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250 CHAPTER 9 Ethnography

semi-public gym space, seemed like a good compromise (Pedersen and Wolff, 2008).
Ethnographic observations helped in understanding work practices and challenges
the physical therapy clinics might face as they moved towards full electronic medical
records. Similarly, Balka et al. (2008) documented ethnographic studies in Canada
and Austria, where again, the goal was to better understand medical work practices,
to assist in the development of a new health information system. The study looked
at various departments within a hospital, such as emergency departments, oncology,
and neurosurgery (Balka et al., 2008).
While office settings are obviously the most common setting, ethnographic
methods are even more useful in nonoffice-based work settings. For instance, one
ethnographic study examined the potential use of technology in a vineyard setting.
Specifically, the researchers wanted to understand the potential use of sensors
across a vineyard (Brooke and Burrell, 2003). The researchers became participant-
observers, working in vineyards, helping with harvesting, and assisting with grape
crushing. The researchers were better able to understand how sensors could be used,
to monitor microclimates (combination of sunlight, rain, temperature), which could
then predict the chances of grape disease. This, in turn, could provide useful infor-
mation on which areas of the vineyard needed more attention, labor, chemicals, and
different harvesting times.

9.5.3 EDUCATIONAL SETTINGS
Ethnographic methods can be especially useful for understanding the complex
context of school settings. For instance, ethnographic methods were used in un-
derstanding how children (typically between 4 and 6years old) spend play times
in a kindergarten (Wyeth, 2006). In the daily schedule of a kindergartener, there is
both structured group time and “loosely structured, self-structured, free time ac-
tivities.” The free-play activities themselves could be divided into three categories:
calm activities, play, and artistic interactions. This increased understanding of how
young children play in classroom settings may hint at some potential possibili-
ties for technology in early childhood settings. For instance, technology for young
children may need to be more flexible, allowing for creativity and discovery, and
not be separate from but, rather, work in tandem with the other activities going on
in the classroom.
The importance of understanding the context increases when doing a cross-
cultural study of educational settings. For instance, Druin et al. used a number of
methods, including ethnographic observation in the classroom, to understand how
children in different cultures used the International Children's Digital Library, how
their reading patterns changed over time, and how their reading patterns influenced
communication with others, interest in other cultures, and attitudes towards technol-
ogy and libraries (Druin et al., 2007).
Ethnographic methods for use in education are not limited to young children.
Becvar and Hollan (2007) used ethnographic methods to better understand how
dental hygiene students learn. The dental hygiene students were in postsecondary