Documentaries for research

posted by Adri

Ethnographic films (documentaries) are an emerging research method used to understand culture, consumer behavior, and social constructs that transcend mere data and can provide a rich understanding of a subject and its environment. Here’s an interview with the Chief Technology Officer of the UW College of Education, Scott Macklin discussing Documentaries as a research method and how it applies to his latest film: Masizakhe.

(note: we showed a rough cut extract in class, this is the final version

We used a similar approach when looking at the $100 laptop. The XO laptop (a.k.a. $100 laptop) is an innovative break-through device designed to revolutionize the way children learn in even the most rural and poor conditions.

The computer is embedded with social media tools such as a camera, a music making software and its mesh network that connects and shares with other computers. However, little attention has been given to how this device is actually being used. We propose the making of a documentary as an ethnographic study to discover the true impact of the XO (version 1) laptop. Here are the slides from our presentation.

For more information on the XO laptop here are a few links

OLPC wiki

Blog News on OLPC

News on OLPC from Engadget

60 minutes on OLPC

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