In the PROCOGEC project (Collaborative Software for Knowledge Management) funded by the French Agency of Research, we are interested in the design of collaborative indicators to identify collaborative aspects between actors in a process. The objective is to determine collaborative indicators to be integrated into the collaborative process description. We are considering various collaborative activities: learning (CSCL) and work (CSCW).

We focus more particularly on the collaborative activity regulations issues within groupware tools. A collaborative activity is guided by a process, which can be studied, improved and optimized. In order to regulate an activity and to make sure that it proceeds correctly, some direct observations must take place. These observations can induce reactions, small or major changes on the activity sequence (e.g. in case of problematic observed situations stopping the process enactment). Collaborative indicators can significantly improve the regulation of the activity, since they can provide the user with information on what is happening and on what has happened during the activity. The user's awareness of the activity is thus increased through the indicators visualisation.

In this PhD thesis, we will classify collaborative indicators according to different facets. We will develop a methodology of construction of these indicators, and will propose how to integrate them into the modelling of the process representing the collaborative activity. We will apply our results to a platform dedicated to knowledge management, in real situations provided and used by industrial project partners