Learning Prototypes as Boundary Objects to Assist NGO Development Projects: Their Design and the Learning Spaces Around Them
Translated title
Learning Prototypes as Boundary Objects to Assist NGO Development Projects
Author
Burns, Robin Shaun Dick
Term
4. Term
Education
Publication year
2018
Submitted on
2018-06-01
Pages
90
Abstract
Denne afhandling undersøger, hvordan NGO’ers bygge- og udviklingsprojekter kan gøre mere end at levere fysiske resultater: de kan styrke lokalsamfund, så beboerne føler sig myndiggjorte og ejer projekterne. Afhandlingen ser på, om Boundary Objects – fælles genstande eller prototyper, som forskellige grupper kan samles om på trods af forskellige perspektiver – kan bruges som læringsmidler i lavindkomstlande. Der fokuseres særligt på Learning Prototypes, altså enkle, håndgribelige prototyper, der understøtter fælles læring og dialog. Arbejdet bygger på perspektiver fra Participatory Design (involvering af lokale i beslutninger), Capacity Building (opbygning af lokale kompetencer), Boundary Object-teori og Matters of Concern (forhold, der betyder noget for deltagerne). Metoden kombinerer skrivebordsstudier med kvalitativt feltarbejde under halvanden måneds ophold i landsbyen Kassi Kunda i den meget rurale Upper River Division i Gambia. Her var Nka Foundation i gang med et udviklingsprojekt, og jeg faciliterede workshops for lokale beboere for at omsætte deltagende design og kapacitetsopbygning til praksis. Hovedresultatet er, at en Learning Prototype, der fungerer som Boundary Object, kan afbøde brud og uoverensstemmelser i NGO-projekter. For at være effektiv skal læringsrummet omkring prototypen dog tilrettelægges omhyggeligt med brug af kapacitetsopbygning, deltagende design og opmærksomhed på Matters of Concern.
This thesis examines how NGO building and development projects can do more than deliver structures: they can empower communities and foster a sense of ownership. It investigates whether Boundary Objects—shared artifacts or prototypes that help different groups collaborate despite different viewpoints—can serve as learning aids in developing-country contexts. The focus is on Learning Prototypes, simple, tangible prototypes that support shared learning and dialogue. The work is guided by Participatory Design (involving local people in decisions), Capacity Building (strengthening local skills), Boundary Object theory, and Matters of Concern (issues participants care about). Methods combine desk research with qualitative fieldwork during a month and a half in the village of Kassi Kunda in the very rural Upper River Division of The Gambia. There, the Nka Foundation was running a development project, and I facilitated workshops with residents to put participatory design and capacity building into practice. The main finding is that a Learning Prototype acting as a Boundary Object can help bridge discontinuities in NGO projects. However, the learning space around the prototype must be carefully staged—using capacity building, participatory design, and attention to Matters of Concern—to make it effective.
[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]
Keywords
Documents