Social Science Research Centre

The chapter introduces the Bourdieuean habitus and field theory as a framework for an alternative way of
investigating how perceptions of Media Rich Conferencing Technologies (MRCT) such as video conferencing,
Access Grid and Telepresence systems affect approaches to their design, implementation and application,
and the ways in which they are utilized by end users. The habitus and field theory is utilized to provide a
break-way from prevalent models of analyzing technology uptake and innovation diffusion and provides a new
framework for positioning the MRCT as a social construct operating within interrelating social, economic,
environmental, and technological systems. This new positioning opens the way for an alternative view of the
role of MRCT and facilitates new approaches to their design

The benefits of saving time, money, and reducing carbon footprint entailed in using e-collaborative technologies for remote research and teaching has been appreciated by individuals, industry, universities, and governments. However, in spite of substantial investment in the development and installation of network infrastructure and other technical equipment, uptake is lower than anticipated. Literature shows numerous studies attempting to identify the factors that will lead to successful implementation of the technology.

The paper argues that the problem lies in the basic perceptions underlying current implementation approaches and argues that there is a need for a new model of thinking. The paper proposes a model based on Systems Thinking. It addresses technical and non technical factors and clusters them into subsystems which comprise the greater system constructing the process as a whole. The model enables to administer the implementation process in manageable yet interconnected segments of a multi factor system.

A Systems’ Approach to the Implementation of e- Collaborative Technologies

Dr Mary Allan
Social Science Research Centre
University of Canterbury

The benefits of saving time, money, and reducing carbon footprint entailed in using e-collaborative technologies for remote research and teaching has been appreciated by individuals, industry, universities, and governments. However, in spite of substantial investment in the development and installation of network infrastructure and other technical equipment, uptake is lower than anticipated. Literature shows numerous studies attempting to identify the factors that will lead to successful implementation of the technology.

The paper argues that the problem lies in the basic perceptions underlying current implementation approaches and argues that there is a need for a new model of thinking. The paper proposes a model based on Systems Thinking. It addresses technical and non technical factors and clusters them into subsystems which comprise the greater system constructing the process as a whole. The model enables to administer the implementation process in manageable yet interconnected segments of a multi factor system.

To engage users communities there is a need to listen to the people in order to better understand needs and so match service to needs to maximise use

There is a need to convert the information gathered in listening to the people into a corpus of knowledge that can inform decision making in a practical way without loosing its richness and complexity

The tool described here processes the qualitative data and presents it visually enabling decision makers clear view of the issues arising from the data in a easy to analyse visual presentation

Background Telehealth is broadly defined as the delivery of health-related services at a distance. Recent advancements in Telehealth applications are challenging the assumption that physical presence is necessary in some healthcare circumstances. Telehealth applications are rapidly expanding and are already widely deployed in New Zealand. An early review identified that between 2000-2003, the number of telemedicine projects across New Zealand nearly doubled from 12 in 2000 to 22 in 2003 (Kerr & Norris, 2004).

Using Actor Network Theory, the paper investigates the relationships between people and technology and the way these relationships construct social spaces in Access Grid (AG) environments. This investigation challenges prevalent perceptions about the dominance of technology in driving innovative research practices, and proposes a cyclic relationship between people, the technology and other artefacts used in the course of AG sessions.