Why Activity Theory in HCI?

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 Helena Lindgren

2. 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”. Helena Lindgren

3. tool subject object 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 Helena Lindgren

4. “Man’s activity is the substance of his consciousness.” Leontjev 1977 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 Helena Lindgren

5. Constructs of Activity Theory –5 keys to understanding human activity • Object orientedness • Mediation • Hierarchal structure of activity • Internalisation – externalisation • Development Helena Lindgren

6. tool object subject 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 Helena Lindgren

7. tool object subject 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 Helena Lindgren

8. 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 transformation Helena Lindgren

9. transformation 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 Helena Lindgren

10. tool object subject 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 Helena Lindgren

11. “design of a computer application is design of conditions for the whole use activity.” Bödker 1999 • 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..? Helena Lindgren

12. 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” Helena Lindgren

13. Beyond ZPD Zone of Proximal Development - ZPD Autonomous / independent Levels of development in an individual (only intresting in relation to an activity) Helena Lindgren

14. Tool Outcome subject object Rules / routines Division of labour Society / work environment / team Engeström’s ”Activity System” Helena Lindgren

15. 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 Helena Lindgren

16. ”Web of activities” Tool producing activity Subject producing activity Future more developed central activity Rule producing activity Central activity Helena Lindgren

17. Earlier projects: Examples – What is the activity? • Volvo: Montering vs. lager Helena Lindgren

18. Verksamhet: Montering Aktiviteter: montering av objekt A-Ö, beställning av fler objekt vid brist Operationer: skruva, ”skjuta”, hämta Handdator, monteringsverktyg, lista Färdig, felfri hytt linjemontör Hytt Helena Lindgren

19. Verksamhet: Hantera material som ska levereras till linjen Aktiviteter: Ta emot beställningar, hämta varor, leverera varor, fylla på varor i lager, beställa varor från leverantörer Operationer: manövrera truck, dator, kolla streckkoder dator, truck, lista, kodnummer, vagnar Rätt material levereras i tid till minsta möjliga kostnad? Material- hantering truckförare Helena Lindgren

20. Helena Lindgren

21. Verksamhet: Systemförvaltning Aktiviteter: Uppdatera system, upprätta förvaltningsplan, identifiera informationsflöden Operationer: manövrera dator, applikationer, ... Lotus-notes, pärm m förvaltningsplaner, kommunikationshjm, egna scheman PROBLEM: Visualisering av komplex information Friktionsfri, säker system- användning ute i verksamheter Systemförvaltare 220 system Organisation Systemägare, tekniker, användare Regler Helena Lindgren

22. verktyg resultat subjekt objekt regler / rutiner arbetsfördelning samhälle / arbetsplats The course from an activity-theoretical perspective Helena Lindgren

23. ”Crystallized” Activity Theory • 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 Helena Lindgren

24. 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 Helena Lindgren

25. 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) Helena Lindgren

26. Helena Lindgren