1. Knowledge Technologies Institute
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Elisabeth Lex, Peter Kraker, Sebastian Dennerlein 2014
What Really Works: Reflections on Applied Methods
in a Real World Interdisciplinary Project
Elisabeth Lex
Univ. Ass.
Knowledge Technologies Institute
Graz University of Technology, Austria
e-mail: elisabeth.lex@tugraz.at
web: http://elisabethlex.info

2. Knowledge Technologies Institute
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Elisabeth Lex, Peter Kraker, Sebastian Dennerlein 2014
Overview
Interdisciplinary project Smart Pharma
We combined
• pharmaceutical engineering
• computer science
• psychology
to develop a collaborative pharmaceutical
knowledge management system that fits the
needs of pharmaceutical engineers

3. Knowledge Technologies Institute
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Elisabeth Lex, Peter Kraker, Sebastian Dennerlein 2014
Our Approach
• We used Bronstein's model of
interdisciplinary collaboration
• Describes components of
optimal collaboration
• Domain Independent
• Strong practical side

4. Knowledge Technologies Institute
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Elisabeth Lex, Peter Kraker, Sebastian Dennerlein 2014
Real World Setting: Smart Pharma
• Knowledge was generated from large pool of scientific
articles, lab reports, package inserts,..
• Computer scientists: Data mining/Visual Analytics for analysis of
scientic publications and research data
• Algorithms tailored towards pharmaceutical domain with help of
pharmaceutical engineers
• Knowledge about pharmaceutical processes was
transformed into domain and process models
• Psychologist: Expert in modelling, process construction and on how to
design a wiki for collaborative knowledge construction.
• Pharmaceutical engineer: Domain expert
• Validation and feedback: all

5. Knowledge Technologies Institute
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Elisabeth Lex, Peter Kraker, Sebastian Dennerlein 2014
Implementation 1/2
• Start: Series of face-to-face kick-off meetings
• Then: collaborators reflected and discussed about
the offers separately and met again with new
proposals and ideas
à Iterative, multistage step, helped develop shared understanding
and common goal
• Agreement on common project target and outcome
à Leads to collective ownership of project goals, complementary
subtasks and responsibilities, i.e. interdependence in Bronstein's
model

6. Knowledge Technologies Institute
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Elisabeth Lex, Peter Kraker, Sebastian Dennerlein 2014
Implementation 2/2
• Two types of interdisciplinary tasks:
• Single-discipline tasks tackled in cooperative manner, e.g. software
development or preparation of domain specic process data
(interdependence component of Bronstein's model)
• Tasks in collaborative manner, i.e. tasks whose fullment relies on
the complementary skill of the disciplines.
• Collaborative tasks tackled by smaller focus teams
à flexibility and newly created professional activities component.
à Iterative sharing of domain knowledge (reflection on process,
flexibility and collective ownership of goals)
à Interdisciplinary trainings

7. Knowledge Technologies Institute
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Elisabeth Lex, Peter Kraker, Sebastian Dennerlein 2014
Challenges
• Collaborative tasks: require a lot of communication,
face-to-face time to sit and work together and
willingness to learn from each other
• Willingness to share (domain) knowledge: knowledge
means market advantage
• Finding the right tool for communication
• Finding a common language between people from
different domains
• Setting priorities: strategies for the appreciation of
interdisciplinary projects required

8. Knowledge Technologies Institute
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Elisabeth Lex, Peter Kraker, Sebastian Dennerlein 2014
Lessons Learned
• Bronstein‘s model fits: its components have to be
used for the right task: interdependence for
cooperative phases
• Collective ownershop of goals and newly created
professional activities for collaborative phases
• Reflection on the process and flexibility essential for
both collaborative and cooperative phases
• Extension of the model:
• interdisciplinary trainings
• use of suitable tools and technologies for communication and to
manage goals and expectations
• shared knowledge about the situation, methods and operators

9. Knowledge Technologies Institute
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Elisabeth Lex, Peter Kraker, Sebastian Dennerlein 2014
Next Steps
• Evaluate the model in the interdisciplinary IP FP7
Learning Layers project
• 4 year project
• Goal: develop tools and infrastructure to scale
informal learning at the workplace
• Co-design activities carried out in interdisciplinary
teams to develop tools for better collaboration
• GPs, nurses, healthcare staff, psychologists, computer scientists,...
• Hypothesis: Phases of collaboration and
cooperations crucial“

10. Knowledge Technologies Institute
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Elisabeth Lex, Peter Kraker, Sebastian Dennerlein 2014