Fusing Technological Design with Social Concerns: A Socio-technical Study of Implementing Interactive

VideoconferencingJo Luck

Overview

• Context• Research Design• Actor Network Theory• Sociology of Translation

– Problematisation– Interessement– Enrolment– Mobilisation

• What does it all mean?• Questions

Context

Deputy Vice-Chancellor on “Knowledge-a-bull”

CQUniversity

• Main campus: Rockhampton Australia• Eight other campuses in three Eastern states• http://www.cqu.edu.au/

The rollabout IVC system (circa 1992)

Large IVC lecture

theatre in Rockhampton

Research Design

• Actor-network theory:– Research method– Conceptual framework– Analytical lens

• Qualitative research techniques:– Gathering documents and other artefacts– Participant observation– Individual and focus group interviews

Research Design

ANT

Actor-Network Theory

• Two French Sociologists:– Michel Callon– Bruno Latour

• An English Sociologist:– John Law

• Early ANT or origin stories

ANT Concepts

– Actor – Actor network– Drilled bodies – Obligatory passage point (OPP) – Inscription – Translation

Sociology ofTranslation

Sociology of Translation

– Four moments of translation (Callon, 1986):• Problematisation • Interessement• Enrolment• Mobilization

Problematisation

Problematisation (how to become indispensable)Actors

Goals of the actors

Financial viabilityof CQU

Complete a degree

CQUstaff

CQU students

IVC facilities

Vice-Chancellor

CQU Faculties

Obstacle/ anti-program: Temporary rollabout videoconferencing

OPP: Future Directions/Vision ’97 proposal

Obstacle/anti-program: Need to change their teaching practices

Obstacle/Anti-program: Enrol at a university in Brisbane

Permanent, advanced interactive communication system

Obstacle/ anti-program: Not all courses and programs can be taught using computer-enhanced communication

Retain university status and working conditions

Fill student quota and develop high quality courses

Interessement

• Intermediaries are devices and strategies used to come between actors and competing interests

• Language used:– Positive encouraging statements– Short easily remembered acronyms

• Walking party– Members were carefully chosen– Charismatic leader

Interessement (How the Allies are Locked into Place)

Enrolment

Enrolment (How to Define and Coordinate the Roles)

• Students:– Enrolment in courses and programs– Orientation to the IVC

• Staff:– Negotiate new work roles– Drilled bodies

• Faculties:– Program & course offerings

• IVC facilities:– Purpose-built, IVC-enabled rooms

Mobilisation

A composite photograph featuring various aspects of an

IVC class in action

What does it all mean?

• Changed academic work practices• Mutual translation of people and things• Key implications:

– Clear succinct statements of problem and advantages of suggested solution

– Intermediaries need to be persuasive– Displacements and translations continue– Negotiations will be complex

Introducing New Technologies

Future Work

• Data collection phase of a study of university students use of and experience with social networking tools

• Convergence of video technologies and the Internet

Jo Luck j.luck@cqu.edu.au

+61 7 49309550

http://fabie.cqu.edu.au/FCWViewer/staff.do?site=536&sid=LUCKJ

Contact

Acknowledgements

• Original study from Doctor of Philosophy• Thanks to my passionate doctoral supervisors

for assisting me to form these ideas

Questions