Keeper: A Synchronous Online Conversation Environment Informed by In-Person Facilitation Practices

Facilitation, or the craft and use of specific tools, methods, and practices to influence the way groups gather and converse to reach a goal, requires the nuanced craft of a facilitator to guide complex conversations. Online gathering spaces are often designed with neither the facilitator’s knowledge nor the range of tools their methods require, making online facilitation difficult. In this paper, we describe the design and evaluation of Keeper – an online video call extension environment – informed by the widespread, foundational facilitation method of Circle practice. We define three initial facilitator-driven goals of the platform: 1) enable tone setting, 2) ease the practice and smoothness of online conversation, and 3) improve social presence. After a qualitative study with 72 participants, semi-structured interviews with facilitators, and an RCT with 100 participants, we observe improved tone setting and ease of conversation and suggest several ways to further pursue improved online conversation.