Final Post & comments

This course was a very interesting approach on delivering knowledge about theories and methods concerning media technology. While it was surprisingly much work and especially in the beginning with Plato and Kant the question "how is this even relevant?" was more and more in my head, I know see that the whole course is kind of a history and method lesson about knowledge development, or in other words: research.
Plato being the first one to utter the question, "what is knowledge?" Frustratingly leaving it unanswered but at least revealing a technique of finding it (dialectic). Propose an answer to the question, test it with the counter statement and see if the answer is valid. He also provided a broad idea where and how to look for it (empiricism). Kant then was the first one to somewhat answer this question but also disagreeing with the concept of empiricism. Because if only things we see is true, Copernicus would not have been able to discover the planetary rotation. Kant argues that knowledge is what our mind makes of the perception we have. But this means, knowledge has to be existing within the mind before hand, otherwise we would be unable to categorize our perception. Whether it helps to read Kants original / translated work to understand him is still highly arguable as he makes up words on the go as well as not finishing his sentences within a page.
Adorno & Horkheimer as well as Benjamin where then examples of this knowledge development being used in practice, but also revealing how knowledge development is heavily dependent on the historical time it is being conducted in. They where heavily influenced by the political views at the time. And while arguably agreeing with one of the major political concept (communism), it let to them being driven away by the other (fascism). Especially the different points in time their two texts where written in show how much personal experience as well as history and society can shape ones view on a topic. Benjamins text was written in the mid 1930s before the war. He argued that technology has a revolutionary potential and can change culture and society by for example making art available to the masses. Adorno and Horkheimers text, written in 1944 at the peak of the second world war, argues in a very different direction. They see conceptualization and generalization as a very dangerous tool to oppress people. Their experience of the war made them realize that technology did in fact not spark a revolution as Benjamin might have hoped, but instead made people oblivious towards the discrimination and insanity of fascism.
After that came the themes about theory and the different research methods. At this point it does not really make sense to differentiate between the different weeks as all of these later themes serve one purpose: teaching the methods of knowledge production. It starts of with trying to define what a theory is. That being said, the definition is hard to pinpoint and depends on the field of research. And as seen in case study research, sometimes there isn't even a theory involved. Hence I am unsure if it maybe would have been more beneficial to the learning outcome to start with the case study research, whose goal it is to find a research question using both quantitive as well as qualitative methods, and then dive into qualitative and quantitative methods to try and answer said question in depth which in the end will lead to a theory. With the order provided I only had an "Aha!" moment at the very end when all the topics somewhat got combined and connected.
As a summary I would say case study research examines a phenomena within a confined space. Researchers mostly do so to find new possible research questions that might lead to new theories. After coming up with a research questions, qualitative as well as quantitative research can be used to better understand, if not answer the question definite. Usually qualitative methods such as interviews can reveal further problems that could be worth researching. They provide a deeper insight in the topic, not only revealing pure answers or numbers, but peoples reactions. Quantitive methods are usually used for proving certain theories or the existing of certain concepts or phenomena. Research through design, in my opinion, follows a similar approach as case study research. It tries, like case study research, to understand a phenomena better, only in research through design it has a more practical approach and more of a "learning by doing" attitude towards it. Furthermore research through design will have a prior hypothesis which case study research often does not have.
So in conclusion I see this course as a brief look upon "research" history with the first one to ask what knowledge is, with the first one to give some explanation, with it then being applied and put into perspective regarding difficult political times. And after the history explaining the nowadays usual approaches and methods for research and knowledge development.
All of this provided in a way that helps memorize it very well. In the beginning of this period I saw a lecture on how to improve your study skills. One of the main concepts they were mentioning is the repetition of learning and the use of before, during and after. First one reads about something, or learns in any other way. That is the initial seed planted in the memory. This is before. By reviewing the topic one gets the second input, maybe sees a connection where one did not see a connection in the beginning. Watering the seed and the growing sprout. This is during. And thirdly by expressing the learned material and talking about it, the knowledge is fully implanted in the memory. One has now harvested the fruit of the learning, so to speak. This is after. In this course the initial blog post was the before, the lecture, seminar and review are the during and the comments are the after.
I have to say, even though some of the learned material was anything but fun (Kant) I still remembered the basic ideas behind all of it and only had to look back at the themes for some of the details of it. I think this is due to the way this course is structured.

Theme 1 comments
https://u1h4muxc.blogspot.se/2016/09/theme-12.html?showComment=1473764464618#c2918667858034523921

https://u1eqtjc8.blogspot.se/2016/09/reflection-of-theme-1.html?showComment=1473779185326#c5259973141199493285

https://u17fpbu5.blogspot.se/2016/09/post-theme-1-theory-of-knowledge-and.html?showComment=1473798729501#c3213290756409258332

https://u1gixy4z.blogspot.se/2016/09/after-theme-1-theory-of-knowledge-and.html?showComment=1473799402448#c8605595013082827968

https://u12vkokq.blogspot.se/2016/09/reflections-on-theme-1-theory-of.html?showComment=1473860823492#c6981471743826030304

https://scarsickbg.blogspot.com/2016/09/theme-1-blog-post-2-reading-plato-and.html?showComment=1473931654381#c7179862279740163400

https://u11zdo9t.blogspot.com/2016/09/theme-1-post-2.html?showComment=1473934358141#c1703227013943573258

https://u1wdx0i7.blogspot.com/2016/09/post-theme-1.html?showComment=1473938161133#c5473981994734540319

Theme 2 comments
https://u1eqtjc8.blogspot.com/2016/09/theme-2-reflection.html?showComment=1474887290740#c3851414234500845336

https://u1h02pv3.blogspot.com/2016/09/reflection-on-theme-2-critical-media.html?showComment=1474898863881#c5042938395913544904

https://u10o7oqf.blogspot.com/2016/09/theme-2-critical-media-studies-part-2.html?showComment=1474900847679#c7733749200868865975

https://u1j8du7c.blogspot.com/2016/09/theme-22.html?showComment=1474902770382#c6357769574455351708

Theme 3 comments
https://dm2572-16.blogspot.com/2016/09/theme-32.html?showComment=1475488754803#c2190302578942542738

https://u1wdx0i7.blogspot.com/2016/09/post-theme-3.html?showComment=1475498997723#c1502758892994691952

https://u1c051gg.blogspot.com/2016/09/reflection-research-and-theory.html?showComment=1475504558100#c676034275323579696

https://u17fpbu5.blogspot.com/2016/09/post-theme-3-research-and-theory.html?showComment=1475505602578#c6894206975222962145

https://u1dn0y6t.blogspot.com/2016/09/post-reflection-theme-3.html?showComment=1475521014057#c1853903353882532532

Theme 4 comments
https://u1mv5a16.blogspot.com/2016/09/theme-4-second-blog-post.html?showComment=1476025393748#c8448619808523569336

https://u1j8du7c.blogspot.com/2016/09/42.html?showComment=1476026495758#c6165095856999894167

https://u1gixy4z.blogspot.com/2016/10/post-theme-4-quantitative-research.html?showComment=1476041176626#c9013571040325655453

https://u1eqtjc8.blogspot.com/2016/10/theme-4-reflection.html?showComment=1476042133395#c4730364890765352590

https://u1h4muxc.blogspot.com/2016/09/theme-42-reflection.html?showComment=1476043703755#c9089366501836978249

Theme 5 comments
https://u12vkokq.blogspot.com/2016/10/reflections-on-theme-5-design-research.html?showComment=1476705186988#c28657435551133683

https://u1818rgq.blogspot.com/2016/10/theme-5-design-research-post-2.html?showComment=1476706267484#c1878077589175800836

https://u1j8du7c.blogspot.com/2016/10/theme-52.html?showComment=1476707125308#c5311465017390035838

https://u1dn0y6t.blogspot.com/2016/10/post-reflection-theme-5.html?showComment=1476708134561#c565523632806498640

https://pgd7117.blogspot.com/2016/10/theme-5-reflection.html?showComment=1476709561170#c2296859210113897094

Theme 6 comments
https://u1dn0y6t.blogspot.com/2016/10/post-reflection-theme-6.html?showComment=1477249094750#c4363235026993493055

https://u11zdo9t.blogspot.com/2016/10/theme-6-post-2.html?showComment=1477300999619#c5658454538012560098

https://u1j8du7c.blogspot.com/2016/10/theme-62.html?showComment=1477306630664#c7720562479858571382

https://u1kq1ay0.blogspot.com/2016/10/second-blog-post-theme-6-qualitative_70.html?showComment=1477307828931#c3111993433195506223

https://pgd7117.blogspot.com/2016/10/theme-6-reflection.html?showComment=1477316097290#c1155631579202764742

Theme 6 - comments

https://u1dn0y6t.blogspot.com/2016/10/post-reflection-theme-6.html?showComment=1477249094750#c4363235026993493055

https://u11zdo9t.blogspot.com/2016/10/theme-6-post-2.html?showComment=1477300999619#c5658454538012560098

https://u1j8du7c.blogspot.com/2016/10/theme-62.html?showComment=1477306630664#c7720562479858571382

https://u1kq1ay0.blogspot.com/2016/10/second-blog-post-theme-6-qualitative_70.html?showComment=1477307828931#c3111993433195506223

https://pgd7117.blogspot.com/2016/10/theme-6-reflection.html?showComment=1477316097290#c1155631579202764742

Theme 5 - comments

https://u12vkokq.blogspot.com/2016/10/reflections-on-theme-5-design-research.html?showComment=1476705186988#c28657435551133683

https://u1818rgq.blogspot.com/2016/10/theme-5-design-research-post-2.html?showComment=1476706267484#c1878077589175800836

https://u1j8du7c.blogspot.com/2016/10/theme-52.html?showComment=1476707125308#c5311465017390035838

https://u1dn0y6t.blogspot.com/2016/10/post-reflection-theme-5.html?showComment=1476708134561#c565523632806498640

https://pgd7117.blogspot.com/2016/10/theme-5-reflection.html?showComment=1476709561170#c2296859210113897094

Theme 6 - Reflection

Every week it becomes harder to reflect on the topic as I feel that with every week the intention behind the topic is clearer, thus making it easier to answer the questions that are posed before the lecture. It therefore feels like one is repeating oneself more, than actually reflecting on the topic. That being said, one thing we discussed in the lecture about case-study with Hanna Hasselqvist was how hard it was for them to anonymise the data in their case-study. Since they had a Facebook Page to inform the public about the project while the study was being conducted, it became hard to later anonymise the data in the research paper. She mentioned for example, when writing about the issue of driving the kids to sport events it was hard to conceal which of the three family they talked about in the example, because only one of the three family had children that were involved in several sport clubs. Hasselqvist also emphasised how making the public aware of the project gave inside to how people see the issue. Even if they didn't analyse the data on the Facebook page in the final research, it gave them ideas what the public is interested in, what the families feel is important information to share and what concern people might have. Another thing I took away from the lecture is, that the borders between qualitative and quantitative research are sometimes not clear in the beginning. And while both methods might occur during the research, the definition whether it is one or the other depends on which of the two data sets you base your research answer on. Hasselqvist had somewhat of a quantitive approach of finding the right families for the project, however the research data later was gathered using interviews, travel journals (usually only from the week before the monthly interview) and observations by the researcher during the interview at the families home. They also allowed the families to have 24 car trips during the one year research period. However these car trips were not with their own cars, but with borrowed or rented cars, or cabs. The idea behind it was to give the families a sense of security, that if they really had to use a car, they still could, but also to identify in what kind of situations it is really necessary to use a car. They further provided help with for example fixing a bike, or courses on how to ride a bike in winter, and what equipment is necessary. They also had workshops with companies where they discussed problems that arose during the study for the families and how these could be tackled and the situation for the families improved.
The main goal of this case-study to get a better understanding of car-free transportation in practice, to gather input on design considerations for supporting people in sustainable transportation as well as design input from other participants such as the companies.
During the Seminar we discussed our papers as well as our definitions of case-study and the benefits of qualitative research. Again, as with quantitive research as well, there is no one hundred percent correct answer of what it is. It is, ironically, dependent on the case. Generally speaking, the definition I wrote earlier is somewhat still valid. Case studies look upon research topics not in a generalised way, but look at the present situation and analyse it. What we added to that definition in the Seminar is, that case studies are, most of the time, done to find possible research questions, not to answer them. The research question is formulated after the case is analysed. But as mentioned earlier, sometimes the research question is known before, but the research still qualifies for case-study because it is answering that question using one (or view) case(s).

Theme 4 - comments

https://u1mv5a16.blogspot.com/2016/09/theme-4-second-blog-post.html?showComment=1476025393748#c8448619808523569336

https://u1j8du7c.blogspot.com/2016/09/42.html?showComment=1476026495758#c6165095856999894167

https://u1gixy4z.blogspot.com/2016/10/post-theme-4-quantitative-research.html?showComment=1476041176626#c9013571040325655453

https://u1eqtjc8.blogspot.com/2016/10/theme-4-reflection.html?showComment=1476042133395#c4730364890765352590

https://u1h4muxc.blogspot.com/2016/09/theme-42-reflection.html?showComment=1476043703755#c9089366501836978249

Theme 5 - Reflection

In the lecture we talked about how to structure your (design-)research. Starting of with an introduction and background about related works. Then moving on to the methods like overview diagrams, photos from workshops, sketches et cetera. Then come the results of the research, again illustrated with photos or diagrams and alike. And lastly the discussion with the illustrated articulation of the researches insights and his main findings. Ideally also articulating possible improvements and outlooks for further research.
We also talked about research design being different from commercial design work. Research design is intended to gain new knowledge. But in order to do so one needs to articulate ones findings. Artifacts and pictures are not self explanatory. Data without proper interpretation is just data, not new knowledge. Only by interpreting the data and articulating it, it becomes research and new knowledge. Design research is not about articulating ideas that are already there, but the process of designing is needed to shape the ideas.
We also looked at the remake of Ylva Fernaeus & Jakob Tholanders remake of their 2005 design. The change of technology forced a change of the experiment. In 2005 screens on the NFC-Detectors would have been extremely costly and therefore weren't even considered. In 2015 however, basically every smartphone comes with an NFC-Detector. Not using the screen would have been a waste of resource. On the other hand the NFC-Detectors in smartphones can only read whatever is on the back of the phone. The cards therefore had to be redesigned into patches on the floor.
In the Seminar we talked about replicability. We concluded that a true replication of an experiment with the same outcome is impossible because technology and the knowledge people have change over time, therefore one can either replicate the experiment and analyze the different outcome, or one has to change the experiment, so one would get the same outcome. The latter being done in the remake of Fernaeus & Tholander. This however only applies to social sciences. In the "hard sciences" it is possible and also very important to replicate an experiment and to come to the same conclusion. The laws of physiques don't change like people do, therefore it is possible to replicate experiments even after a long time. Whether there is an easier way to do this now compared to the past is a different topic.

Theme 6: Qualitative and case study research

Humphreys, Lee, Thilo Von Pape, and Veronika Karnowski. "Evolving mobile media: Uses and conceptualizations of the mobile internet." Journal of Computer‐Mediated Communication 18.4 (2013): 491-507. 

Which qualitative method or methods are used in the paper? Which are the benefits and limitations of using these methods?

Humphrey et al. use semistructured one to one interviews. To ensure that participants (college students) felt more comfortable answering how they use mobile internet they hired student interviewers. They interviewed 21 students (germans and americans).
With the one to one interviews they are able to not only get the pure answer to the question, but also see their reactions. In their specific case many of the interviewees laughed at the question if they ever used the term 'mobile internet' thus having a deeper impact on the question than simply stating a "no" in a questionnaire.
On the other hand by using only this kind of interview it is more time consuming to conduct an interview thus limiting them in collecting a more representative number of samples and therefor also making it harder to generalize the outcome.

What did you learn about qualitative methods from reading the paper?

 Qualitative methods give the researcher a great opportunity to see the individuals reaction on a phenomena and give deeper insight on what people think about a specific topic or how exactly they use a specific technology. While this deeper insight helps find detailed information such as the reaction to the term mobile internet, it also limits the ability to draw more general conclusions from it.

Which are the main methodological problems of the study? How could the use of the qualitative method or methods have been improved?

Humphrey et al. themselves themselves answer that question in their conclusion:

Firstly the sample is too small to be representative. Secondly their methods did not disclose how long or how often the participants used mobile internet. And thirdly while the interviewees did talk about what they used the mobile internet for, this information is not linked to any evidence like it would be in a diary study and therefore can not be measured properly.

_______

Briefly explain to a first year university student what a case study is.

Case Studies are researches of phenomena during a specific event or within a specific case. Instead of looking at a phenomena in a general way, researchers analyze how the phenomena occurred in that specific case and draw general conclusions from that.

Use the "Process of Building Theory from Case Study Research" (Eisenhardt, summarized in Table 1) to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of your selected paper.

The case-study article I chose was "Emergency knowledge management and social media technologies: A case study of the 2010 Haitian earthquake"  by Dave Yates and Scott Paquette. They argue that Social media can play a crucial part in knowledge management during disaster response. In their case social media is not the classic type of Facebook, Youtube or Twitter, but Microsoft Share Point sites and wikis. Their analysis of previous studies revealed that they mostly looked at how such a disaster influenced individuals as well as society, however little research was done on how organizations that respond to disasters use social media.
The definition of their research question is therefore well founded since they took into account numerous previous studies and found that their question has not been answered yet. The steps of crafting instruments and protocols as well as entering the field are not entirely transparent in the paper. One of the authors is a reserve officer for the U.S. Air Force and got called in to help configuring the social media tools used by the crisis response team. Since it is a participatory action research, one might argue that it does not qualify as the best of methods for case study research. Then again only analyzing how others help in a disaster response team without helping themselves might be seen as immoral.
The analyzing of the data and the shaped hypothesis from that seem quite strong. They argue that the use of social media can indeed help share knowledge and speed up the decision making process. However it needs to be properly handled and assessed, otherwise it can lead to data overflow and misinformation. They also reach closure by looking at how the system helped deploy aid after one month and give an outlook on which parts to focus with further research as there are not many studies that look on the design of knowledge sharing in emergency response.
Altogether one could argue that this case-study is, given their unique situation of studying international aid during a catastrophe with over 200.000 people dead and 300.000 injured, quite strong and well researched.

Theme 3 - Comments

https://dm2572-16.blogspot.com/2016/09/theme-32.html?showComment=1475488754803#c2190302578942542738

https://u1wdx0i7.blogspot.com/2016/09/post-theme-3.html?showComment=1475498997723#c1502758892994691952

https://u1c051gg.blogspot.com/2016/09/reflection-research-and-theory.html?showComment=1475504558100#c676034275323579696

https://u17fpbu5.blogspot.com/2016/09/post-theme-3-research-and-theory.html?showComment=1475505602578#c6894206975222962145

https://u1dn0y6t.blogspot.com/2016/09/post-reflection-theme-3.html?showComment=1475521014057#c1853903353882532532