Contributions from visitor research to CI and ICT4D theory and research methodology

Abstract

The case study involved the evaluation of a single science centre exhibit in a number of different science centres in a developing country. This illustrates the lessons that Community Informatics and ICT for Development researchers can learn from “Visitor Research” theory and methods. The three contexts identified in The Contextual Model of Learning are seen to shed light on the research process as well as to its original purpose, free-choice learning. A multi-methodological research approach was used and each science centre was described separately so that the different levels of context could be taken into account.