Lessons learned from a sandbox experiment: Gaining experience with predictive risk modeling in a low stake environment

This paper outline lessons learned from a sandbox experiment as a qualitative research method used to explore how social workers navigate the potential implementation of Predictive Risk Modeling (PRM) in the future. With a dual purpose, we are investigating how researchers can make sense of a potential implementation of PRM in the future. Secondly, we are examining how social workers make sense of the practical implications in a simulated setting and low-stakes environment. Each new technology implementation warrants consideration of various investigative methods, with sandboxing being just one among many. Our sandbox featured vignettes, questionnares (N = 388), workshops (4, N = 17) and a document study (N = 1031). We conducted a study using various methods to enhance our understanding of the complex interactions between human and non-human actors in social work (Latour, 2005). This type of sensemaking has been underexplored (Meier & Ingerslev, 2023). Understanding how social workers adapt to potential changes is crucial for theory and practice (Colville et al., 2016).