Softbridge : a socially aware framework for communication bridges over digital divides
William David Tucker · Open University of Cape Town (University of Cape Town) · 2009
Computer scientists must align social and technical factors for communication technologies in developing regions yet lack a framework to do so.The novel Softbridge framework comprises several components to address this gap.The Softbridge stack abstraction supplements the established Open Systems Interconnect model with a collection of technical layers clustered around 'people' issues.The Softbridge stack aligns the technological design of communication systems with awareness of social factors characteristic of developing regions.In a similar fashion, a new evaluation abstraction called Quality of Communication augments traditional Quality of Service by considering socio-cultural factors of a user's perception of system performance.The conceptualisation of these new abstractions was driven by long-term experimental interventions within two South African digital divides.One field study concerned communication bridges for socio-economically disadvantaged Deaf users.The second field study concerned a wireless telehealth system between rural nurses and doctors.The application domains were quite different yet yielded similarities that informed the Softbridge and Quality of Communication abstractions.The third Softbridge component is an iterative socially aware software engineering method that includes action research.This method was used to guide cyclical interventions with target communities to solve community problems with communication technologies.The Softbridge framework components are recursive products of this iterative approach, emerging via critical reflection on the design, evaluation and methodological processes of the respective field studies.Quantitative and qualitative data were triangulated on a series of communication prototypes for each field study with usage metrics, semi-structured interviews, focus groups and observation in the field.Action research journals documented the overall process to achieve post-positivist recoverability rather than positivistic replicability.Analysis of the results from both field studies was iteratively synthesised to develop the Softbridge framework and consider its implications.The most significant finding is that awareness of social issues helps explain why users might not accept a technically sound communication system.It was found that when facilitated effectively by intermediaries, the Softbridge framework enables unintended uses of experimental artefacts that empower users to appropriate communication technologies on their own.Thus, the Softbridge framework helps to align technical and socio-cultural factors.MUTI provided store-and-forward of mixed voice, text and image messages in addition to VoIP, and ran on laptops rather than PCs.Table D-3 provides an overview.2003 V1 Aug 19-21 Tsilitwa #1 first site visit with CSIR V2 Dec 8-11 Tsilitwa #2 conducted needs assessment and paper prototype 2004 V3 Apr 19-20 Tsilitwa #3 installed MUTI v1.1 V4 Jun 21-22 Tsilitwa #4 installed MUTI v1.2 V5 Sep 1-4 Tsilitwa #5/Canzibe #1 MUTI v1.3 and new site feeler V6 Oct 20-22 Tsilitwa #6/Canzibe #2 withdrawal and new clinic identification V7 Nov 8-11 Canzibe #3 planning 2005 V8 Mar 16-22 Canzibe #4 more planning and established commitment V9 May 8-21 Canzibe #5 built network and installed MUTI v2.1 V10 Jul 12-19 Canzibe #6 installed MUTI v2.2 with training V11 Sep 1-9 Canzibe #7 installed MUTI v2.3 with more training 2006 V12 Mar 20-24 Canzibe #8 paper prototype for mobile interface V13 Aug 7-13 Canzibe #9 left I-mates with participants V14 Sep 18-27 Canzibe #10 floods and prototype bugs delayed deployment V15 Oct 4-8 Canzibe #11 installed MUTI v3.1