Diverse Ecologies – Interdisciplinary Development for Cultural Education

Abstract

Abstract. We present a case study outlining development efforts towards an interface ecology to be deployed in museums. We argue that the problem at hand calls for a highly interdisciplinary design process. Furthermore, system design in the domain of cultural education poses a unique set of challenges. At the same time few existing design methodologies are suitable for addressing this special environment of system design. We outline a set of tentative methodological elements aimed at informing adequate interdisciplinary development processes. The discussion is embedded into a critique of existing methodologies while being orientated towards inviting critique itself. The guiding insight steering our methodological developments is that fundamental differences between project participants and other stakeholders should be construed as assets. Rather than trying to integrate them or covering them up, the dynamic friction between differing viewpoints can be rendered productive by means of poietic practices.

Scaffolding a Methodology for Situating Cognitive Technology Within Everyday Contexts

“…In response to the challenges posed by developing at the intersection of complexity and complication, we propose an iterative development methodology. It is based on the observation that fundamental differences concerning disciplinary methodological commitments usually cannot be overcome, but can be rendered productive by establishing an ongoing process of conflictual negotiation [25].…”

“…During cooperation with qualitative social research huge obstacles had to be overcome on the levels of language and concept building [25]. On a superficial level, cooperation between media psychology and computer-science is faced with much lower obstacles.…”