EXPLICATING THE SHAPING OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY: SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF TECHNOLOGY IN THE FIELD OF ICT AND EDUCATION

Michael Klebl, Faculty of Cultural and Social Sciences, FernUniversitaet/University in Hagen, Germany

Within the Science and Technology Studies, Social Construction of Technology (SCOT, Pinch & Bijker, 1987) is an important approach towards the examination and explanation of sociotechnical systems. Based on the methodology of SCOT, this paper explores the social shaping of educational technology for two cases: firstly, for the debate on the project “One Laptop Per Child”; secondly for the discussion on “Learning Objects and Open Educational Resources.” This is to prove the appropriateness of SCOT for an analysis of strategic and political issues concerning educational technology.