Understanding

Activity

Understanding

ActivityUsing CHAT to understand how an

augmented reality game mediates the cultural models of campers at a traditional woods

camp.

Using CHAT to understand how an augmented reality game

mediates the cultural models of campers at a traditional woods

camp.

They're setting up some kind of base station here. There's all sorts of radio gear. If you can get to one of the nearby peaks, you might be able to intercept a transmission with your Communicator. I'll try to program it to accept them from my end. Do not return to Craig Pond, or Great Pond mountain -- they're swarming with Greenies.

John, looking

really really tired.

With the Little Red Hen!

(Goal)

Feed self.

ProcessObjectSubject Outcome

Understanding Activity

"...the unit of analysis is an activity directed at an object, which motivates activity, giving it a specific direction. (p. 37)."

Kaptelinin, V., and Nardi, B. (1997). Activity theory: Basic concepts and applications. In Proceedings of CHI 1997 Electronic Publications: Extended Abstracts, E. Francik and J. Larson, Eds.

Activity Theory

ObjectSubject Outcome

Object: feed self> Activity: get food

> Action: find an apple tree with apples> Operations: climb tree, pick apple, eat apple

Process

Kaptelinin, V., and Nardi, B. (1997). Activity theory: Basic concepts and applications. In Proceedings of CHI 1997 Electronic Publications: Extended Abstracts, E. Francik and J. Larson, Eds.

"Activities are composed of goal-directed actions that must be undertaken to fulfill the object. Actions are conscious, and different actions may be undertaken to meet the same goal. Actions are implemented through automatic operations" (p. 37).

Tools

ObjectSubject

Vygotsky's Mediational Triangle

Process Outcome

"The first generation, centered around Vygotsky, created the idea of mediation. This idea was crystallized in Vygotsky’s (1978, p. 40) famous triangular model in which the conditioned direct connection between stimulus (S) and response (R) was transcended by ‘a complex, mediated act’ (Figure 1A). Vygotsky’s idea of cultural mediation of actions is commonly expressed as the triad of subject, object, and mediating artifact" (p. 134).

Engeström, Y. (2001), ``Expansive learning at work: towards an activity-theoretical conception’’, Journal of Education and Work, Vol. 14 No. 1, pp. 133-56.

ObjectSubject

Community

Sociocultural Activity Triangle

Process

Engeström, Y. (2001), ``Expansive learning at work: towards an activity-theoretical conception’’, Journal of Education and Work, Vol. 14 No. 1, pp. 133-56.

"The limitation of the first generation was that the unit of analysis remained individually focused. This was overcome by the second generation, centered around Leont’ev. In his famous example of ‘primeval collective hunt’ (Leont’ev, 1981, pp. 210–213) Leont’ev explicated the crucial difference between an individual action and a collective activity" (p. 134).

Engeström's AT Triangle

Process

Instruments

ObjectSubject

Rules Community Divisionof Labor

Outcome

Engeström, Y. (2001), ``Expansive learning at work: towards an activity-theoretical conception’’, Journal of Education and Work, Vol. 14 No. 1, pp. 133-56.

"The concept of activity took the paradigm a huge step forward in that it turned the focus on complex interrelations between the individual subject and his or her community" (p. 135).

Activity Theory and

One day as the Little Red Hen was scratching in a field, she found some grains of wheat."This wheat should be planted," she said. "Who will plant these grains of wheat?""Not I," honked the Goose. "Not I," meowed the Cat. "Not I," squealed the Pig."Then I will," said the Little Red Hen. And she did.

Soon the wheat grew to be tall and yellow."The wheat is ripe," said the Little Red Hen. "Who will cut the wheat?""Not I," honked the Goose. "Not I," meowed the Cat. "Not I," squealed the Pig."Then I will," said the Little Red Hen. And she did.

When the wheat was cut, the Little Red Hen said, "Who will thresh the wheat?""Not I," honked the Goose. "Not I," meowed the Cat. "Not I," squealed the Pig."Then I will," said the Little Red Hen. And she did.

When the wheat was threshed, the Little Red Hen said, "Who will take this wheat to the mill?""Not I," honked the Goose. "Not I," meowed the Cat. "Not I," squealed the Pig."Then I will," said the Little Red Hen. And she did.

She took the wheat to the mill and had it ground into flour. Then she said, "Who will make this flour into bread?""Not I," honked the Goose. "Not I," meowed the Cat. "Not I," squealed the Pig."Then I will," said the Little Red Hen. And she did.

She made and baked the bread. Then she said, "Who will eat this bread?""Oh! I will," honked the Goose. "And I will," meowed the Cat. "And I will," squealed the Pig."No, No!" said the Little Red Hen. "I will do that with my chicks." And she did.

Activity Theory and The Little Red Hen

Other versions: http://commonsenselogic.blogspot.com/2008/10/little-red-hen-obama-revision.html

http://www.conceptualguerilla.com/?q=node/46

Process

Instruments

ObjectSubject

Rules Community Divisionof Labor

Outcome

Object: feed chicks

Activity: make bread

Actions: find wheat, plant wheat, cut wheat, thresh wheat, take to mill, make bread, eat bread

Operations: till, water, weed, carry, mix, bake, feed, ask for help, say no, etc.

If you don't help, you don't eat;

unless youare a chick.

If you don't help, you don't eat;

unless youare a chick.

feed chicksfeed chicks

Red's Activity System

Process

Instruments

ObjectSubject

Rules Community Divisionof Labor

Outcome

Object: Eat mice

Activity: catch mice

Actions: find mice, mortally wound them, play with them, eat them

Operations: avoid hen, say no, stalk mice, bite, swat, chew, etc.

Mice are fun to play with, and taste good too.

Mice are fun to play with, and taste good too.

kill micekill mice

Cat's Activity System

ProcessObjectSubject

Rules Community Divisionof Labor

Outcome

Object: eat

Activity: eat

Actions: squeal for food, eat, poop, stay cool

Operations: till, water, weed, carry, mix, bake, feed, ask for help, say no, etc.

Eat what's provided and

squeal for more

Eat what's provided and

squeal for more

eateat

Instruments

Pig's Activity System

ProcessObjectSubject

Rules Community

Outcome

Object: make money

Activity: run a farm

Actions: grow crops, raise livestock, keep vermin away, etc.

Operations: plant grain to feed livestock, butcher, sell, etc.

Eat what's provided and

squeal for more

Eat what's provided and

squeal for more

Instruments

Divisionof Labor

make moneymake money

Farmer's Activity System

Examining activityLook for contradictions, tensions, conflicts, breakdowns

Engestrom_2001_ExpansiveLearning

Engeström, Y. (2001), ``Expansive learning at work: towards an activity-theoretical conception’’, Journal of Education and Work, Vol. 14 No. 1, pp. 133-56.

Overlapping activityLook for contradictions, tensions, conflicts, breakdowns

Is overlapping activity(or "common object")

farming?

e.g. Goose

, Pig and Cat

e.g.

bet

ween

Hen a

nd o

ther

s

Where to find?

Primary: within a component

Secondary: between components

Tertiary: between activity systems

Where to find?

Primary: within a component

Secondary: between components

Tertiary: between activity systems

e.g. between "making bread," "catching mice," "eating gruel," and "running a farm"

Engeström, Y. (2001), ``Expansive learning at work: towards an activity-theoretical conception’’, Journal of Education and Work, Vol. 14 No. 1, pp. 133-56.

Dissertation Focus

Instruments

ObjectSubject

Community

Outcome

Chapter 3: The Cultural Models of FML

Chapter 4: ARGH and FML's Cultural Models

Chapter 5: ARGH and Identity

Chapter 6: ARGH and Motivation

Chapter 2: Research Summary

Chapter 1: Introduction

Process

Divisionof Labor

Rules

Trip

Chapter 3: The Cultural Models of FML

"Go camping""Go camping"CamperCamper "Mooser""Mooser"

CulturalModels

CulturalModels

Gear

Chapter 3 (Cultural Models of FML) uses the Activity Theory concept of Historicity to consider the continuity and breakdown of cultural models at a traditional New England camp for boys between 1921-2008, and raises questions on how and why the cultural models have evolved. Interviews and identity artifacts of recent campers are compared with historical camp artifacts in order to better understand how the cultural models have developed.

= Traditional Models

Flying MooseFlying Moose CommunitarianismCommunitarianism

Engeström, Y. (2001) "Expansive Learning at Work: toward an activity theoretical reconceptualization," Journal of Education and Work, 14(1), pp. 133-156.

As soon as the camp gathers each summer, we carefully look the group over. We note the growth that has taken place in the returning campers; and likewise we try to find out what skills and abilities the new campers bring with them, and we work hard those opening days on canoeing skills, axe work, swimming, first aid, and woods' safety. While we are in the process of working on those skills, we can not help but notice which campers get along best with which other campers. They are forming groups, and we are forming groups; and those groups will eventually be the groups of the first week's trips.

Trips are the very heart of Flying Moose, and I doubt if any other camp has a trip program that exactly duplicates ours. The program revolves around what I call The Magic Formula. Stated in its briefest terms, The Magic Formula provides that every boy go on a four day camping trip every week he is at Flying Moose.

Activity at Flying Moose

"Big A" Activity = Trips

Actions = skill development

Trip

The "big A" Activity of Flying Moose

"Go camping""Go camping"CamperCamper "Mooser""Mooser"

CulturalModels

CulturalModels

Gear = Traditional Models

Flying MooseFlying Moose CommunitarianismCommunitarianism

CommunityCommunity

InstrumentsInstruments

ObjectObjectSubjectSubject

RulesRules Division of LaborDivision of Labor

OutcomeOutcome

Small "a" activity of an Augmented Reality Mystery Trip

Chapters 4-6: ARGH Mediation

Trips

Chapter 4: ARGH and Motivation

GPSGPS

GameNarrative

GameNarrative

Chapter 4 (ARGH and Motivation) focuses on how the narrative of The Mystery Trip mediated the object-oriented actions of the traditional trip and thus significantly changed the structure of the Activity System. The addition of fantasy narrative transformed the motivating Object from hiking to gameplay. This encouraged campers to ‘work playfully’ on a hiking trip and fostered deeper connections to the communities and cultures. The GPS hardware also played a significant part in closely tying the hike to a cultural narrative that was meaningful to the participants.

Roles "Mooser""Save Camp!"

= Traditional Models

= Introduced with ARGH

Flying MooseFlying Moose CommunitarianismCommunitarianism

Trip00

Chapter 5: ARGH and Identity

RolesRoles "Mooser""Mooser"

GameNarrative

GameNarrative

Chapter 5 (ARGH and Identity) examines how the The Mystery Trip reframed a hiking activity for participants by providing roles or identities for them to play. These roles helped enrich participants’ level of interaction with place. It encouraged and fortified participants' collaboration and connection to each other within teams, and placed those teams within a deeper community context of the rest of the camp, and it further situated the camping trip and trip group within a historical understanding of its culture of place.

"Save Camp!""Save Camp!"

GPS = Traditional Models

= Introduced with ARGH

CamperCamper

Flying MooseFlying Moose CommunitarianismCommunitarianism

vsvs

Chapter 6: ARGH and FML's Cultural Models

Chapter 6 (ARGH and FML's Cultural Models) builds off of chapters 3 through 5 in considering the tensions and contradictions between the activity of the Mystery Trip (with GPS technology) and traditional cultural models of Flying Moose Lodge.

Trip

CulturalModels

CulturalModels

Map, Compass, TrailsMap, Compass, Trails

"Go camping""Go camping"

GPSGPS

"Save camp!""Save camp!"

GameNarrative

GameNarrative

vsvs

vsvs

vsvs

"Mooser"

= Traditional Models

= Introduced with ARGH

CamperCamper

Flying MooseFlying Moose Squads, Trip rolesSquads, Trip roles

RolesRolesvsvs

Focus of Chapters