Notes on ‘You heard it here first’ seminar at the OU from Anne Adams.

When considering research about innovation, is it catwalk or ready-to-wear? Is it ready to use off the shelf, an innovation that people can take up and use, or is it a catwalk approach, testing and showcasing what is possible without suggesting that this will be taken up as it is? A catwalk approach may bring together elements from many different approaches and disciplines. Participants need to know which you are aiming for, so they don’t expect something they can take away and use if the project is about experimentation and high-tech solutions.

A ‘boundary creature inhabits more than one world’. They may move between practice domains and can be seen as a deviant from the norm, a form of monster (Donna Haraway, 1991).

Wenger’s view is that distance learning locates learning closer to the learner because it goes to people in their space rather than expecting learners to shift into the academic space.

Technology can act as a boundary object, crossing knowledge domains and structures. It can support communication and collaboration by acting as a shared interface. However, it can form a barrier if it is too associated with jargon or with specific practices.

Researchers bring:

spatial acuity – sensitivity to spatial issues in the environment such as weather and use in space and spatial triggers

temporal acuity – perception and reality of time in relation to the environment including time taken to learn systems, flow of time in the lab

socio-political astuteness – perceptions and interactions of a variety of stakeholders, around inhibitions, safety, expectations and ideologies