All right. Welcome back. Here in module four, we're focusing on group communication and technology. We've learned about the concept of virtual work as a framework to help us think more critically about what is happening when we use technology to facilitate our group interactions. We've seen how groups are actually using technology these days. And we've examined some theoretical models to inform our use of technology in groups. In our next two videos, we want to cover several additional considerations for technology and group communication, both practical and conceptual, things we should always be mindful of when our groups utilize technology to accomplish our work, which is very often. Let's start with several practical issues that often come up and can ruin our group communication, if not handled properly. Sometimes, we get so infatuated with the latest technologies and other fancy applications that we forget some of the everyday matters that make a big difference. Things we take for granted, until something goes wrong. First and foremost, is the issue of compatibility. One of the main sources of complication and frustration when groups utilize technology. Have you ever been on a conference call or a video conference where someone can't connect because they have the wrong version of the software? An incompatible device or outdated hardware? Or you can't share an important file because not everyone in your group has the same operating system? Or you can't give a presentation because you don't have the right peripherals to connect your computer to the projector or multimedia system. This can be so frustrating. And it's amazing that with all of our sophisticated modern technology, so many meetings and group interactions are delayed or thwarted because of basic compatibility issues. So, as you incorporate various technologies to enhance your group communication and improve your group work, make sure you consider the compatibility of all the devices and applications and programs amongst your group so that everyone and everything can be connected. Similarly, groups need to consider the issue of optimization when they utilize technology. Even when things are technically compatible, it may not be optimal to access various files or run different programs on certain kinds of devices. The key issue here is understanding how people will actually use the technology your group incorporates. For example, is your new video conferencing technology optimized for smartphone and tablet use? Or should people be on a laptop or desktop computer to attend the virtual meeting? Is your project management application optimized for multiple Internet browsers? Or do group members need to use one particular browser? These seem like basic questions. But these are the kinds of issues that derail group interactions and make people so frustrated with group work. Be sure to consider the practical issue of optimization when your group incorporates technology. Next, how will your group deal with issues of anonymity and confidentiality when using technology? If people are working remotely, are they able to make anonymous contributions to the group discussion? Would that help or hinder your group's deliberation? Same thing if groups are meeting in person. Like, if you're using a group decision support system, would anonymous input be beneficial for what the group is trying to accomplish? This is especially relevant for larger groups or groups that bring together people from different departments, units, agencies, or organizations where not everyone has the same goals or interests and people are concerned about their reputations in relation to expressing certain ideas. Anonymity can help overcome social barriers of status, ego, and power that can hinder productive group discussion. But anonymity also enables people to be less accountable for their contributions and unrestrained in their criticism. And how will you keep group data confidential? Especially, if you are sharing files and uploading information to the cloud? Security and privacy are big concerns these days. And we have to make sure the technology we use can keep our group's information safe. Make sure you consider the practical issues of anonymity and confidentiality as you incorporate various technologies into your groups. We also have to consider how we will measure productivity in our groups especially when technology is utilized that allows us to accomplish more work separately from other group members. We know from our lesson on virtual work that technology enables tremendous flexibility to complete the various tasks for our groups. We don't have to meet in person as much. And we can accomplish our individual tasks from virtually any location at any time of the day. But this also makes it difficult to monitor people's work and ensure that everyone is putting in the necessary time and effort. Yes, we can observe the tangible outputs or deliverables of a group member's work but it's harder to know what's going on behind the scenes. How do we know that a fellow group member has actually done all the work they claimed to have done? How do we know someone is really paying attention, engaged in our conference call, and not working on something else, or just watching cat videos on YouTube? Yes, there are programs and applications that track worker productivity, recording when group members are online, and what tasks they are accomplishing or not accomplishing. This can help keep group members on track but there are also many negative consequences for this kind of surveillance including the erosion of trust and the emergence of a shadow system, where people spend more time trying to circumvent the surveillance system rather than working on their primary responsibilities. It might be tempting to use technology to monitor virtual work to ensure productivity but there could also be unintended consequences that hurt the group and actually decrease productivity. As we incorporate various technologies to enhance our group work, we need to consider the impact on productivity and our ability to remain accountable to each other in our groups. Finally, we have to consider how different people feel about technology and their willingness to incorporate technology into their daily lives. We can call this their technology temperament. Some people like being on the cutting edge of technology, always upgrading to the latest devices and applications, and very willing to utilize technology in more and more areas of their lives. But other people are on the opposite end of the spectrum. They are comfortable with what they already have and they're skeptical that the latest devices and applications are mere fads that do not offer substantive improvements to the status quo. All of us fall somewhere on this technology temperament spectrum. Perhaps you've heard of the terms digital natives and digital immigrants which are relevant to this issue. Digital natives are people who grew up with our modern Internet landscape and don't have much of a reference for how work and social life are conducted without digital technologies. Wi-Fi has always been part of their lives. Everyone they know has multiple devices and an online profile and e-mail seems old fashioned. Now, conversely, other people have immigrated to our modern Internet landscape. They remember a time when technology simply wasn't as prevalent and many of the devices and applications that digital natives take for granted still seem relatively new. Chances are, you'll have both digital natives and digital immigrants in many of the groups you're involved with, in both professional and civic contexts. And, even as we reach the point where everyone is eventually a digital native, there will still be varying degrees of nativism where people are comfortable with certain kinds of technologies but not others. A key practical issue for incorporating technology in your groups is to consider the varying temperaments group members have towards technology. Not everyone will be as excited or concerned about the new video conferencing application your group is using, for example. If we don't consider the technology temperaments of our fellow group members and find ways to accommodate these differences, we'll likely get resistance that hinders the productivity of our group regardless of how technically sophisticated the new technology may be. Okay, that covers several practical considerations we should always keep in mind as we utilize technology in groups to enhance our interactions and help us accomplish our work. Issues of compatibility, optimization, anonymity and confidentiality, measuring productivity, and accommodating different technology temperaments. Now, in our next video, we'll examine some additional conceptual issues to consider for technology and group communication, issues that are a bit more abstract but just as important for using technology effectively in our groups. I'll see you there.
