through problem solving. As a case study, the paper illust...

A cursory survey of applications in the DAI literature suggests that a primary area of using DAI technology for real-world systems can be found in telecommunications. This paper explores the current state-of-the-art of DAI and cooperative problem solving in this domain. Telecommunication networks have proven in the last five years to be a fertile ground for problems involving the coordination o...

This paper presents COSTA, a Problem Solving Environment for data assimilation and model calibration. Different data assimilation techniques have been developed and implemented over the years. Unfortunately it is very hard to reuse these implementations and quickly try out new methods. COSTA offers a modular framework for data assimilation and model calibration, containing methods and tools tha...

Geographical problem solving environments are becoming the most popular tools which used to solve sophisticated problems. In order to overcome the obstacles caused by mutli-sourced heterogeneous spatial data, a data representation model (DRM) is designed. A data representation model is a description used to provide identification of all data elements within a system, including their attributes ...

Success in joint endeavors is often attributed to the knowledge-base resources that individuals uniquely bring to the collaborative situation. While individual resources are essential, recent research suggests that attention must also be paid to the ecology of relations that develops within interactions that make it possible (or not) for knowledge and other cognitive resources to be accessed an...

This paper presents an analysis of computer mediated collaboration on a problem-solving task in a virtual world. The theoretical framework of this research combines research in Computer Mediated Communication with a social psychology theory of conflict. An experiment was conducted involving university students performing a problem solving task with a peer in an Educational MUD. Each performance...

Newell and Simon (1972) provided a framework for understanding problem solving that can provide the needed bridge between learning and performance. Their analysis of means-ends problem solving can be viewed as a general characterization of the stmcture of human cognition. However. this framework needs to be elaborated with a strength concept to account for variability in problemsolving behavior...

This paper is on the automation of knowledge-intensive tasks in engineering domains; here, the term “task” relates to analysis and synthesis tasks, such as diagnosis and design problems. In the field of Artificial Intelligence there is a long tradition in automated problem solving of knowledge-intensive tasks, and, especially in the early stages, the search paradigm dictated many approaches. La...

Traditionally, SPI has been approached from a problem-oriented perspective commonly using models such as the IDEAL and the DMAIC. In contrast, appreciative inquiry is a strength-based approach focusing on bringing forward the best in people and organizations to achieve successful change. While there is significant research on SPI initiatives and the use of problem-oriented approaches there is l...