Supporting learning-in-use : some applications of activity theory to the analysis and design of ICT-enabled collaborative work and learning

摘要

This thesis discusses some applications of activity theory to the analysis anddesign of collaborative work and learning processes either partially or wholly enabled by theuse of information and communication technology (ICT). Activity theory (AT) is a monistic,materialistic psychological meta-theory comprising several distinct strands of historical andtheoretical development. Founded in the former USSR in the early 1930s, it became afundamental approach in Soviet psychology. In the West, AT was first adopted as aconceptual framework for human-computer interaction (HCI) and information systems design(ISD) in the late 1980s by researchers associated with the Participatory Design (PD) andComputer-Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) movements. Mainly drawing onScandinavian interpretations of AT, this work established a distinctive, predominantlycultural-historical approach to context-aware information technology design now known asATIT. ATIT is widely recognised as having made significant contributions to the theory andvocabulary of HCI and ISD; the principal aim of this thesis is to further develop its usefulnessfor ICT design. The research discussed explored the theory, history and development of ATITwhile also applying and evaluating various established and new practical ATIT methods.These included the breakdown and focus-shifts analysis approach developed by Bødker andher associates and some novel techniques based on systemic-structural activity theory(SSAT), a modern, explicitly design-oriented synthesis of the cultural-historical and systemscyberneticstrands within Soviet activity theory.The empirical investigation involved participatory action research into the uses of ICT at anadult basic education (ABE) Open Learning Centre in south Wales, UK. A longitudinal studyof an intensive ICT-enabled ABE course, Computer Creative, was carried out betweenSeptember 2000 and May 2001 using ethnographic techniques. This was followed-up by ashort video-based study in May 2002. In both cases the aim was to use activity-theoretical techniques to identify ways of improving the use of ICT to support the Centre’s learnercentred,empowerment-oriented ABE practice. Using the key ATIT notion of breakdown as astarting-point, a number of factors influencing participants’ effective and creative learning-inuseof and with the available technologies were identified. Among the most significant ofthese was learners’ motivation during the ICT-enabled work-process. Conditions observed toencourage positive motivation included physical co-location in a material and socioculturalenvironment favouring self-regulation and mutual coordination through communicative andinstrumental means and the structuring of ICT-enabled tasks so as to facilitate the formationand alignment of personally meaningful task-goals. Although user-interface (UI) designemerged as only one among many task-conditions impacting on motivation, someapplications were persistently associated with recurrent and/or catastrophic breakdown. Theprincipal UI characteristics identified as likely contributors to such breakdowns wereinadequate provision of task-relevant information and under- or over-representation of taskcomplexity. Based on these findings, the thesis presents a number of recommendations andguidelines for researchers and designers on the use of activity-theoretical techniques to createand evaluate interactive information and communication systems, ICT-enabled workprocessesand tasks, and ICT use-settings. In doing so it provides further evidence of thepotential applicability of AT to a range of IT-design challenges, while concluding that inorder to more fully realise this potential researchers should consider revising and expandingthe conceptual framework of ATIT to include ideas from SSAT.