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A Design Approach for a Universal Group Support System using ThinkLets and ThinXels

Group Support Systems (GSS) can increase the productivity of Decision Making by offering a variety of tools to assist a virtual group across geographical distances. But experience shows that the value of a GSS depends on how purposefully and skilfully it is used. We present a design approach for a universal GSS which supports the participants in designing, executing and exchanging collaboration techniques. Our approach is based on a modelling language which uses the well-known concept of a thinkLet and the new concept of a thinXel. A ThinXel is defined as an atomic instruction leading to one activity of the participant which has a well-defined function in the context of the group's goal. ThinXels can be sequenced according to formal rules to form patterns of collaboration, called thinkLets. The name "thinXel" (thinking element) is formed analogously to the well-known "pixel" (picture element) in Computer Graphics. We claim that a thinkLet-based modelling language using the concept of thinXels can provide the following advantages: to describe a group process in a simple way, to generate an algorithm that guides the participants through the process and to increase the usability of GSS for practitioners without expertise. We will present a graphical representation for modelling a group process and use the discussion technique “Six Hats” as an example to illustrate the elements of our modelling language.