Using actor-network theory to understand the process of information systems curriculum innovation
In this article I will note that Information Systems is a socio-technical discipline that is subject to rapid change and argue that changes in Information Systems curriculum can best be thought of as innovations and considered through the lens of innovation theory. In a socio-technical area like this where the contributions of both human actors (including academics, students and employers) and non-human actors (such as computers, programming languages and university infrastructure) must be taken into account, this article proposes the use of actor-network theory as a means of understanding more of the innovation process. The adoption of the programming language Visual Basic by an Australian university in the 1990s is used as an example of how actor-network theory can identify and explain some of the important issues in curriculum change.
actor-network theory information systems curriculum programming languages visual basic innovation translation socio-technical systems