Using Activity Theory to Understand the Systemic Tensions Characterizing a Technology-Rich Introductory Astronomy Course

“Three such examples are Barab et al. (2002), Engeström (2001), and Hutchins (1993).”

“( 2002 ), the focus of activity theory is on how participants transform objects and how the components of a system, actor (participant) or actors (subgroups) and the acted on (object) as well as the dynamic relations between them, mediate this transformation.”

“Activity theory focuses on how students’ participation transforms objects and how components in a system mediate this transformation (Barab et al., 2002).”

“…(e.g., Peruski, 2003); group interviews (e.g., Basharina, 2007); transcripts of interactions from video recordings of classes or meetings (e.g., Barab et al., 2002); chat room conferences (e.g., Russell & Schneiderheinze, 2005); emails and online discussion forums (e.g., Basharina, 2007);…”

“In the Community of Teachers program, students are continually negotiating goals and meanings of the community as well as the profession ( Barab, Barnett, & Squire, 2002 ).”

“These dualities refer to core struggles that are endemic to system activity and that characterize the design struggles of such a system within these dualities, characterizing system activity and driving system innovation (Barab, Barnett, & Squire, 2002; Engeström, 1999).”

“In this figure, Barab et al. (2002) illustrate the pervasive tensions of the course, characterizing them in the form of dilemmas within each component of the triangle (e.g., subject: passive recipient vs. engaged learner).”

“As an empirical example of this notion, Barab, Barnett, Yamagata-Lynch, Squire, and Keating (2002) used activity theory as an analytical lens for understanding the transactions and pervasive tensions that characterized course activities.”

“Barab et al. (2002) used activity systems analysis to capture the moment-to-moment transitions in undergraduate student understanding of astronomy concepts while building and engaging with three-dimensional (3-”

“Xing et al. used activity theory 132 to comprehensively quantify the activities of students participating in computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL) course.”

“In other cases AT provides a lens for describing cases where educator practices did not change, and where new tools affected them minimally or slowly (Kirkup and Kirkwood 2005; Russel and Schneiderheinze 2005; Barab et al. 2002; Peruski 2003).”

“Furthermore, in an undergraduate astronomy course where students worked on a computer‐based 3D‐modelling project, researchers drew on the dynamic tenet of activity theory to identify two sets of systemic tensions in the course (Barab, Barnett, Yamagata‐Lynch, Squire, & Keating, 2002 ).”

“An activity system is never in perfect equilibrium; the components of the system continuously interact with each other causing inner contradictions (Engeström 2001; Barab et al. 2002).”

“For example, educational researchers have applied activity systems analysis to (a) summarize organizational change (Barab, Schatz, & Scheckler, 2004; Engestr ¨ om, 1993); (b) identify guidelines for designing constructivist learning environments (Jonassen & Rohrer-Murphy, 1999); (c) identify contradictions and tension…”

“Activity theorists, therefore, are not merely concerned with “disembodied action” (e.g., designing a course), but with “doing in order to transform” something in context (e.g., course designs enacted over time) ( Barab et al. 2004a, p. 200 ).”

“In much of the K-12 research, students used previously programmed VR worlds to examine features of the world and to carry out investigations to learn aspects of academic disciplines (e.g., Barab et al. 2000, 2002; Dede et al. 1996, 1997; Monahan et al. 2008).”

“As tensions enter the systems they become the moving force behind disturbances and innovations and eventually drive the system to change and develop (Barab et al. 2002, 79 80).”

“Within this ecology a number of contradictions were identified, with the help of activity theory (Barab et al., 2002; Jonassen, 2000; Engeström, 1987; Cole & Engeström, 1993).”

“Other contradictions may be external in nature where one activity system constrains the functioning of another (Jonassen & Rohrer-Murphy, 1999; Barab et al., 2002; Yamagata-Lynch, 2003).”

“The activity analysis also highlights the nested activities within the ScBS activity system [32].”

“The theory has been evaluated as a powerful framework to allow understanding of the experiences of students and instructors in technology-enhanced learning (Barab et al. 2002; Scanlon and Issroff 2005).”

“While much has been written about design experiments as a methodological approach, there are surprisingly few examples in which design experiments are used analytically, with some exceptions (see e.g. Roth et al. 1999; Barab et al. 2002; Barron et al. 2002).”

“In Activity Theory, human actions are meaningfully understood only within the context of an activity system (which includes the subject whose motivation is to transform an object into an outcome), which can be either material or intangible in nature (Barab et al., 2002; Engestro¨m, 1999).”

“For example, one may have multiple goals that are in competition with each other (Barab et al. 2002).”

“CHAT has also been represented in the designing and planning of various courses in mathematics (Hardman 2005), astronomy (Barab et al. 2002), science (Van Aalsvoort 2004, Bulte et al. 2006), and teacher education or professional development/leadership (Roth and Tobin 2001, 2002, Spillane et al.…”

“Activity theory is a psychological and multidisciplinary theory that seeks to be naturalistic and offers a holistic framework for describing activities in practice while linking together individual and social behavior [21, 22, 23, 24].”

“the bases and the avatars) in computer-based 3D models are a driving force in directing students’ participation trajectories (see e.g., Barab, Barnett, Yamagata-Lynch, Squire, & Keating, 2002; Krange, Larsen, Fjuk, & Ludvigsen, 2002).”

“& It is critical to recognize that the educational system comprises multiple, nested communities of practice (Barab et al. 2002) and that understandings afforded by professional vision applied to one level of the system may be transferrable to other levels.”

“This method has been also frequently used in CHAT research for the study of the outcome in classroom contexts, as in Barab et al. (2002) or Demiraslan & Koçak Usluel (2008).”

“While a handful of studies have employed Engeström’s (1999) five principles as a fundamental analytical framework (Carr, Morrison, Cox, & Deacon, 2007; Engeström, 2001; Murphy & Rodriguez-Manzanares, 2008), they did not examine social networking environments as an Informing System in a blended learning course.”

“[2] use the terms “system dualities” and “systemic tensions” and Murphy and Rodriguez-Manzanares [24] refer to a contradiction as opposition between two propositions.”

“Activity theory is also useful for identifying and illustrating the tensions between subjects, mediating tools, and the cultural context (Barab et al. 2002).”

“An activity systems analysis highlights the interconnectedness of learning and doing (Barab et al., 2009) as well as helps us to understand the “nexus of people, technology, and online life” (Sam, 2012, p. 85). Engeström (1987) argued that learning occurs through an individual’s interaction with the other elements in…”

“This study has as its basis the developmental work research methodology which was proposed by Engeström (1987), was used in his studies (Engeström 2000) and was applied by other researchers as well (Barab et al. 2002; Collins et al. 2002).”

“(Barab et al. 2002).”

“…system approaches to learning have served a signi fi cant role in conceptualising system-wide mediation in processes of learning and identity (e.g. Barab et al., 2002; Cole & Engestr¨om, 1993; Engestroóm, 2014; Prior, 1998) forms of activity involving new media and technologies pose challenges…”

“[22] is just an example of these attempts in which activity theory has been used to analyze systematic tensions (i.”

“Therefore, to understand the richness of classroom life, it is appropriate to employ theoretical frameworks that enable the study and understanding of such factors concurrently (Barab et al. 2002; Roth and Tobin 2002).”

“Activity theory, initiated by Lev Vygotsky, is a philosophical framework used to study human activity, practices and actions (Barab et al., 2002).”

“Many studies conducted within the framework of activity theory abide by the principles of naturalistic inquiry (Barab et al, 2002; Lantolf & Thorne, 2006; Mwanza, 2002; Nardi, 1996a, 1996b).”

“Some researchers have started shifting the focus to the social cultural perspective (Barab et al, 2002) of learning.”

“…too exclusive a focus on teaching practices used (or not) relegates disciplinary context as a backdrop to practice, as opposed to acknowledging the nature and norms of a discipline as integral factors shaping educators’ behavior (Spillane et al., 2001; Barab et al., 2002; Ferrare and Hora, 2014).”

“The changes to activity system are driven by tensions of the systems as well as to develop [4].”

“We identified key momentary interactions during the program that included two or more discursive cues corresponding with dilemmas, conflicts, or double binds, which “would serve as exemplar of broader course tensions and innovations” (Barab et al., 2002, p. 85).”

“This is also confirmed by Engeström in his personal email (Barab et al., 2002, p. 84).”

“Each singular activity system contains six core components or nodes per the (second generation) CHAT, which are interrelated by ‘contradictions [that] are best understood as tensions [emphasis added] among the components of the activity system’ (Barab et al., 2002, p. 80).”

“…defined as ‘disruptions’ (Berge and Fjuk, 2006), ‘problems, ruptures, breakdowns, clashes’ in activities (Kuutti, 1996) and also as ‘systemic tensions’ (Barab et al., 2002) between elements of an activity system that occur when an individual receives two conflicting or opposing messages…”

“Although, tensions can also be associated of as system dualities through the interplay of its components but can help support the continued innovation of the system (Barab et al., 2002).”

“It analyzes how individuals, social levels, and activities in practice can be correlated in a naturalistic manner under the influence of a psychological and multidisciplinary theories (Barab et al. 2002; Xing et al. 2015).”

“The main components – interaction, motivation, guidance and direction, and evaluation – were designed by considering their interlocking dynamics (Barab et al., 2002).”