Abstraction Clusters to Understand Digital Development: Introducing the SETA Model

This work investigates the interface between the epistemological field of education, human development, and digital technologies. Grounded on complexity, actor-network theory, action ecology, and hybridism, the central hypothesis is that an excessively technical conception about the mentioned interface can disadvantage the debate on educational technologies, treating them only as a tool or a means to an end. This research proposes ten theoretical categories for understanding digital applications, when considering that digital technologies expand human skills' horizons. Three abstraction clusters (instrument, power, and actant network) derive from the ten categories, and compose the SETA model, an evaluative framework to understand educational technologies and possible applications. This book results from doctoral thesis research and presents the SETA model and its methodological considerations.