2009-01-20 Helena Lindgren 1 Why Activity Theory in HCI? Reaction against what was viewed as the limitations of HCI The role of the artefact poorly investigated or understood Focus on novice users Limited possibility to use task analyses to describe activity and terms for activity Focus on automatisation of routine tasks Focus on one user – one computer The view on the user as solely object of study
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2009-01-20 Helena Lindgren1
Why Activity Theory in HCI?
Reaction against what was viewed as the limitations of HCI
The role of the artefact poorly investigated or understood Focus on novice users Limited possibility to use task analyses to describe activity
and terms for activity Focus on automatisation of routine tasks Focus on one user – one computer The view on the user as solely object of study
2009-01-20 Helena Lindgren2
Activity Theory Sources:
Bertelsen/Bödker, course book chapter 11 Victor Kaptelinin Susanne Bödker Yrjö Engeström (”developmental work research” – CHAT)
Origin: Culture-Historical school in former Soviet 1920-30 Lev Vygotsky A. N. Leontjev A. R. Luria
”The Making of Mind” (1976) ” ...in order to have a theory of brain-behavior relations, it is
necessary to have a theory of both the brain and behavior”.
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Dynamic system theory
Activity: the minimal purposeful context for analysing human activity
Is characterised by constant change = development Humans interact with (and change) their environment by
using tools (language, other artefacts, symbols) Avoids dichotomies
subject
tool
object
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Two basic ideas
1) human’s consciousness develops, exists and can only be understood in the context of the human’s interaction with the world
2) this interaction – *activity* – is socially and culturally augmented
“Man’s activity is the substance of his consciousness.”Leontjev 1977
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Constructs of Activity Theory – 5 keys to understanding human activity
Object orientedness Mediation Hierarchal structure of activity Internalisation – externalisation Development
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Object
A human’s activity is oriented towards an object An entity that exists in the world and can be
studied with objective methods Can be things or humans, theories, models,
ideas, social or cultural phenomenon
subject
tool
object
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Mediating tools
Tools form the way we interact with reality When external tools are shaped, internal are also shaped Tools mirror earlier users’ experiences
The physical properties of the tool Knowledge about how the tool is to be used
Tools can be physical or psychological
The situation determines whether an artefact functions as a tool that mediates activity (not focus for the activity) or functions as an object for activity. A transformation can take place.... Tool object
subject
tool
object
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Hierarchal Structure of Activity
Activity (verksamhet) Fulfills a motive, behind which a need exists. A person may not
be aware of the need but the motive, or purpose Is identified by identifying what object the activity is directed
towards that is to be modified/changed -> the motive Consists of:
Actions (aktivitet) Performed consciously, goal-driven Consists of:
Operations (operationer) Performed without thought, do not have own goals
tran
sfor
mat
ion
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Internalisation Externalisation
Internal activities – cognition External activities (executed outside the body) can be
internalised (ex calculation) Verksamheten som helhet är viktig i denna process; tex
motorisk aktivitet, användandet av artefakter Internal activities can be externalised for the purpose
of involving others in the activity This continuous transformation is viewed as the base
for human cognition and activity
transformation
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The 5 constructs once again...
Activity is directed towards an object to be modified/changed
Tools mediate activity Dynamic and hierarchal structure of activity
Verksamhet (activity) Aktivitet (action) Operation (operation)
Internalisation – externalisation of activity Development
Conflicts – ”breakdowns” ZPD
subject
tool
object
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All keys are needed to understand the activity: What is the activity? What is the object? What is the motive? What are the tools? (internal-external) How are the above-mentioned changed? (identify
breakdowns) ...even if focus lies on one of the phenomenon, e.g., the
system as mediating tool in the use context... Or was the system the object..?
“design of a computer application is design of conditions for the whole use activity.”
Bödker 1999
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Development
What triggers these transformations? Conflicts built into activity systems
Changes in the environment Changes in an individual’s abilities or resources
Causes ”breakdowns” -> transformations -> development, is viewed as something positive!
Development is viewed as a general research methodology – ”formative experiment”
ZPD – ”Zone of proximal development”
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Levels of development in an individual (only intresting in relation to an activity)
Zone of Proximal Development - ZPD
Autonomous / independent
Beyond ZPD
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Engeström’s ”Activity System”
Tool
subject object
Rules / routines Division of labourSociety / work environment / team
Outcome
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Contradictions (Engeström)
Types of contradictions 1) resources vs demands of results 2) Internally within the system 3) towards ”neighbour” activities 4) contradictions between how the activity is
performed today and how it potentially may be performed in the future
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”Web of activities”
Central activity
Rule producingactivity
Subject producingactivity
Tool producingactivity
Future more developedcentral activity
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Earlier projects: Examples – What is the activity?
Volvo: Montering vs. lager
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Verksamhet: MonteringAktiviteter: montering av objekt A-Ö, beställning av fler objekt vid bristOperationer: skruva, ”skjuta”, hämta
Färdig, felfri hytt
Hyttlinjemontör
Handdator, monteringsverktyg, lista
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Verksamhet: Hantera material som ska levereras till linjenAktiviteter: Ta emot beställningar, hämta varor, leverera varor,
fylla på varor i lager, beställa varor från leverantörerOperationer: manövrera truck, dator, kolla streckkoder
Material-hanteringtruckförare
dator, truck, lista, kodnummer, vagnar
Rättmateriallevererasi tid tillminstamöjligakostnad?
Checklists Bödker (fig 11.8) Korpela et al. (fig 11.9) Focus and focus shift (fig 11.10) Activity checklist
Kaptelinin Victor, Nardi Bonnie, Macaulay C. The Activity Checklist: A Tool for Representing the “Space” of Context. Interactions, july, august 1999
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Contributions of Activity Theory to HCI
Extending the scope of HCI HCI needs to move focus from only ”human factors” towards
the wider perspective ”human actors” Collective learning Knowledge generation Shift from byrocratic to dynamic organisations ”action research”
Adding dynamic properties to previously over-simplified concepts like transparency, affordance, direct manipulation
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Literature Tips
Bödker, Susanne (1989), "A human activity apporach to user interfaces", Human-Computer Interaction, Ch. 4, pp 171-195.
Hasu Mervi, Engeström Yrjö (1999), "Measurement in Action: An Activity-Theoretical Perspective on Producer-User Interaction". http://www.edu.helsinki.fi/activity/people/mervi.htm
Kaptelinin Victor, Nardi Bonnie, Macaulay C. (1999) “The Activity Checklist: A Tool for Representing the “Space” of Context”. Interactions, july, august, 1999
Kaptelinin Victor, Nardi Bonnie. “Acting with Technology – Activity Theory and Interaction Design”. The MIT Press (2007)