Activity Theory
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Activity theory is a framework that analyzes human behavior in context. It views human activities as being composed of three levels - activities, actions, and operations. Activities are goal-directed and motivated. Actions are purposeful behaviors aimed at goals. Operations are automatic behaviors. Activity theory was developed by Soviet psychologists like Leontyev and Vygotsky who were interested in understanding human consciousness in social contexts using tools and artifacts. It looks at how subjects, objects, tools, rules, community, and division of labor interact within human activity systems. Modern activity theorists like Engstrom and Nardi apply it to fields like organizational learning and human-computer interaction.
Activity Theory
- 2. What is Activity Theory? - Activity Motive - Action Goal - Operation Automatic
- 3. Who invented this stuff? - A. N. Leontyev - “The old psychology was concerned only with internal processes, with the activity of the consciousness.” - Activity and Consciousness Source: Philosophy in the USSR, Problems of Dialectical Materialism, 1977, pp. 180- 202 - Vygotsky: Socio-cultural psychology
- 4. Human Activity System - Engström - Scandinavian AT - Distribution of cognition - Sharing of knowledge and work
- 5. Modern Times - Nardi - Norman
- 6. Human Activity System Activity Action Operation Tools & Artifacts Outcomes Subjects Activity Rules Objects Division of Effort Community
- 7. Engström - Organizational Learning - “Communities of Practice”
- 8. Tools - Tools are created in a social context to support purposeful human activity - At-hand tools - Near-hand tools
- 9. Tools & Desire - “First-to-Mind Wins” ! - “The degree to which a company can utilize habit-forming technologies will increasingly decide which products and services succeed or fail.” http://www.nirandfar.com/2012/03/how-to-manufacture-desire.html
- 10. Tools - Microbiologists prefer Awk - What the fawk is awk?
- 11. Tools Tools often define communities of practice I am close to completing a doctoral dissertation at Harvard University. ! My greatest achievement at Harvard has been the identification of DNA polymorphisms through massive parallel sequencing. This work has involved specialized computational tools and custom C++ and Awk scripting. My discoveries will feature in three manuscripts in preparation, with more to come.
- 12. Tools - MB1: How do I create an index of my chromosome and constrain the output to only 10 genes? - MB2: Use Awk
- 13. Tools - MB1: I’ve heard of Awk. How would I use it for my problem? - MB2: First, you have to learn Awk. I have a 500 page book; it has nothing to do with microbiology (grins) - MB1: What is Awk though? - MB2: You use it to process and manipulate large text files
- 14. Tools - MB1 (to self): I process large text files. I will use Awk
- 15. Getting Real - Complex contexts - Focus on the subjects (people)
- 16. Problem 1 - Loss of user context in story-driven development process - Story too granular, myopic
- 18. Crime Lab - Activity Evidence Processing - Subjects Evidence Receiving Clerk; Lab Analyst; and Director - Objects Provide accurate findings to law enforcement agencies - Tools Latent print development chambers (for ballistic testing); microscopes - Outcomes Evidence-based prosecution of criminals
- 19. A Model Manage a Crime Lab Gentian Activity Model Receive Payment for Services Receive Evidence Create New Case Analyze Evidence Report Evidence Analysis Accept container(s) and submission form from agency Assign case identification number Check out evidence container(s) Write formal report Enter billing for analysis performed Look for an existing case using different defining details Maintain practice env Compare container(s) with what is listed on form Record requesting agency information Verify evidence container(s) content against purported contents Have draft reviewed by colleague Collect bills from all lab departments View matching results Analyze Catalog officers associated with the case Catalog evidence items in container(s) Add any additional documentation in support of report Create invoices for all bills Preview case status, demographic and ownership information View per Record witnesses associated with the case Complete requested analysis Turn in final, signed report and submission form to requesting agency Send invoices to corresponding agencies Find out status of case Report parties involved with the case Record notes while performing analysis File copy of signed report and submission form on file Receive payments Check evidence items associated with case Record purported contents and containers Document noted offenses associated with case Check evidence container(s) back in Enter Payment information View outcome of evidence analysis Request Analysis from appropriate lab department Cite related cases Allocate payments to invoices Attach additional documentation Mark invoices as paid Obtain chain of custody Assign case number Create new submission event Label evidence Store evidence in vault Deposit payments in account Monitor account aging Search Monitor
- 20. Problem 2 - Lack of focus during group ideation - Frame the problem through perspective of the Activity
- 21. Problem 3 - Lack of context about what to measure - We can’t measure everything - We can measure the most important customer flow that impacts business drivers
- 23. Wrap up - Keep an eye on the big picture - Set context through purposeful, motivated human context - Understand why (or why not) your product is “first-to-mind”