Exploring the Grassroots Understanding and Practices of Collective Memory Co-Contribution in a University Community

2025-12-09

AI Summary

Prior research predominantly examines collective memory at macro-level representational scales, neglecting how individuals conceptualize and collaboratively construct memory. Method: This study investigates memory co-construction within a university community through a two-week mixed-methods field study, comparing location-based narrative systems and online forums as mobile platforms, and centering members’ perspectives. Contribution/Results: We identify a core tension between retrospective reflection and real-time documentation; uncover three critical factors shaping memory practices—narrative focus, group memory expectations, and modes of inspiration sourcing. The study proposes design principles that accommodate heterogeneous memory cognition and distills actionable insights for community-driven user-generated content (UGC) platforms. These findings advance human-computer interaction (HCI) design toward fostering deeper social connection and participatory memory co-construction.

Technology Category

• Cognitive Modeling & Cognitive Systems: Social Cognition And Interaction
• Data Mining & Knowledge Management: Conversational Systems for Recommendation & Retrieval
• Application Domains: Humanities & Computational Social Science

Application Category

• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: Practical large-scale studies of user experience
• Social Networks and Social Media: Analysis of web-mediated communications, communities, and crowds
• Economics, Online Markets and Human Computation: The sharing economy

Abstract

Collective memory -- community members' interconnected memories and impressions of the group -- is essential to the community's culture and identity. Its development requires members' continuous participatory contribution and sensemaking. However, existing works mainly adopt a holistic sociological perspective to analyze well-developed collective memory, less focusing on member-level conceptualization of this possession or what the co-contribution practices can be. Therefore, this work alternatively adopts the latter perspective and probes such interpretative and interactional patterns with two mobile systems. With one being a locative narrative and exploration system condensed from existing literature's design frameworks, and the other being a conventional online forum representing current practices, they served as the anchors of observation for our two-week, mixed-methods field study (n=38) on a university campus. A core debate we have identified was to retrospectively contemplate or document the presence as a history for the future. This also subsequently impacted the narrative focuses, expectations of collective memory constituents, and the ways participants seek inspiration from the group. We further extracted design considerations that could better embrace the diverse conceptualizations of collective memory and bond different community members together. Lastly, revisiting and reflecting on our design, we provided extra insights on designing devoted locative narrative experiences for community-driven UGC platforms.

Problem

• Explores grassroots understanding of collective memory co-contribution
• Investigates member-level conceptualization and practices in a community
• Examines design considerations for community-driven collective memory platforms

Innovation

• Mobile locative narrative system for memory co-contribution
• Comparative field study with online forum as baseline
• Design insights for community-driven UGC platforms