For this week\'s reflection activity, you will develop a practical understanding

Question

For this week's reflection activity, you will develop a practical understanding of Activity Theory. Many times when people hear the word "theory" their eyes glaze over, but this is not the boring stuff being delivered by an academic. Theory is applied in the world of design science. Activity Theory is a methodology for analyzing processes and influences, motivations and sources of conflict, and generally for solving problems within human-centered systems.

In writing this week's reflection, apply your understanding of Activity Theory as a framework of analysis and understanding to any system of your choosing. Remember the Structure of an Activitywhen plotting out your writing. Consider the varying levels of activity. Focus on the vocabulary and developing an elementary understanding of what these theoretical concepts translate to in the real world.   

Minimum 750 words

Minimum 3 sources

Minimum 3 discrete examples with critical analysis

Overall framing/concluding thoughts of your own

Explanation / Answer

Definition: A theory that explains human activities related to a number of phenomena that influence - and are influenced by – these activities conducted by humans.

In terms of human centered systems, the rise of the personal computer conveyed many challenges in traditional system developments and work routines, which eventually brought forth a need to focus on how to work on materials and objects through the computer. So the development of the activity theoretical angle was primarily carried out.

Activity theory extended the scope of Human Computer Interaction (HCI)

– HCI needs to move its focus from only ”human factors” towards the wider perspective ”human actors” – Collective learning

– Knowledge generation

– Shift from bureaucratic to dynamic organisations

– ”action research”

So in short Activity theory provides a paradigm for the description and understanding of the way humans interact with computers within the context of the user's environment. This makes it ideally suited to the study of human-computer interaction.

Here is what theory translates in real world:

- A Football Match

11 people in each team, no referee & no spectators

Define the subject, the object, and the artefacts/tools

But a few points of interest arise

Another broad example:

Let us delve deeper by understanding this theory by taking a practical example—a traveler’s journey of making a trip.

Example—Analysing a traveler’s journey through the lens of Activity Theory.

A person needs to complete a set of tasks in order to plan and complete a journey. The tasks can divided into two high level activities -

2. Making the travel

The motive of the process is planning the trip and booking flight tickets for the same, which is the Activity; the conscious effort of deciding the itinerary, and the means of booking the flight travel with the goal of arranging the travel is the Action; the subtasks to be performed to execute the goal are bound by certain conditions (selecting the date/time, destination, flight seats from the dropdown menu etc) are the Operations.

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