Media Usage: Observations from an Experimental Study of Computer-Mediated Collaborative Design Jamal A1-Qawasmi, Ph.D. t Mark J. Clayton, Ph.D. 2 Abstract Empirical studies can help characterize media usage in Internet-based collaborative environments and how they support architectural design. The information gained can lead to development of better tools, improved business practices, innovative educational approaches, and more effective design instruction. A rigorous controlled experiment has revealed hard evidence of how people use a collaborative environment to support architectural design. Teams of students undertook a short architectural design problem using a commercially available collaboration support software package. We observed that users employed shared drawing channels and audio channels more than text-based channels or video channels. Participants worked concurrently to a greater extent than was expected. A shared whiteboard tool was particularly useful in design analysis and coordination, while shared CAD environments supported synthesis and evaluation. Introduction Although research in computer-mediated collaborative design has been underway for a decade or more, research methods frequently remain descriptive, quite informal and based mainly on theoretical arguments. The aim of this study is to provide a better understanding of the computer-mediated collaborative design process through empirical characterization. We have endeavored to replace speculations and biased arguments with objective observations that can lead to valid conclusions. Specifically, our study has examined how design team members Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture, Jordan University of science and technology, Irbid, Jordan. 2 Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-3137. 860 Computing in Civil and Building Engineering (2000) Downloaded from ascelibrary.org by KFUPM KING FAHAD UNI OF on 10/21/14. Copyright ASCE. For personal use only; all rights reserved.