A Discourse History of Technology Enhanced Learning Research (1945-2012) Uma Patel 2015 CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINAL AUTHORSHIP I certify that the work in this thesis has not previously been submitted for a degree nor has it been submitted as part of requirements for a degree except as fully acknowledged within the text. I also certify that the thesis has been written by me. Any help that I have received in my research work and the preparation of the thesis itself has been acknowledged. In addition, I certify that all information sources and literature used are indicated in the thesis. Signature of Student: Date: 14th December 2015 Contents Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................. ix Abstract ............................................................................................................................... xi Acronyms and abbreviations ............................................................................................ xiii Chapter One: Starting with uncertain beginnings.................................................. 1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 1 TEL(ing) history................................................................................................................... 7 The problematic ................................................................................................................. 17 Conceptual resources ......................................................................................................... 19 Configuring the inquiry ...................................................................................................... 34 Organisation of the thesis ................................................................................................... 38 &KDSWHU7ZR$FFRXQWVRIµ7HFKQRORJ\(QKDQFHG/HDUQLQJ¶ 7(/ 5HVHDUFK 41 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 41 TEL as a field of inquiry .................................................................................................... 42 TEL and technologies ................................................................................................ 43 TEL as content ........................................................................................................... 46 TEL as communities ................................................................................................... 52 TEL as a profession ................................................................................................... 57 TEL in policy narrative .............................................................................................. 59 TEL as forms of knowledge ........................................................................................ 61 Locating a vantage point .................................................................................................... 69 Configuring the gaps .......................................................................................................... 73 Chapter Three: Archives, discourse and methods ................................................ 77 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 77 Inquiry process in retrospect .............................................................................................. 79 Inferring methods ............................................................................................................... 82 Latour on uncertainties and construction .................................................................. 83 Foucault on discourse and regularities ..................................................................... 88 Law on coherence and non-coherence ...................................................................... 93 The archive in question ...................................................................................................... 97 Assembling the data ......................................................................................................... 102 iv Collections and analysis .................................................................................................. 106 Configuring the inquiry ................................................................................................... 114 Chapter Four: Materialising discourse .................................................................. 117 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 117 Setting the scene .............................................................................................................. 118 $YDQWDJHSRLQWµWHFKQRORJ\¶LQ7(/UHVHDUFK .............................................................. 123 Discourse from engineering ............................................................................................ 126 Engineered learning ......................................................................................................... 132 Problem framing ........................................................................................................ 133 De(re)composition ..................................................................................................... 139 Demonstration ........................................................................................................... 145 (De)Stabilisations ...................................................................................................... 149 Materialising discourse: a summary ................................................................................ 156 Chapter Five: Translation effects ........................................................................... 159 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 159 Setting the scene .............................................................................................................. 161 Collections 2 and 3: Mainstreaming and crises ............................................................... 163 $YDQWDJHSRLQWµOHDUQLQJ¶LQ7(/UHVHDUFK ................................................................... 165 Translations of learning ................................................................................................... 169 Broadcast Media: (democratising computing) .......................................................... 171 Business: (the ‘e-learning’ providers) ....................................................................... 183 Policy: (evidence based practice) .............................................................................. 189 Academy: (disciplining research) .............................................................................. 191 Mesh-up effects: summary .............................................................................................. 200 Chapter Six: Forms of ordering.............................................................................. 203 ,QWURGXFWLRQµHQKDQFHPHQW¶LQ7(/5HVHDUFK ............................................................... 203 Setting the scene .............................................................................................................. 205 Collections 4 and 5: Inventing the future of TEL ............................................................ 207 $YDQWDJHSRLQWµHQKDQFHPHQW¶LQ7(/UHVearch ........................................................... 209 Forms of ordering ............................................................................................................ 215 Knowing denial .......................................................................................................... 216 Persuasive packaging ................................................................................................ 221 Domestication moves ................................................................................................. 232 v Crafted conflict ........................................................................................................... 241 Forms of ordering: a summary ......................................................................................... 246 Chapter Seven: Configuring endings ................................................................... 249 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 249 Journey way markers ........................................................................................................ 250 Contributions .................................................................................................................... 253 The inquiry ................................................................................................................. 254 What is TEL research? ............................................................................................... 256 Where does TEL research come from? ...................................................................... 259 Last words .......................................................................................................................