This paper explores the nature and centrality of maintenance and repair ('M&R') work in the extension and sustainability of ICT infrastructure in the global South. Drawing from pragmatist traditions in CSCW and the social sciences at large, we develop a concept of 'repair worlds' intended to map the varieties and effects of such maintenance and repair activities. Empirically, our analysis builds on ethnographic fieldwork into local practices of maintenance and repair that have accompanied and supported the extension of mobile phone and computing infrastructure in the Kavango region of northeastern Namibia.

Museums and other out-of-school settings, are ideal contexts for children to engage in authentic scientific inquiry. However, students need support to successfully do inquiry outside of the classroom, and to make connections between what they are learning in and outside of school. Zydeco is a new system that aims to support students in seamlessly conducting inquiry across contexts. Zydeco includes an online web component that allows students to define goals, questions, and categorical information for their science investigations. This information is uploaded to a handheld device, which allows students to photograph, tag, and annotate information in a museum. Students can then access their museum work in the classroom to complete their investigations. Here we describe the Zydeco system, highlighting strategies for addressing challenges of mediating inquiry across class and museum contexts.