Software Development for E-Mentoring
Thursday, December 14, 2006
To develop software for human systems (as opposed to machines, e.g. software to control a production line) one has to understand the nature of those human systems. Unlike machines, which behave predictably, are stable and unambiguous, people are unpredictable, unstable, ambiguous, inconsistent, moody and different (you expect two Nokia 73 cellphones look and behave the same, however even twin brothers will have different personalities). These human characteristics shape organisational environments where you find a diversity of people working under the same roof. This is also true for social software - the kind of software that facilitates social interactions over the internet, for example online communities like Hi5. Thousands if not millions of people will use such application and interact with each other in unimaginable ways.
As I mentioned in my previous post I am working on designing the structure of an online community software (I am not programming the software though. I am trying to do my best at customising the tools that I was given). So I have a task of designing software for a human process called e-mentoring. To do this I have been reading about e-mentoring (very little yet). Why? Because I need to understand what people DO and NEED to do E-mentoring.
What I have found is that e-mentors and mentees need to perform the following activities:
From the above I gather that my job - and the job of a software developer who wants to design software for e-mentoring or similar activities - is to provide tools that allow people to perform those activities. In addition I think that the software should include features that encourage people to participate online and provide confidentiality, security and works!.
In my nice diagram (I use MS Visio by the way :P) I am showing a schema of the above. My interest of course is on the right hand side of this diagram. However, it is impossible to put software development in a bubble, without considering the system which is going to use the software. For developers this implies an understanding of the human and social aspects of the e-mentoring process (different from the technical aspects); and of course the ability to transform this understanding in working software. You will know that your online application has been a success if: (1) Mentors and Mentees were able to connect and achieve the mentoring goals (2) A community of practice is created from these interactions ???
Click on the image to see it full size
As I mentioned in my previous post I am working on designing the structure of an online community software (I am not programming the software though. I am trying to do my best at customising the tools that I was given). So I have a task of designing software for a human process called e-mentoring. To do this I have been reading about e-mentoring (very little yet). Why? Because I need to understand what people DO and NEED to do E-mentoring.
What I have found is that e-mentors and mentees need to perform the following activities:
- Communicate with each other
- Collaborate - work on something together
- Build a relationship between them - empathise?
- Networking - look beyond the mentor-mentee relationship, build a community of practice?
From the above I gather that my job - and the job of a software developer who wants to design software for e-mentoring or similar activities - is to provide tools that allow people to perform those activities. In addition I think that the software should include features that encourage people to participate online and provide confidentiality, security and works!.
In my nice diagram (I use MS Visio by the way :P) I am showing a schema of the above. My interest of course is on the right hand side of this diagram. However, it is impossible to put software development in a bubble, without considering the system which is going to use the software. For developers this implies an understanding of the human and social aspects of the e-mentoring process (different from the technical aspects); and of course the ability to transform this understanding in working software. You will know that your online application has been a success if: (1) Mentors and Mentees were able to connect and achieve the mentoring goals (2) A community of practice is created from these interactions ???
Click on the image to see it full size
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Chechi, cada ves que entro a leer tu blog me entero de cosas muy interesantes :)
E-mentoring wow..interisting!!
are you on crack?
Salu2
Homer