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| GI 2000 Online Papers |
In order to effectively support collaboration it is im-portant that computer technology seamlessly support users’ natural interactions instead of inhibiting or con-straining the collaborative process. The research pre-sented in this paper examines the human-human com-ponent of computer supported cooperative work and how the design of technology can impact how people work together. In particular, this study examined chil-dren’s natural interactions when working in a physical medium compared to two computer-based environ-ments (a traditional desktop computer and a system augmented to provide each user with a mouse and a cursor). Results of this research demonstrate that given the opportunity, children will take advantage of the ability to interact concurrently. In addition, users’ ver-bal interactions and performance can be constrained when they are forced to interact sequentially, as in the traditional computer setup. Supporting concurrent inter-actions with multiple input devices is a first step to-wards developing effective collaborative environments that support users’ natural collaborative interactions.