This article reports some (video-recorded) instances of `visual culture' in action,
namely the use of a new software tool designed for the visualization of scenes from
Shakespeare's Macbeth in a classroom context. By considering whether or
how far conversation analysis (CA) can be extended from natural conversation to
cases of collaborative work in front of a computer, the article addresses the
methodological question of how to study instances of visual communication. We take
as an exemplar the phenomenon of remedial action and discuss how Schegloff,
Jefferson and Sacks's (1977) canonical study of repair in ordinary conversation can
be used to highlight aspects of `visual repair' (the identification and remedying of
items on the screen). Our attempts to apply the original CA model of repair of
ordinary conversation highlight the differences of this setting, which constitutes
an example of collaborative work.