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SENSE-MAKING INSTRUMENT

A study of user sense-making of new communication technologies, past and present:
A Sense-Making instrument with sample interviews.

by

Brenda Dervin and anonymous students
dervin.1@osu.edu

PURPOSE:
In a course focused on Sense-Making as a general theory of communicating practice (in particular as a useful tool for understanding others) and on Sense-Making as a research methodology (its assumptions and underpinnings and the connection between these and practice), students chose between assignment options., One option was to completed six Sense-Making interviews focusing on a selected phenomena. Students could chose their own phenomena, or they could opt the one provided by the instructor, focusing on new communication technologies. The assignment was to conduct, transcribe, and debrief six interviews.

PUBLISHED IN:
Unpublished at this stage.

COPYRIGHT AND CITATION INFORMATION:
©Brenda Dervin, 1997. Material on this page may be cited as:
Dervin, Brenda and anonymous students (1997). A study of user sense-making of new communication technologies, past and present: The Sense-Making instrument with sample interviews. [On-line]. Available: http://communication.sbs.ohio-state.edu/sense-making/inst/idern97tech.html

MATERIALS PROVIDED ON THIS WEB PAGE:
1. The instrument provided to the students
2. A partially completed sample interview illustrating format
3. Sample interviews completed by selected students.

SAMPLE USED IN STUDY:
Instructions to students specified they were each to do interviews within their own naturalized communities with:
1. self
2. peer of same gender
3. peer of opposite gender
4. person of parent's age
5. person of grandparent's age
6. person who is very different ethnically and/or racially.

The issue of how to do the interviews was the subject of most of the practice oriented sessions of this class. This syllabus provides a starting interview for those electing the class focus on new comm technologies. The same interview could be revised for other purposes. In addition, there was on reserve in library a host of other examples. The student could, if he/she choose, use the provided interview for all six interviews. Or, he/she can revise/adapt/innovate as familiarity with Sense-Making as a theory (but not a recipe) of interviewing increased. Students were cautioned that:

*Sense-Making interviewing is not just any old interviewing....Class interviews must incorporate Sense-Making's methodoloigcal principles.
*The interview and its debriefing is expected to take about 15 hours each. There is a certain amount of tedium involved but it is essential to the process -- "Slow down, maybe you'll hear something you've never heard before."
*Your transcriptions and debriefings of your interviews must be systematic and follow the style illustrated in the example included in this syllabus.
*The interview script as presented in the syllabus could not incorporate the kind of relaxed dialogic style that interviewers need to achieve to use the Sense-Making approach well.


THE INSTRUMENT PROVIDED TO THE STUDENTS

MEANINGS FOR COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

1. When you hear the phrase communication technology...

1a. What does it mean to you?
1b. What leads you to say that.... How does it connect with your life?

TECHNOLOGY LIST

2. I am going to read a list of some of the new communication technologies and the services connected with them. Please indicate which ones you have had some experience with -- either because you tested it and rejected it, or learned to use it and made it a part of your life, or had it imposed on you....

  2a. 2b. 2c. 2d.
 TECHNOLOGIES Any experience? How much experience? Extent imposed on you?  How much help?
2a.  regular dial phone        
2b.  touch-tone phone        
2c.  VCR        
2d.  cellular phone        
2e.  portable phone        
2f.  desk-top or personal computer        
2g.  world wide web        
2h.  automatic banking machine        
2i.  pay-your-bills-by-phone service        
2j.  computerized library catalogue        
2k.  computerized shopping        
2l.  on-screen TV games        
2m.  e-mail        
2n.  programmable stereo        
2o.  programmable cable TV service        
2p.  caller id        
2q.  call forwarding        
2r.  call waiting        
2s.  computerized class enrollment        
2t.  phone answering machine        
2u.  other        
2v.  other        
2w.  other        
2x.  other        

2t-2w. There are many communication technologies or technology-related services not included in the list above. Are there any not on that list that you have had some experience with -- either because you tested it and rejected it, or learned to use it and made it a part of your life, or had it imposed on you....What are these?

ADD EACH TECHNOLOGY/SERVICE TO THE LIST ABOVE.....AND FOR EACH TECHNOLOGY FOR WHICH YOU HAVE HAD SOME EXPERIENCE, RATE IT:

HOW MUCH EXPERIENCE:

EXTENT IMPOSED ON YOU:

HOW HELPFUL TO YOU

1 = very little ---------> 7 = a lot

1 = not at all ---------> 7 = entirely

1 = not at all ---------> 7 = very

IDENTIFICATION OF FOCUS TECHNOLOGIES
3. Now, I want you to go back over your experiences with various communication technologies and select different ones to talk about.

SELECT ONE COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY WHICH BEST FITS EACH OF
THESE FOUR SQUARES.

 

 MOSTLY WILLING
TO USE IT

 MOSTLY IMPOSED
ON ME

 MOSTLY HELPFUL RESULTS

 3a  3b

 MOSTLY NOT HELPFUL OR HURTFUL RESULTS

 3c 3d


4. And, select the one technology which strikes you most as being a mixed blessing.

 MIXED BLESSING  4a


IN-DEPTH ANALYSES: APPLY FIVE TIMES, TO:

 3a
 3b
 3c
 3d
 4a
 

5a. What was it that led you to use this technology? What happened -- what happened first, second, and so on?

5b. Did any barriers or constraints stand in the way of your use of this technology?

5b1. What barriers or constraints stood in way?
5b2. For each: How did it stand in the way? How did it hinder you?
5b3. For each: How did this hindrance connect to your life?

5c. Did anything facilitate or help your use of this technology?

5c1. What facilitated or helped?
5c2. For each: How did it help or facilitate your use of this technology?
5c3. For each: How did this help connect to your life?

5d. Looking back over your uses of this technology, what have been the big questions or confusions you have faced in using it?

5d1. What were these?
5d2: For each: how did this question relate to your life?
5d3. For each: did you get a complete answer? partial? no answer at all?
5d4: For each: If not a complete answer: what stood in way?
5d5: For each: Did asking this question impact or change you? how?

5e. Looking back over your uses of this technology, what have been the emotions or feelings you have had in connection with its use?

5e1. What were these?
5e2: For each: how did this emotion/feeling relate to your life?
5e3: For each: Did the emotion/feeling impact or change you? how?

5f. Looking back over your uses of this technology, did you come to new ideas or conclusions in the process of using it?

5f1. What were these?
5f2: For each: how did this idea relate to your life?
5f3: For each: Did this idea impact or change you in any way? how?

5g. Looking over your uses of this technology, name any ways in which the technology has impacted your life at home and/or at work in good ways, in ways that were helpful or facilitating to your life?

5g1. Ways technology has helped?
5g2. For each: How did this help connect with your life?
5g3: For each: Did this outcome you in any way? how?

5h. Looking back over your uses of this technology, name any ways in which the technology has impacted your life at home and/or at work in bad ways, in ways that were hurtful or hindering to your life?

5h1. Ways technology has hurt or hindered?
5h2. For each: How did this hurt/hindrance connect with your life?
5h3: For each: Did this outcome you in any way? how?

ISSUE ANALYSIS

INTRODUCTION:
In the final section of this interview, I want to hear your opinions about a series of controversial issues relating to the new communication technologies.

THE ISSUES
6. TELEMARKETING: One of the main uses of the new communication technologies by the commercial world is telemarketing. Some people view telemarketing as a useful service offered to us by companies while others see it as an intrusion in our lives.

7. BETTER INFO: Another issue relating to the new communication technologies concerns whether these technologies will help us as individuals and as a society obtain better information. Some people say that these technologies will make it possible for us to get better information. Others say the impact will be the opposite?

8. FAMILY LIFE: Another concern about the new communication technologies that people disagree about is how these technologies will impact family life. Some folks think the communication technologies will have a very bad impact on family life; others think they will have a good impact.

9. COMMUNITY LIFE: Another related concern is for the impact the new communication technologies will have on community life. Some folks think the communication technologies will have a very bad impact on community life; others think they will have a good impact.

10. INEQUITIES: One other issue that is being raised concerns whether the introduction of the new communication technologies will leave some societal groups behind. Some observers say the technologies will divide us into those with and without the funds and skills for owning and using these new technologies. Others say the opposite will happen.


CONCLUSION
11. Now that we've talked about all these issues....

11a. Do you have any other thoughts about communication technologies that you'd like to share with me?

12. Respondent profile:

13. Respondent debriefing: Looking back at this interview, would you say....

13a. It was helpful to you in any way? How?
13b. It was hindering to you in any way? How?
13c. It opened up new ideas for you? What?
13d. It led you to new questions/confusions? What?

14. Interviewer debriefing: Looking back at this interview, would you say....

14a. It was helpful to you in any way? How?
14b. It was hindering to you in any way? How?
14c. It opened up new ideas for you? What?
14d. It led you to new questions/confusions? What?


A PARTIALLY COMPLETED SAMPLE INTERVIEW ILLUSTRATING FORMAT

MEANINGS FOR TECHNOLOGY
1a. When I hear that phrase I think first of all of all the telemarketing devices that are allowing companies to assault the privacy of my home. But then I also think of cellular phones and portable phones and these conveniences that have helped my life...and the world-wide web and email and all these devices that transmit messages from place to place electronically. I also think of things being out of control, of them moving too fast.
1b. A lot of it comes from what I hear in the media -- ads for new products almost everyday and a big push to get us folks using them, paying for them. I also think about work and how it's out of control there with technologies being introduced too fast, too unstable, and with too little instruction. But then I also think of my own experiences -- how much I use email and my cellular phone and so on. But also how much I hate all the intrusions in my life -- caller id, and computer calls, and so on. And the unrelenting surveillance of our activities by computer at work.

TECHNOLOGY LIST
  2a. 2b. 2c. 2d.
 TECHNOLOGIES Any experience? How much experience? Extent imposed on you? How much help?
2a.  regular dial phone

 yes

7

 my folks had

7

2b.  touch-tone phone

 yes

7

5

7

2c.  VCR

 yes

7

 1

7

2d.  cellular phone

 yes

4

5

5

2e.  portable phone

yes

3

2

4

2f.  desk-top or personal computer

yes

7

5

4

2g.  world wide web

yes

2

5

2

2h.  automatic banking machine

yes

4

3

5

2i.  pay-your-bills-by-phone service

 yes

4

2

6

2j.  computerized library catalogue

 yes

4

4

6

2k.  computerized shopping

 yes

3

2

5

2l.  on-screen TV games

 no

--

--

--

2m.  e-mail

yes

6

5

4

2n.  programmable stereo

yes

5

1

4

2o.  programmable cable TV service

yes

7

1

7

2p.  caller id

yes

4

7

1

2q.  call forwarding

yes

3

4

1

2r.  call waiting

yes

4

7

1

2s.  computerized class enrollment

yes

1

4

5

2t.  phonw answering machine

yes

7

1

7

2u.  other        
2v.  other        
2w.  other        
2x. other        

IDENTIFICATION OF FOCUS TECHNOLOGIES
3a. Willing to adopt  and  helpful: cellular phone
3b. Imposed  and  helpful: desk-top or personal computer
3c. Willing to adopt  and  not helpful: call forwarding
3d. Imposed  and  not helpful: caller id
4a. Mixed blessing     e-mail



IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS OF:
IMPOSED and HELPFUL: DESK-TOP OR PERSONAL COMPUTER (3 b)
 NOTE: THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE USE OF THE IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS ON ONE TECHNOLOGY. THE INTERVIEW STRUCTURE MANDATES YOU USE THE SAME STRUCTURE FIVE TIMES, ONCE EACH ON 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, and 4a.

5a. What happened:
It was when I was an assistant professor and I had a grant and an RA who was gung-ho [about] computers and he insisted we get personal computers for doing our work. You could say he dragged me kicking and screaming to the idea. Once the programs arrived it took me a month to learn the word processing program and I sat in my office having temper tantrums because back then there were no Macintoshes and computers were very hard to use. I was entirely dependent on the RA but even he didn't have many answers. Our work went very slow for a while. But eventually I got started.
------------------------
5b. Barriers:
1. How hard they were to use.
2. My fear of technologies
3. The inadequacy of the software manuals.
4. My RAs macho attitude toward the whole thing.

First barrier:

What:
How hard they were to use.
How hindered:
Made the learning very frustrating. The manuals were impossible. You took hours to figure things out. Interfered with my job.
Connect to life:
I had a lot of pressures on me to get the grant done, to do all the things a university expects of professors -- the impossible 80 hour week of many professors and all this learning had to be fit into that schedule.

Second barrier:

What:
My fear of technologies
How hindered:
I think my fear is related to female math anxiety -- women not being encouraged to learn technical things. The fear was worse than the not knowing how. It made me reject the idea far too long.
Connect to life:
Like I said -- related to how girls are not encouraged to pursue technical subjects. This fear pervades my life. Also the fact that we have so little experience with technical things.

Third barrier:

What:
The inadequacy of the software manuals.
How hindered:
It was maddening. It still is. The software manuals are written by technicians and engineers and are mostly inaccessible and when you ask for help you are treated as an idiot.
Connect to life:
It took time, lots of time and we had a tight and threatening schedule.

Fourth barrier:

What:
My RAs macho attitude toward the whole thing.
How hindered:
He did not mean to be. But he was overbearing and aggressive about it all. He simply did not know any other way to be. The same problems plagued him when he was a teaching assistant. But he was smart and a good RA so I tolerated it. But we screamed at each other a lot.
Connect to life:
I was running out of patience with overbearing men -- they seemed to define every nook and cranny of my life.

------------------------
5c. Helps:
1. Fact that I could see benefits as I became more skilled.
2. Talking to other people -- mostly women -- who were willing to be honest about their frustration.

First help:

What:
Fact that I could see benefits as I became more skilled.
How helped:
It helped to see that knowing how to use the computer was going to facilitate all sorts of work -- manuscript writing, data analysis, scheduling, etc.
Connect to life:
Seeing how going through all the anxiety would eventually help kept me going.

Second help:

What:
Talking to other people -- mostly women -- who were willing to be honest about their frustration.
How helped:
Made me feel like a normal intelligent person, like I wasn't alone with this mess.
Connect to life:
Partly I think it relates to female anxiety about technology because we are made to feel like idiots all the time so it helps to know we are not.

-----------------------
5d. Questions:
1. Why is it so hard for me to adopt new technologies?
2. Why are the software manuals so unhelpful?

First question:

What:
Why is it so hard for me to adopt new technologies?
Relate to life:
Nothing to really add to what I said above
Complete answer:
Partial answer -- like I said above...but it's not a complete answer.
Why not complete:
The answer tells me the cause in a sense but it does not explain why I do not get over this anxiety given how much I use technologies. Not sure what stands in way.
Change me:
Yes, changed me in the sense that I now know I have to just forge ahead with each new technology and understand that I will go through a period of anxiety.

Second question:

What:
Why are the software manuals so unhelpful?
Relate to life:
It has amazed me all my life that experts can't and/or won't understand that not knowing their expertise is not a sign of lack of intelligence. It continues to amaze me.
Complete answer:
Partial answer.
Why not complete:
On the one hand I understand why people can't attend to the needs of others but on the other I do not understand why. It is so costly to run systems this way -- picking up the pieces of disasters.
Change me:
Yes, because not having an answer continues to drive my work. I keep trying to get an answer.

------------------------
5e. Emotions:
1. Anger, rage, frustration
2. Relief
3. Pleased that use of the computer gives more control over outcomes.

First emotion:

What:
Anger, rage, frustration
Relate to life:
Whenever I have to learn something technical I get frustrated and angry. I explained its connections earlier.
Change me:
Like I said above. By being forced to take steps I realized I have to face it.

Second emotion:

What:
Relief
Relate to life:
That I could go on with my work with this new tool and not have to spend all my time learning it.
Change me:
Like I said the new technology did ease work, make many things easier.

Third emotion:

What:
Pleased that use of the computer gives more control over outcomes.
Relate to life:
I liked being able to control how data looks in reports, etc. And having a readily available and efficient means of taking over some of the secretarial functions permitted that, made it achievable within cost-time limits.
Change me:
Yes, led me to become graphics expert.

------------------------
5f. Ideas:
1. That desk-top computer opens up many options for data analysis because you can get instant results on tests instead of waiting for a mainframe.

First idea:

What:
That desk-top computer opens up many options for data analysis because you can get instant results on tests instead of waiting for a mainframe.
Relate to life:
Analysis of data is one of my life projects. I love doing it and love doing it well. Having this degree of control over experimenting options is important.
Change me:
I have been able to carry through on these potentials. I have become expert at things I never thought I would.

------------------------
5g. Good impacts:
1. Made host of things a lot easier.

First good impact:

What:
Made host of things a lot easier
Relate to life:
Made my work as professor a lot easier.
Change me:
I took on tasks I did not do before -- doing my own data analysis, for example.

------------------------
5h. Bad impacts:
1. Brought a lot more work and shorter deadlines.

First bad impact:

What:
Brought a lot more work and shorter deadlines.
Relate to life:
I was not aware of this at first but over time it became clear that the presence of these computers increased out work load enormously. The University expected us to get more work done, faster, with shorter deadlines. So did everyone else -- publishers, for example.
Change me:
Think it made me begin to think even more about how college professors are really working class but they just don't know it.

------------------------

ISSUES ANALYSIS
 NOTE: THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE USE OF THE ISSUES ANALYSIS FOR ONE ISSUE. THE INTERVIEW STRUCTURE MANDATES YOU USE THE SAME STRUCTURE FIVE TIMES, ONCE EACH ON 6,7,8,9, 10.


6. TELEMARKETING

a. Thoughts:
1. The situation is entirely out of control -- there are very few controls and corporations are allowed to do basically what they please.
2. It is the worst kind of abuse of any sort of rational consumer protection system. And, our nation lags behind virtually all industrialized countries in caring.

b. Emotions:
3. Rage and anger.

c. Questions:
4. Why don't most corporations care any more about building good relationships?
5. Why do I get so angry about all this?

First analysis:

a. Thought:
The situation is entirely out of control -- there are very few controls and corporations are allowed to do basically what they please.
Leads to:
I see it everywhere and experience it personally. I get an astounding number of sales calls -- some computerized. I tell people to take me off their lists but they don't. Every time I buy something I end up on another list. Sometimes they event call twice -- first the computer calls to see if a human answers and then a person calls. Mostly the callers are rude. Often aggressive. Often stereotyping toward women.
Relate to life:
As I explained already.
Impact:
Means I can not answer my phone and must use answering machine. I hate it. It makes me angry that something I pay for has become tool of corporations.

Second analysis:

Thought:
It is the worst kind of abuse of any sort of rational consumer protection system. And, our nation lags behind virtually all industrialized countries in caring.
Leads to:
One sees analyses in New York Times all the time about what is going on...and on TV when, for example, Nader talks.
Relate to life:
I started off in my first job as a consumer affairs specialist and then as a PR specialist and I have always thought that the best businesses want to build life-time relationships with customers so this process astonishes me.
Impact:
I mistrust the corporate sector more and more everyday.

Third analysis:

Emotion:
Rage and anger.
Leads to:
Feeling like my society, my country doesn't give a damn about people.
Relate to life:
No one likes to feel like they live in an inhuman place. But I do.
Impact:
Like I said above, mistrust of corporations, and increasingly of government which colludes with them.

Fourth analysis:

Question:
Why don't most corporations care any more about building good relationships?
Leads to:
Since my first jobs in PR and public information I have believed that the best businesses are the human businesses; and that society must maintain standards of human treatment of citizens. So this use of citizens as consumer-objects to be pushed around astonishes me.
Relate to life:
I have never liked being treated as an object, even as a kid.
Impact:
The mistrust. Also an unwillingness to work for them, accept grants from them. A feeling that most of what the corporate world pursues cares only about easy money.

Fifth analysis:

Question:
Why do I get so angry about all this?
Leads to:
I have this feeling that I get angrier about this than most people...and in general I am more likely to observe my society from a distance in this way and I do not fully understand why.
Relate to life:
Anger takes energy, unquiets one. Sometimes I wish I wouldn't get angry so much. But then sometimes I am proud because people who don't get angry at injustice and wrong are dead.
Impact:
Makes me include attention to these issues in my work. Leads me to write letters to corporations. Leads me to hassle all telemarketers who call my home. I try to "make their days."

------------------------

CONCLUSION:

11.Other thoughts:
1. Where will it all lead -- what kind of world will we live in in 20 years?
2. Will the science fiction books be right?

First analysis:

What:
Where will it all lead -- what kind of world will we live in in 20 years?
Leads to:
I see so many changes and most of them not for the better and I wonder what life will be like in 20 or 30 years. Will we all be at home connecting by computer?
Relate to life:
It's my future and I can not imagine how horrid a life would be that is more dehumanized than ours already is.
Impact:
Makes me fearful about the future.

Second analysis:

What:
Will the science fiction books be right?
Leads to:
I am an avid sci-fi reader and many predict a future with our connections to each other mediated by computers.
Relate to life:
In many circumstances in my life I was isolated from others through no fault of my own. I know what isolation and lack of touching contact does to people.
Impact:
Again fearful for future.

--------------------
12. Respondent profile:

AGE:
58
GENDER:
F
# YEARS EDUCATION:
21
ETHNIC HERITAGE:
Irish-Italian
RACE:
Mostly white
KIND OF JOB AND KIND OF PLACE YOU WORK AT:
Professor at University
KIND OF JOB AND KIND OF PLACE YOUR FATHER WORKED AT:
Sales executive in motion picture company
KIND OF JOB AND KIND OF PLACE YOUR MOTHER WORKED AT:
Many years a homemaker, then a remedial teacher in a public school

13. Respondent debriefing:

13a. Helps:
Yes, it helped me to understand the even more the crucial relationship between a person's inner life and struggles and their involvements with the technologies and artifacts of society. Very little work gets at this.
13b. Hinders:
The tedium of it all of course. But it made me really look inward at the same time.
13c. Ideas:
See 13a,
13d. Questions:
Even more I am asking about the trade-off between the deep interview and the time/resource constraints of research as mandated by academia.

14. Interviewer debriefing:
Self-interview, not relevant.

14a. Helps:
14b. Hinders:
14c. Ideas:
14d. Questions:



SAMPLE INTERVIEWS COMPLETED BY SELECTED STUDENTS
Below is a chart with links to full transcriptions of sample interviews completed by selected students. All identifying information is removed. Interviewers and respondents gave permission for use of these interviewers here.

Interview # Interviewer Respondent
1997 New Technologies Interview #1 female undergraduate her grandmother, 78 years old
     

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Page last updated 2/26/98