Global students and global studies from an actor-network perspective

Habib, L., Johannesen, M. & Oegrim, L. (2011). Global students and global studies from an actor-network perspective. In S. Barton et al. (Eds.), Proceedings of Global Learn 2011 (pp. 1806-1813). AACE.
Retrieved from http://www.editlib.org/p/37405.

Conference Information

Global Learn (Global Learn) 2011
Melbourne, Australia
March 28, 2011
ISBN 1-880094-85-1
  Siew-Mee Barton, John Hedberg & Katsuaki Suzuki
AACE

More Information on Global Learn

Authors

Laurence Habib, Oslo University College, Centre for Educational Research and Development, Norway; Monica Johannesen, Leikny Oegrim, Oslo University College - Faculty of Education and International Studies, Norway

Abstract

This paper presents actor-network theory (ANT) as a particular theoretical approach to investigate issues regarding the relationship between global students from South and Western institutions of Higher Education. It focuses more specifically on the socio-material nature of the various networks that students, teachers, course designers and artifacts make up within the realm of a global study program in a Norwegian institution. Technological artifacts, such as virtual learning environments, play a crucial role in those networks as they are central to the learning activities of the program. The authors argue that the use of ANT concepts such as negotiation, enrolment, alignment, inscription, translation, and blackboxing allow for a non-normative description of the field, and can therefore be useful in an interpretive empirical study.