Improvisation (Ciborra 1999) situated performance where thinking and action emerge simultaneously improvisation seems to be ruled at the same time by intuition, competence, design and chance

1. … or the difficulties of real world experiments
Based on Voigt (2008) 19th Australasian Conference on Information
Systems

2. Research context:
Distributed Learning
Understand the variety of current learning processes
Extend conceptualisation of online collaboration
Promote purposeful and efficient use of rich media
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3. Existing research
 Media richness theory (Daft , Lengel & Trevino 1987),
 Ability to support different types of communication objectives
 Media synchronicity theory (Robert & Dennis 2005)
 Ability to concurrently engage communication partners
 No-significant difference phenomenon (IDECC 2004)
 Scripts (Dillenbourg 2002)
 Increase desirable interactions and decrease ‘unproductive’
interactions
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4. Logics of explanations
 Scripts only intermittently used
 Scripts were frequently adopted
 ‘Irregularities’ often decisive for successful case
discussions
What kind of logic could explain these changes?
 Formal logic based on causal relationships
 Informal logic based on argumentation
 Practical logic based on practice
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5. Logic of causality:
Following a script
 Scripts are idealised processes that
(a) increase pedagogically desirable activities and
(b) decrease ‘unproductive’ interactions
 Assumption of generalizable ‘best practices’
 If scripts are too complex they defeat the purpose of
supporting learning
 Check list vs framework (or scafold)
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6. Logic of practice:
Polychronicity & Improvising
 Polychronicity means being involved in multiple, related or
unrelated activities at one time
 Polychronicity ensures flexibility by re-evaluating the
objectives and benefits of an activity
 Improvisation (Ciborra 1999)
 situated performance where thinking and action emerge
simultaneously
 improvisation seems to be ruled at the same time by intuition,
competence, design and chance
 Examples
 Addressing issues as they emerge
Using tools and opportunities as the
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7. Conclusions & Outlook
 Explore new formats to research and evaluate the use of
technology in evolving communities
 Design research
 Design Patterns
 Design Thinking
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8. References

Ciborra, C. U. (1999). Notes on improvisation and time in organizations. Accounting,
Management and Information Technologies, 9(2), pp.77-94.

Daft, R. L., Lengel, R. H. & Trevino, L. K. (1987). Message Equivocality, Media Selection,
and Manager Performance: Implications for Information Systems. MIS Quarterly, 11(3),
pp.355-366.

Dillenbourg, P. (2002). Over-scripting CSCL: The risks of blending collaborative learning
with instructional design. In P. A. Kirschner (Ed.), Three worlds of CSCL: Can we support
CSCL? (pp. 61-91). Heerlen: Open Universiteit Nederland.

IDECC. (2007). "No Significant Difference" Web Site. [viewed 01.052006 from http://
www.nosignificantdifference.org/].

Robert, L. P. & Dennis, A. R. (2005). Paradox of richness: a cognitive model of media
choice. Professional Communication, IEEE Transactions on, 48(1), pp.10-21.
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9. Questions & Comments?
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10. Questions & Comments?
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