A System for Interleaving Discussion and Summarization in Online Collaboration

TL;DR

This paper introduces Wikum+, a tool that interleaves discussion and summarization to improve online collaboration, making final documents more connected, inclusive, and adaptable through iterative, integrated processes.

Contribution

It presents a novel interleaved discussion and summarization process implemented in Wikum+ that enhances organization and inclusiveness in collaborative document creation.

Findings

Wikum+ improves organization and coordination in small group collaboration.

Wikum+ increases inclusiveness and comprehensiveness in larger groups.

Users find Wikum+ facilitates iterative and adaptive collaboration.

Abstract

In many instances of online collaboration, ideation and deliberation about what to write happen separately from the synthesis of the deliberation into a cohesive document. However, this may result in a final document that has little connection to the discussion that came before. In this work, we present interleaved discussion and summarization, a process where discussion and summarization are woven together in a single space, and collaborators can switch back and forth between discussing ideas and summarizing discussion until it results in a final document that incorporates and references all discussion points. We implement this process into a tool called Wikum+ that allows groups working together on a project to create living summaries-artifacts that can grow as new collaborators, ideas, and feedback arise and shrink as collaborators come to consensus. We conducted studies where groups of six people each collaboratively wrote a proposal using Wikum+ and a proposal using a messaging platform along with Google Docs. We found that Wikum+'s integration of discussion and summarization helped users be more organized, allowing for light-weight coordination and iterative improvements throughout the collaboration process. A second study demonstrated that in larger groups, Wikum+ is more inclusive of all participants and more comprehensive in the final document compared to traditional tools.