The Design and Development of a Virtual Environment for Asynchronous Collaboration (VEAC)

Abstract

Asynchronous collaboration is an inevitable part of the global workforce. However, there is a gap in asynchronous collaborative research and solutions that integrates diverse groups engaged in a shared objective. This research demonstrates the process of designing and developing a novel virtual environment (VE) system interface to augment the defense acquisition community’s asynchronous collaborative work. Using an ethnographic approach, the researcher methodologically conducts task analysis, comparative analysis, case studies, and a usability study to derive the best practices to implement in VE. The resulting insights inform the design of a prototype 3D user interface for asynchronous collaboration. In this 3D non-immersive user interface, a set of analytical tools –such as user-generated and in-session system guidance— that support the participants’ asynchronous collaborative tasks is implemented. Based on these studies, the resulting VE is tested for its usability and the extent to which it brings value to the collaborative team in this research’s next phase. This prototype user interface collaborative environment has the potential to be beneficial for a range of communities of practice including the Defense Acquisition workforce, industry, the medical domain, and educational domain.