Managing work at several places : a case of project work in a nomadic group of students

• Motivation -- This paper explores the collaborative and spatial practices of university students engaged in project work. Regarding students as nomadic workers, we attempt to elucidate how their activities are shaped by the lack of a stable and fixed location where work can be carried out. Research approach -- The data presented in this paper were collected by means of ethnographically-informed methods. Findings/Design -- The results elucidate how students manage their collaborative activities at different locations and how they use artifacts and technology in order to do so. Research limitations/Implications -- Only Swedish students participated in the field study discussed in this paper. Cultural attributes, related to privacy for instance, might contribute to the distinction between private and public places. Originality/Value -- This work highlights the relationships between group activities and the places they are bound to, with a main focus on how these relationships are mediated by technological artifacts. Take away message -- The nomadic work described suggests that design efforts should be oriented towards an integration of different applications and/or technological devices.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Data- och informationsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Computer and Information Sciences (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

collaborative work

design process

field studies

nomadicity

space place

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

kon (ämneskategori)