Web-based collaborative learning is becoming an increasingly popular educational paradigm as more individuals who are geographically isolated seek higher education. As such students do not meet face to face with their peers and teachers, support for collaboration becomes extremely important. Successful collaboration means asking questions to gain a better understanding of the main concepts, elaborating and justifying opinions and sharing and explaining ideas. When group members' combined skills are sufficient to complete the learning task, effective group work can result in greater overall achievement than individual learning. Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS) have been shown to be highly effective at increasing students' performance and motivation. They achieve their intelligence by representing pedagogical decisions about how to teach as well as information about the learner. Constraint based tutors are a class of ITSs that use Constraint-based Modelling(CBM) to represent student and domain models. Proposed by Ohlsson, CBM is based on learning from performance errors, and focuses on correct knowledge. In this thesis, we present COLLECT-UML, a collaborative constraint-based ITS that teaches object-oriented analysis and design using Unified Modelling Language (UML). While teaching how to design UML class diagrams, COLLECT-UML also provides feedback on collaboration. Being a constraint-based tutor, COLLECT-UML represents the domain knowledge as a set of syntax and semantic constraints. However, it is the first system to also represent a higher-level skill such as collaboration using the same formalism. We started by developing a single-user ITS that supported students in learning UML class diagrams. The system was evaluated in a real classroom, and the results showed that students' performance increased significantly. We then extended the system to provide support for collaboration as well as domain-level support. The enhancement process included implementation of the shared workspace, modification of the pedagogical module to support groups of users, designing and implementing a group-modelling component, and developing a set of meta-constraints which are used to represent an ideal model of collaboration. The effectiveness of the system was evaluated in two studies. In addition to improved problem-solving skills, the participants both acquired declarative knowledge about effective collaboration and did collaborate more effectively. The participants enjoyed working with the system and found it a valuable asset to their learning. The results, therefore, show that CBM is an effective technique for modelling and supporting collaboration in computer-supported collaborative learning environments.

Abstract The development of embedded systems is becoming increasingly challenging; it is intellectually demanding knowledge work that requires collaboration among a wide range of skills. Software development is a largely cognitive activity, based on the worker’s internal mental processes rather than on physical labour. Developers face several individual and team cognition-related challenges in their work, including complex decision-making and problem-solving processes. Therefore, it is suggested that the software development process should be modelled as a set of problem-solving activities. This thesis proposes that supporting the cognitive work of collaborative development requires addressing the entire system’s life cycle with practical solutions. In this work, the above-mentioned challenges are addressed in terms of communication and collaboration practices, knowledge management and coordination, and transparent tools and processes. Moreover, these solutions are integrated into a workflow that structures and supports the development process. Finally, a development process is outlined that addresses the decision-oriented nature of software development in such a manner that the necessary data is provided for decision points that guide and coordinate the development efforts. A qualitative research approach has been chosen, and the work is based on interviewing industrial experts. Several cases were set up to define the state of the practice in industrial organisations developing embedded systems for different domains. Current challenges were identified and solutions were developed and validated in case companies. The main result of the dissertation is a set of solutions integrated into the organisational workflow to support collaborative development. The main principles are that the necessary information must be provided and work and its objectives must be justified and put into the correct context. The industrial cases indicate that utilising the suggested solutions can improve collaboration among organisations and teams by helping disseminate and use the required information. Mitigating the cognitive burden speeds up the development work and reduces the effort required from developers and decision makers. In this manner, organisations may achieve better results, primarily because the produced data and results will fulfil their purposes better and provide less waste. / Tiivistelmä Ohjelmistotuotanto nykymaailmassa muuttuu koko ajan haastavammaksi, kehitysprojektit ovat monimutkaisia ja hajautettuja sekä vaativat monialaista osaamista. Tiukat aikataulupaineet puolestaan tuovat mukaan oman problematiikkansa. Ohjelmistokehitys on suurelta osin kognitiivista työtä, jossa tarvitaan erilaisia taitoja ja eri alojen asiantuntijoita. Kognitiivinen työ tarkoittaa abstraktin tiedon käsittelyä ennemmin kuin fyysistä työtä. Ohjelmistojen kehittäjät törmäävät useisiin henkilökohtaiseen sekä ryhmätyöhön liittyviin haasteisiin, näistä esimerkkeinä monitahoinen tiedon käsittely, päätöksenteko ja ongelmanratkaisu. Onkin ehdotettu, että ohjelmistonkehitysprosessit ymmärrettäisiin ongelmanratkaisu- ja päätöspainotteisina prosesseina. Tässä työssä ehdotetaan, että tukeakseen ohjelmistonkehitysprosessia koko tuotteen tekemisen elinkaari on otettava huomioon ja työntekijöiden roolit ja vastuut on linkitettävä kehitysprosesseihin sekä kehitysprosessin eri vaiheisiin. Havaittuihin kognitiivisiin ongelmiin ja tarpeisiin vastataan yhteistyö- ja kommunikaatiokäytännöin, tiedonhallinnan, läpinäkyvyyden, työnkulun, ja päätöspainotteisten prosessien kautta. Tulokset kerättiin käyttäen menetelmänä laadullista tapaustutkimusta, ja työ perustuu useiden teollisten asiantuntijoiden haastatteluihin. Tutkimus toteutettiin useassa eri teollisuuden organisaatiossa. Aluksi määritettiin lähtötilanne organisaatioissa sekä kirjallisuuden perusteella, kartoitettiin ongelmat, jonka jälkeen kehitettiin tärkeimmiksi havaittuihin ongelmiin ratkaisuja. Työn tuloksena esitetään joukko ratkaisuja, jotka yhdistetään organisaation työnkulkuun. Lisäksi esitellään päätöksentekoon painottuva kehitysprosessi, jonka lähtökohtana on havainto, että vaadittavien tehtävien sekä työn tulosten on vastattava oikeaan tarpeeseen – työlle ja halutuille työn tuloksille on annettava riittävät tiedot, perustelut, päämäärä sekä oikea konteksti. Tapaustutkimukset osoittavat, että työn tulokset parantavat organisaatioiden välistä yhteistyötä helpottamalla oikean tiedon keräämistä, saamista ja käyttöä. Lisäksi ylimääräisen kognitiivisen taakan vähentäminen nopeuttaa kehitystyötä ja keventää kehittäjien ja päätöksentekijöiden työkuormaa. Täten organisaatiot voivat saavuttaa parempia työn tuloksia lähinnä siksi, että tuotettu tieto ja tulokset vastaavat paremmin tarpeisiin.

This thesis concentrates on wiki systems as an ICT tool of knowledge management. Thesis is divided into two general parts - the first deals with the theoretical concepts such as: data, information, knowledge or community. Doctoral thesis reflects the way in which these terms are understood in different scientific disciplines, especially knowledge management. The second part deals with wiki systems, which are viewed not just in general and theoretical level, but they are also approached practically. The work provides an analysis of possible uses of wiki as a tool for knowledge management in the organization. At the end of the work there are published case studies of specific wiki system implementations (both local and from abroad) to illustrate the work's conclusions. The work has confirmed that the wiki system can be successfully used as a tool of knowledge management. The output of the work on the theoretical level is author's "circular model of know-ledge"; while on the practical level the output is determination of suitable areas for dep-loyment of wiki systems in the organization. In the end author quotes a number of case studies (both foreign and local) wiki systems implementation.