POW! Perspectives On the Web
Gerry Stahl · 1999
Abstract: The perspectives mechanism described in this paper provides a flexible approach to organizing information in a shared repository for the use of individuals and groups engaged in collaboratively constructing knowledge. The perspectives approach builds on a long history of ideas for personalizing access to information within large hypertext spaces, but the POW! perspectives server is the first example of implementing this approach on the WorldWideWeb. After reviewing the concept of perspectives as a support mechanism for Web-based collaboration, this paper will present the main features of the approach and describe common functional types of perspectives. The POW! perspectives server is currently being used in two educational applications: one an environmental course in middle school and the other a graduate seminar in cognitive science. These two collaborative learning applications will be discussed briefly. At the WebNet '99 Conference, evaluation results from these two courses will also be presented. 1. Perspectives: A Collaboration Support Mechanism The concept of perspectives comes from the hermeneutic philosophy of interpretation of Heidegger (1927) and Gadamer (1967). According to this philosophy, all understanding is situated within interpretive perspectives: knowledge is fundamentally perspectival. This is in accord with recent work in cognitive science that argues for