Lens Of Activity Theory Research Articles

E-textbook as object and mediator: interactions between instructor and student activity systems

In this paper, we discuss the activity systems of students and instructors who used an interactive e-textbook in their instructional activities. Data included instructor interviews and student journals about e-textbook use in eight university courses. Exploration of the data through a cultural-historical activity theory lens indicated that e-textbook use can be limited when students act on it merely as an object without any intentional goal. Without requirements by the instructor, the embedded tools in the e-textbook may do little to support the student activity in the system. In addition, many instructors, as well, approached the e-textbook as an object, and a number of them did not include the e-textbook in their own activity systems. Considering the e-textbook as a mediating tool to address other goals (such as completing an assignment) or to support instructional decisions by faculty through developed awareness of students’ understandings, positioned the e-textbook as a mediator of learning, rather than an object on which to act. We end our discussion pointing to the need for an expansive transformation regarding the use of e-textbooks so they may be positioned as new kinds of mediating tools for learning.

Multiple social media in the workplace: Contradictions and congruencies

AbstractIn this paper, we report an investigation on the use of multiple social media in knowledge work and explore the contribution of activity theory for such a study. As social media are increasingly adopted at work, there is a demand to understand how they are being incorporated. This study focuses on how social media may improve or reduce coherence in work activities, and for this purpose, we use activity theory as an analytical lens to conceptualise social media usage in a Scandinavian software development company. The qualitative data, consisting of interviews and observations, were analysed to capture the mediating role of social media for information sharing within and across work activities. We found social media in general helpful to maintain coherence in terms of sharing work‐related information, improving ambient awareness, as well as for socialising, but they also caused inconsistencies in use and adoption. In addition, we found that social media served different purposes in different activity systems, causing both contradictions and congruencies; what was seen as a benefit for some work activities appeared as a limitation for others (eg, concerning pace and aims of information sharing). In our findings through the lens of activity theory, we observed how objects, although they were shared, were fractionalised in networked activities. Our conclusion is that despite the still unoptimised functionality, social media do bring coherence in work activities in a decentralised work environment.

Beyond Tasks: An Activity Typology for Visual Analytics.

As Visual Analytics (VA) research grows and diversifies to encompass new systems, techniques, and use contexts, gaining a holistic view of analytic practices is becoming ever more challenging. However, such a view is essential for researchers and practitioners seeking to develop systems for broad audiences that span multiple domains. In this paper, we interpret VA research through the lens of Activity Theory (AT)-a framework for modelling human activities that has been influential in the field of Human-Computer Interaction. We first provide an overview of Activity Theory, showing its potential for thinking beyond tasks, representations, and interactions to the broader systems of activity in which interactive tools are embedded and used. Next, we describe how Activity Theory can be used as an organizing framework in the construction of activity typologies, building and expanding upon the tradition of abstract task taxonomies in the field of Information Visualization. We then apply the resulting process to create an activity typology for Visual Analytics, synthesizing a wide range of systems and activity concepts from the literature. Finally, we use this typology as the foundation of an activity-centered design process, highlighting both tensions and opportunities in the design space of VA systems.

Writing retreats as third spaces

Much has been written on the importance of writing retreats in providing the conditions for productive writing, away from the demands of everyday academic life. Most authors, however, acknowledge that even though retreats may result in positive outcomes, they are also complex social spaces which participants may experience as challenging. One, perhaps different, way to understand these difficulties is that they are the sorts of differences typical of a form of learning space known as a ‘third space’. In such spaces, as seen through an Activity Theory lens, differences can be understood as drivers for collaborative learning and development. Theorising writing retreats as third spaces within an Activity Theory framework then opens up ways to potentially enhance participants’ learning experiences.

An Examination of the Mediating Role for a Nursing Information System

This paper reports on findings from an examination of a nursing information system through the lens of Activity Theory. The information system was designed to support real-time nursing documentation in acute care hospital contexts. The objective was to enable superior nursing care to ensue by providing nurses with the opportunity to document patient care data into a tablet computer located at the patient bedside. The system was evaluated in a not-for-profit acute care hospital’s wards during its implementation. Nurses’ interactions with the system and their perceptions were collected and analysed through the lens of Activity Theory. The analysis highlighted nurses’ positive attitude towards the system and identified potential mediation capabilities as well as areas for improvements. Activity Theory was found to be useful to examine the positive and potentially problematic aspects of this new nursing information system.

Does One-to-One Technology Really Work: An Evaluation Through the Lens of Activity Theory

ABSTRACTThis program evaluation study examines an implementation of a one-to-one laptop initiative in a rural high school. Specifically, the researchers adopted a holistic view in evaluating the process and outcomes of this implementation by examining the interrelationships among the key participants using activity theory as a conceptual framework. Through using activity theory as a conceptual framework, the researchers gained a comprehensive perspective in examining the successes, challenges, and obstacles of this implementation. Therefore, not only were the individual stakeholders examined but more importantly, the interrelationships that shaped the implementation were studied to elucidate a clearer picture of the process.

Writing retreats as third spaces

Much has been written on the importance of writing retreats in providing the conditions for productive writing, away from the demands of everyday academic life. Most authors, however, acknowledge that even though retreats may result in positive outcomes, they are also complex social spaces which participants may experience as challenging. One, perhaps different, way to understand these difficulties is that they are the sorts of differences typical of a form of learning space known as a ‘third space’. In such spaces, as seen through an Activity Theory lens, differences can be understood as drivers for collaborative learning and development. Theorising writing retreats as third spaces within an Activity Theory framework then opens up ways to potentially enhance participants’ learning experiences.

Can Game-Based Learning Enhance Engineering Communication Skills?

Research problem: The enhancement of communication skills among engineering students has been a focus within the engineering curriculum for many years. Despite this emphasis, continual published reports document that engineering graduates are not well versed in the areas of written and oral communication when they graduate and transition into industrial-based positions. This study focuses on examining whether game-based pedagogy could serve as a potential tool for enhancing the written and oral communication skills of engineering undergraduates. Research questions: (1) What is the relationship between communication game exposure and oral and written communication skills achievement in engineering students? (2) Do engineering students' perceptions of their oral and written communication skills development associated with participation in communication games align with their achievement in these areas? Literature review: This study examines the ability of games to enhance engineering student communication skills by using the lens of activity theory. This communication theory was chosen because it describes how the creation of a piece of communication goes beyond traditional features such as grammar and syntax to include grappling with the objective or goal of the work, the system within which the product must be completed, and the methods selected to subdivide the work. These same constraints were imposed on the students within this study, in which they were assigned a technical design report and infomercial (or elevator pitch) to assess their oral and written communication skills. Methodology: Three groups of a sophomore-level Introduction to Chemical Product Design course compared non-games, games, and games-plus instructional methods. Student design reports and infomercials were scored by two analysts using reliable and validated rubrics. Team-based performance scores for each of the three sections were compared to determine whether any resulting differences in communication achievement were associated with the incorporation of game-based activities within the classroom. Students' perceptions of their communication skill development were measured through survey instruments and focus groups. The focus group data were content-analyzed by the same two analysts using a coding scheme developed from an emergent qualitative analysis of the focus group data. Results and conclusion: We found that the use of game-based pedagogy within engineering classes can enhance oral and written communication skills even though this method of instruction is not always perceived by students as relevant to their achievement in these areas.

Extending the teacher educator role: developing tools for working with school mentors

This article considers the ways in which a group of university-based teacher educators work with school-based mentors (cooperating teachers). Owing to a number of changes in teacher education policy in England, feelings of marginalisation from the teacher educators are presented before exploring how they undertake their work with school mentors. Using a cultural and historical activity theory lens through which to view interview data, the analysis explores how teacher education activity has changed over the nine years since first interviewing the teacher educators. The findings identify three tools which mediate the work with school mentors. How the teacher educators perceive these tools is analysed in order to compare work intentions driven by the object motive of the teacher education activity with those advocated in the teacher education research literature. Collaborative working practices established by appropriating tools developed from scholarship activity around subject journals, research projects and mentor collectives suggest ways forward for enhancing the teacher educator role. This role is diversifying in teacher education in England with the introduction of new school-based training routes for beginning teachers. Consequently, there is growing need for greater clarity around the work, training and professional development opportunities for teacher educators in England.

Distributed leadership through the lens of Activity Theory

Purpose: Using Activity Theory as an interpretive lens to examine the distribution of leadership, this paper shares a case study on how leadership for an ICT project was distributed in a Singapore school. Method: The case study involved observations of 49 meetings and 34 interviews of leaders and the teachers who were involved in the ICT project. Findings: Applying the lens of third-generation Activity Theory helped to reveal two main interrelated activity systems, and the leadership actions performed by senior and middle management. The two activity systems comprised the school and the ICT project. The focus in Activity Theory on the social–cultural perspective highlighted the role played by social norms in mediating the leadership activity. Implications for future research: The conclusion focuses on the understanding of distributed leadership as analysed through the lens of Activity Theory and suggests future research directions. Activity Theory enables research on distributed leadership to identify and examine interrelated activity systems that various leaders are involved in, and how these impact the leadership provided.

Exploring the Complexity of Student Learning Outcome Assessment Practices Across Multiple Libraries

Objectives – The purpose of this collaborative qualitative research project, initiated by the Greater Western Library Alliance (GWLA), was to explore how librarians were involved in the designing, implementing, assessing, and disseminating student learning outcomes (SLOs) in GWLA member academic libraries. The original objective of the research was to identify library evaluation/assessment practices at the different libraries to share and discuss by consortia members at a GWLA-sponsored Student Learning Assessment Symposium in 2013. However, findings raised new questions and areas to explore beyond student learning assessment, and additional research was continued by two of the GWLA collaborators after the Symposium. The purpose of this second phase of research was to explore the intersection of library and institutional contexts and academic library assessment practices.
 
 Methods – This qualitative research study involved a survey of librarians at 23 GWLA member libraries, about student learning assessment practices at their institutions. Twenty follow-up interviews were also conducted to further describe and detail the assessment practices identified in the survey. Librarians with expertise in library instruction, assessment, and evaluation, either volunteered or were designated by their Dean or Director, to respond to the survey and participate in the interviews. Interview data were analyzed by seven librarians, across six different GWLA libraries, using constant comparison methods (Strauss & Corbin, 2014). Emerging themes were used to plan a GWLA member Symposium. Based on unexpected findings, after the Symposium, two GWLA researchers continued the analysis using a grounded theory methodology to re-examine the data and uncover categorical relationships and conceptual coding, and to explore data alignment to theoretical possibilities.
 
 Results – Seventeen categories and five themes emerged from the interview data and were used to create a 3-part framework for describing and explaining library SLO assessment practices. The themes were used to plan the GWLA Assessment Symposium. Through additional qualitative grounded theory data analysis, researchers also identified a core variable, and data were re-evaluated to verify an alignment to Engeström’s Activity and Expansion Theories (Engeström, 2001, 2004). 
 
 Conclusions – The findings of this multi-phased qualitative study discovered how contextual, structural, and organizational factors can influence how libraries interact and communicate with college departments, and the larger institution about student learning outcomes and assessment. Viewing library and campus interaction through the activity theory lens can demonstrate how particular factors might influence library collaboration and interaction on campuses. Institutional contexts and cultures, campus-wide academic priorities, leadership at the library level, and changing roles of librarians were all themes that emerged from this study that are important factors to consider when planning the design, implementation, assessment and dissemination of library SLOs.

Using log variables in a learning management system to evaluate learning activity using the lens of activity theory

As the advance of learning technologies and analytics tools continues, learning management systems (LMSs) have been required to fulfil the growing expectations for smart learning. However, the reality regarding the level of technology integration in higher education differs considerably from such expectations or the speed of advances in educational technologies. This research aimed to evaluate the current activation levels and usage patterns of a LMS. A large data-set was analysed, which included the online activity information from 7940 courses. Through data pre-processing, general indicators reflecting login frequencies of the virtual campus and activity-based indicators presenting the activation patterns of diverse functions provided by Moodle were derived. Activity theory was applied to interpret the results of analysis, since it has been recognised as a powerful framework to understand phenomena encompassing interactive systems. Further, time-series investigation over three consecutive semesters allowed observation of historical changes. The results revealed considerably low use of the virtual campus with only slight changes, as well as significantly different activity patterns across course attributes and colleges. Contradictions among components in the activity system are discussed, along with the implications for improving teaching and learning with LMS in higher education.

How do medical educators design a curriculum that facilitates student learning about professionalism?

ObjectivesThis study analyses the ways in which curriculum reform facilitated student learning about professionalism. MethodsDesign-based research provided the structure for an iterative approach to curriculum change which we undertook over a 3 year period. The learning environment of the Personal and Professional Development Theme (PPD) was analysed through the sociocultural lens of Activity Theory. Lave and Wenger’s and Mezirow’s learning theories informed curriculum reform to support student development of a patient-centred and critically reflective professional identity. The renewed pedagogical outcomes were aligned with curriculum content, learning and teaching processes and assessment, and intense staff education was undertaken. We analysed qualitative data from tutor interviews and free-response student surveys to evaluate the impact of curriculum reform. ResultsStudents’ and tutors’ reflections on learning in PPD converged on two principle themes - ‘Developing a philosophy of medicine’ and ‘Becoming an ethical doctor’- which corresponded to the overarching PPD theme aims of communicative learning. Students and tutors emphasised the importance of the unique learning environment of PPD tutorials for nurturing personal development and the positive impact of the renewed assessment programme on learning. ConclusionsA theory-led approach to curriculum reform resulted in student engagement in the PPD curriculum and facilitated a change in student perspective about the epistemological foundation of medicine.

An Analysis of Spanish L2 Learners' Orientation Through Activity Theory

AbstractOrientation is defined as the way in which individuals view a task and the means they devise to fulfill it (Appel & Lantolf, 1994; Roebuck, 2000). This study investigated the orientation of twelve learners enrolled in a fourth‐semester Spanish L2 university course through the analysis of their interactions during a collaborative text‐reconstruction task and in their post‐activity reflections on their participation. Viewed through the lens of activity theory (Appel & Lantolf, 1994; Wertsch, 1998), learners' behavior and reflections presented an account of their orientation that was rooted in their motives, needs, and goals and materialized in concrete action during the task. Findings demonstrated that (a) learners' orientation changed at various times during the activity depending on how their individual goals were met by the social setting (e.g., how helpful their partner was in completing the task) and (b) learners' reflections exposed information that was not apparent in activity (e.g., dissatisfaction with the task) but essential for language practitioners who seek to understand learners' goals, needs, and overall orientation toward language learning. Pedagogical implications address the implementation of orientation assessment forms in the L2 classroom.

L2 student–U.S. professor interactions through disciplinary writing assignments: An activity theory perspective

This study aimed to explain the complexity involved in multiple agents’ learning in interaction in graduate disciplinary writing contexts. Adopting activity theory (Engeström, 1999) as a guiding framework, I analyzed interactive experiences between an L2 English student writer and his professor regarding different writing assignments in a U.S. graduate course. Sources of qualitative data through one semester included interviews, a class observation, and written documents. The semilongitudinal nature of the study illuminated both participants’ changes in their writing and teaching practices over time.Activity theory enabled the visualization of the participants’ experiences with each assignment as an activity system. Moreover, the concept of interacting activity systems or activity system network offered a useful perspective to understand concurrent and multi-directional learning between the student and the professor, who mutually shaped and influenced each other's writing and teaching practices. The study's findings provide encouragement for L2 English students in terms of their potential power to bring change to their professors’ teaching practices and their L2 disciplinary communities. Furthermore, through the lens of activity theory, the study offers future possibilities of exploring L2 graduate disciplinary socialization by investigating different genres as activity systems and learning in multiple directions among students.

Department-initiated change

This paper reports the activity of three secondary school mathematics departments in England in self-initiated states of change that led to overall improvements in students’ achievements when compared to previous cohorts. This took place without intervention and without their participation in external projects. They provide examples of departments that can work effectively on their own development, and hence, their work adds to our knowledge of the potential for development through collaboration. The departments were monitored over 3 years, and data were analysed using the lens of activity theory. In contrast to departments in many studies, these departments worked overtly on mathematics pedagogy through the shared production and discussion of resources, shared planning and task design. Also in contrast to several other studies, they developed distinct ways to handle differences of subject knowledge among the teachers in the department. Their focus changed during the study from developing resource banks to supporting students’ learning through hybrid teaching.

Understanding health information technology adoption: A synthesis of literature from an activity perspective

The vast body of literature on health information technology (HIT) adoption features considerably heterogeneous factors and demands for a synthesis of the knowledge in the field. This study employs text mining and network analysis techniques to identify the important concepts and their relationships in the abstracts of 979 articles of HIT adoption. Through the lens of Activity Theory, the revealed concept map of HIT adoption can be viewed as a complex activity system involving different users, technologies and tasks at both the individual level and the social level. Such a synthesis not only discloses the current knowledge domain of HIT adoption, but also provides guidance for future research on HIT adoption.

Applying an Activity Theory Lens to Designing Instruction for Learning About the Structure, Behavior, and Function of a Honeybee System

This article reports on a study in which activity theory was used to design, implement, and analyze a 10-week curriculum unit about how honeybees collect nectar with a particular focus on complex systems concepts. Students (n = 42) in a multi-year kindergarten and 1st-grade classroom participated in this study as part of their 10 regular classroom activity. The curricular unit was composed of 4 specific activity types, each of which was intended to focus students on a particular dimension of the content: (a) Inquiry with BeeSign software was intended to help students explore the benefit of individual nectar-collecting behaviors for the hive as a whole; (b) traditional drawing activities were intended to help students learn the structures of 15 the bees; (c) participatory representation activities, in which students enacted the behavior of the bees as they collect nectar, were intended to help students link bee structures to individual behaviors; and (d) an embodied nectar-gathering game was intended to help the students recognize the challenges of finding nectar for individual bees. Pre- and posttest interviews reveal a shift in individual student understanding 20 as students progressed from discussing the superficial structures of the system to discussing both behaviors and functions.

We are what we do: Examining learner‐generated content in the anatomy laboratory through the lens of activity theory

Video and photography are often used for delivering content within the anatomical sciences. However, instructors typically produce these resources to provide instructional or procedural information. Although the benefits of learner-generated content have been explored within educational research, virtually no studies have investigated the use of learner-generated video and photograph content within anatomy dissection laboratories. This study outlines an activity involving learner-generated video diaries and learner-generated photograph assignments produced during anatomy laboratory sessions. The learner-generated photographs and videos provided instructors with a means of formative assessment and allowed instructors to identify evidence of collaborative behavior in the laboratory. Student questionnaires (n = 21) and interviews (n = 5), as well as in-class observations, were conducted to examine student perspectives on the laboratory activities. The quantitative and qualitative data were examined using the framework of activity theory to identify contradictions between student expectations of, and engagement with, the activity and the actual experiences of the students. Results indicate that learner-generated photograph and video content can act as a rich source of data on student learning processes and can be used for formative assessment, for observing collaborative behavior, and as a starting point for class discussions. This study stresses the idea that technology choice for activities must align with instructional goals. This research also highlights the utility of activity theory as a framework for assessing classroom and laboratory activities, demonstrating that this approach can guide the development of laboratory activities.

Understanding the Blended Learning Experiences of English Language Teachers in a Distance TESL Degree Programme in Malaysia

In an effort to improve the status and the professional qualification of non-graduate primary school teachers, the Ministry of Education, Malaysia recently mandated a large scale change effort to upgrade non-graduate teachers to become graduate teachers via a a specially designed distant education degree programme, called the Graduate Programme for Teachers (Program Pensiswazahan Guru also known as PPG in Malay language) using a blended format involving part face-to-face (F2F) and distance learning. This paper examines the learning experiences of the first cohort of TESL teachers undergoing the blended learning (BL) courses. Specifically, learning experiences were examined in the form of (1) the in-service teachers’ perception towards the BL approach, and (2) the learning experiences supporting or impeding their learning using the BL approach. To gain an appreciation of the in-service teachers’ experience with the BL system, both qualitative and quantitative techniques were used, namely a survey consisting of open and closed questions, focus groups interviews and reflective journals. Findings revealed the teachers generally have positive perceptions of the blended course design. However, when viewed through the theoretical lens of Activity Theory (AT), data revealed tensions both between and within the components of the activity system in the BL environment. The paper concludes that further fine-tuning needs to be taken to ameliorate the challenges faced, particularly the contradictions and tensions involving issues related to willingness and attitudes towards learning the courses (object/outcome component); Schoology and learning materials (Mediating tools); collaboration (Rules) and opinions related to ‘teacher’s presence’ (Division of Labour).