Applying Activity Theory to CSCW research and practice

Full-day workshop at ECSCW'03, 8th European Conference of Computer-Supported Cooperative Work

Helsinki, Finland, 14th September 2003

Programme | Objectives | Participants | Organizers | Related events | References

Workshop programme

The workshop was divided into four themes. Within each theme, about four participants had 5-10 minutes each to highlight the main points of their position papers or work-in-progress papers which had been available for the participants in beforehand. A general discussion about the theme followed.

Most of the papers and presentation slides are available through the links below in the programme. Please note, however, that they are in progress, not to be cited without the permission of the copy right holders (authors).

09:30-10:00 Introduction to the workshop

10:00-11:15 Methodologies and frameworks

11:15-11:30 Coffee break

11:30-12:45 Understanding collaborative work activities

12:45-13:45 Lunch break

13:45-15:00 Understanding system development activities

15:00-15:15 Coffee break

15:15-17:00 Instruments for design in CSCW: Conclusions

Goals and objectives

The term ‘computer-supported cooperative work’ implies that ‘work’ is the primary unit of analysis in CSCW and ‘computer support for cooperation’ is secondary, particularly if we agree that “virtually all work has a cooperative element” (King, 1991).  So the starting point for CSCW research and practice should be to study work practice in order to inform the design of improved support for collaboration, particularly by computer-based means.

Activity Theory (AT) (Engeström, 1999a; Hedegaard et al., 1999) has been a recognised framework for enhancing design practices in CSCW and related disciplines as well as the related fields of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and Information Systems (IS) for more than a decade (Bertelsen and Bødker, 2000; Bødker, 1991; Kuutti, 1991; Redmiles, 2002).  In most cases, AT has been deployed as an analytical framework (Bardram, 1997; Bardram, 1998; Bardram, 2000; Engeström, 1999b; Korpela et al., 2000; Korpela et al., 2002; Kuutti, 1995; Kuutti and Arvonen, 1992; Mwanza, 2001; Mwanza, 2002; Tuikka, 2002; Turner et al., 1999).

The goal of this full-day workshop is to further operationalize Activity Theory into a practicable research methodology as well as a practicable requirements analysis and design methodology in CSCW. The participants are invited into discussing the applicability of the presented experiences, methods and frameworks vis-à-vis their own needs for research and design methodologies.

Participants

The intended participants are researchers and practitioners interested in the practical aspects of using Activity Theory in systems design.  No prior experience in applying AT is required, although reading some introductory papers on AT (see above) is highly recommendable. Participants will need to read the position papers and work-in-progress papers in advance.

A maximum of 24 participants can be accommodated.

Organizers

Mikko Korpela and Anja Mursu (University of Kuopio, Finland), Jakob Bardram, Olav Bertelsen and Susanne Bødker (University of Aarhus, Denmark), Kari Kuutti (University of Oulu, Finland) and Daisy Mwanza (Open University, United Kingdom)

Jakob Bardram has applied AT in CSCW for several years, particularly in terms of the temporal and dynamic aspects of clinical workflow.

Olav Bertelsen and Susanne Bødker have studied and applied AT for more than a decade, particularly in the field of Human Computer Interaction (HCI).

Mikko Korpela has applied AT in Information Systems (IS) for more than a decade. Together with his former PhD students Anja Mursu and Abimbola Soriyan he developed the Activity Analysis and Development (ActAD) framework.

Kari Kuutti has applied AT to CSCW, HCI and IS research for more than a decade.  He has supervised PhD studies by Helena Karasti and Tuomo Tuikka, among others.

Daisy Mwanza is the author of Activity-Oriented Design Method (AODM) for HCI research and practice.  She is also currently consulting with the Centre for Activity Theory and Developmental Work Research at the University of Helsinki in Finland.

Related events

Methodological perspectives on applying activity theory to CSCL research and practice, Bergen, Norway, 14 June 2003: Collaborative learning workshop at CSCL 2003, Fifth International Conference on Computer Support for Collaborative Learning.

Methods for Applying Activity Theory to HCI Design, Zürich, Switzerland, 1 September 2003: One day workshop at INTERACT 2003, Ninth IFIP TC13 International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction.

Relevant Theory and Informed Practice: A Twenty Year Perspective on IS Research, IFIP WG 8.2 Working Conference, 15-17 July 2004, Manchester, England. “AT in IT Design” will definitely be present in “Manchester 2”.

References

Bertelsen, O. W. and Bødker, S. (2000): ‘Introduction: Information technology in human activity’, Scandinavian Journal of Information Systems, vol. 12, no. 1, 2000, pp. 3-14.

Bardram, J. E. (1997): ‘Plans as situated action: An activity theory approach to workflow systems’, in J. A. Hughes at al. (eds.): ECSCW '97, Kluwer Academic, Lancaster, UK, 1997, pp. 17-32.

Bardram, J. (1998): ‘Designing for the dynamics of cooperative work activities’, in S. Poltrock and J. Grudin (eds.): Proceedings of the 1998 ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work, ACM Press, New York, NY, 1998, pp. 89-98.

Bardram, J (2000): ‘Temporal coordination: Of time and collaborative activities at a surgical department’, Computer Supported Cooperative Work, vol. 9, no. 2, 2000, pp. 157-187.

Bødker, S. (1991): ‘Activity theory as a challenge to systems design’, in H-E. Nissen, H. K. Klein and R. Hirscheim (eds.): Information Systems Research: Contemporary Approaches and Emergent Traditions, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1991, pp. 551-564.

Engeström, Y. (1999a): ‘Activity theory and individual and social transformation’, in Y. Engeström, R. Miettinen and R. Punamäki (eds.): Perspectives on Activity Theory, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 1999, pp. 19-38.

Engeström, Y. (1999b): ‘Expansive visibilization of work: An activity-theoretical perspective’, Computer Supported Cooperative Work, vol. 8, no. 1-2, February 1999, pp. 63-93.

Hedegaard, M., Chaiklin, S. and Jensen, U. J. (1999): ‘Activity theory and social practice: An introduction’, in S. Chaiklin, M. Hedegaard and U. J. Jensen (eds.): Activity Theory and Social Practice: Cultural-Historical Approaches, Aarhus University Press, Aarhus, 1999, pp. 12–30.

Kling, R. (1991): ‘Cooperation, coordination and control in computer-supported work’, Communications of the ACM, vol. 34 , no. 12, December 1991, pp. 83-88.

Korpela, M., Soriyan, H. A. and Olufokunbi, K. C. (2000): ‘Activity analysis as a method for information systems development: General introduction and experiments from Nigeria and Finland’, Scandinavian Journal of Information Systems, vol. 12, 2000, pp. 191-210.

Korpela, M., Mursu, A. and Soriyan, H.A. (2002): ‘Information systems development as an activity’, Computer Supported Cooperative Work, vol. 11, 2002, pp. 111-128.

Kuutti, K. (1991): ‘Activity Theory and its applications to information systems research and development’, in H-E. Nissen, H. K. Klein and R. Hirscheim (eds.): Information Systems Research: Contemporary Approaches and Emergent Traditions, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1991, pp. 529-549.

Kuutti, K. (1995): ‘Work processes: Scenarios as a preliminary vocabulary’, in J. M. Carroll (ed.): Scenario-based design: Envisioning work and technology in system development, John Wiley, New York, NY, 1995, pp. 19-36.

Kuutti, K. and Arvonen, T. (1992): ‘Identifying potential CSCW applications by means of activity theory concepts: A case example’, in M. Mantei and R. Baecker (eds.): Proceedings of the 1992 ACM conference on Computer-supported cooperative work, ACM Press, New York, NY, 1992, pp. 233-240.

Mwanza, D. (2001): ‘Where theory meets practice: A case for an Activity Theory based methodology to guide computer system design’, in M. Hirose (ed.): Proceedings of INTERACT’2001, IOS Press, Oxford, UK, 2001.

Mwanza, D. (2002): Towards an Activity-Oriented Design Method for HCI Research and Practice, PhD thesis, Open University, Milton Keynes, UK, 2002, http://oulibl.open.ac.uk/.

Redmiles, D. (2002): ‘Introduction’, Computer Supported Cooperative Work, vol. 11, special issue on Activity Theory, 2002.

Tuikka, T. (2002): ‘Remote Concept Design from an Activity Theory Perspective’, in E. F. Churchill, J. McCarthy, C. Neuwirth and T. Rodden (eds.): Proceedings of the 2002 ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work, ACM Press, New York, NY, 2002, pp. 186-195.

Turner, P., Turner, S. and Horton J. (1999): ‘From description to requirements: An activity theoretic perspective’, Group '99, ACM Press, Phoenix, AZ, 1999, pp. 286-295.