Group and Individual Time Management Tools: What You Get is Not What You Need

Abstract

Some studies of diaries and scheduling systems have considered how individuals use diaries with a view to proposing requirements for computerised time management tools. Others have focused on the criteria for success of group scheduling systems. Few have paid attention to how people use a battery of tools as an ensemble. This interview study reports how users exploit paper, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and a group scheduling system for their time management. As with earlier studies, we find many shortcomings of different technologies, but studying the ensemble rather than individual tools points towards a different conclusion: rather than aiming towards producing electronic time management tools that replace existing paper-based tools, we should be aiming to understand the relative strengths and weaknesses of each technology and look towards more seamless integration between tools. In particular, the requirements for scheduling and those for more responsive, fluid time management conflict in ways that demand different kinds of support.

Models of interactive systems: a case study on programmable user modelling

“…In our study of diary use (Blandford and Green, 2001), it was found that only four of the sixteen interviewees used the 'frequency' feature confidently and effectively; the other twelve reported never using it. Two of these reported simply remembering regular events or keeping a separate record of them, while the remaining ten chose to enter each event in the series separately.…”

“…Diaries and their use have been extensively studied; for example, Kelley and Chapanis (1982), Kincaid, Dupont and Kaye (1985), Payne (1993) and Palen (1999) report on studies of diary use, and draw on those studies to propose recommendations for the design of new diary systems. In particular, Blandford and Green (2001) present results of a qualitative study of Meeting Maker, considering the role of the electronic diary within its social context of use, and also as one of a suite of time-management tools (including paper diaries and many other resources) that need to work well together. In that paper, we consider many aspects of usability; here, the focus is on particular features that are amenable to the modelling approach that is the subject of this paper.…”

“…A paper diary and electronic diary are evidently different things (Blandford and Green, 2001) but, at least at a first level of analysis, they store the same information in different ways. How a paper diary and electronic diary store their information is not the focus of this analysis, which is concerned with what information is stored and how it is moved between the two diaries.…”

“…These included issues relating to roles, power relationships, group culture, screen layout, etc. : these are discussed informally but comprehensively by Blandford and Green (2001). Modelling takes a particular aspect of that general picture and probes it in more detail.…”

Managing Currents of Work: Multi-tasking Among Multiple Collaborations

“…It is often said that multi-tasking involves the management of a set of diverse aspects such as time, contacts, documents or even physical space (Belloti et al 2003;Blandford and Green 2001;Boardman and Sasse 2004). However, it is not clear how, in practice, individuals can juggle priorities and what strategies they use to achieve this.…”