Information Technology in Human Activity

Special issue of Scandinavian Journal of Information Systems

Volume 12, August 2000

Scandinavian Journal of Information Systems,Volume 12 is a special issue based on information systems development related contributions from the 1998, ISCRAT world congress. The collection is edited by Olav Bertelsen and Susanne Bødker and consists of an introduction by the editors and eight papers.

The introduction gives a brief overview of the role of activity theory in information systems research and practice, targeted for the information systems audience, but also suitable for the AT audience.

In the paper "Design artefacts: towards a pragmatic, design-oriented epistemology", Olav Bertelsen explores a concept of design artefacts as a basic step in the development of a framework for production and appraisal of design-oriented knowledge, unifying concerns for use, design and research in information systems. The paper takes of from Wartofsky's (1973) theory of the historical development of perception.

Human-computer interaction is in focus in two papers, looking at the mediation of individual human actions by technology, developing as the user gains experiences with the particular piece of technology, as well as in a wider historical context.

In the paper "Intuitive interfaces", Klaus B. Bærentsen develops a notion of intuitive interfaces, based on the assumption that it puts less load on the user if interaction is based on spatial capabilities of perception rather than memory and symbolic processing. Theoretically, the paper combines basic concerns in activity theory with a Gibsonian approach to perception. The main example of the paper deals is about how to tune in the programs on a TV set.

In the paper "Design for learning in use", Susanne Bødker & Marianne Graves Petersen address development in use an important issue that hasn't been developed in the literature. Theoretically the paper is based Bardram and Bertelsen's (1995) account on how elements of the user interface support the development of transparent interaction. Empirically the paper is based on studies of learning to use a TV set.

The wider activity of use is covered through three papers looking at the changing character of journalism and newspaper production influenced by information technology, the distributed activities of telemedicine, collaborative publication services as emerging within botanical classification, and the general emergence of interorganisational web communities.

In the paper "Disturbances and contradictions as tools for understanding work in the newsroom", Merja Helle, introduces a study of the role of computer technology in changing journalism along a number of dimensions from substance to work organisation. The empirical study is an action oriented, long-term study of the introduction and emergent use of an editorial system in a large Finnish newspaper. The paper consistently applies a developmental work research methodology and theoretical stance. The paper concludes by pointing to the intricate series of changes caused through the combined introduction of computer technology, the action-oriented research and its participation of the journalists at the newspaper.

In the paper "Centres, peripheries and electronic communication: changing work practice boundaries", Geraldine Fitzpatrick separates out a number of dimensions of boundaries in work practices and technology, that are new in the literature. She discusses implications for design of distributed technology (electronic communication), and reflects those design implications back into the social domain. She uses the case of a telehealth project to illustrate and discuss its points. The paper mainly bases itself on Strauss (1993), and on Brown & Duguid's (1994) interpretation of communities of practice, and legitimate peripheral participation as introduced by Lave & Wenger (1991).

In the paper "Articulating Collaborative Activity", Mark A. Spasser presents a case study of a collaborative publication services in the area of botanical classification. In this study of classification, the concepts of coordination mechanisms and boundary objects are confronted and further developed in an activity theory perspective. The empirical case reported in the paper is the collaborative publishing services supporting the Flora of North America, classification effort. In developing the resulting concept of normative boundary constructs, Spasser, fruitfully positions the concepts of heterogeneity and coordination mechanisms within the activity theory framework

Finally, two papers deal directly with design. One paper discusses the role of users in industrial design, and the other presents an approach to ISD based on activity theory, rooted in experiences ISD in Nigeria.

In the paper "Designing for instrument mediated activity", Pascal Beguin and Pierre Rabardel develops the concern for mediation into a practical tool for design. By analysing changes in use of instruments it becomes possible to design for and better work with the processes of developing use. Their examples are drawn from the engineering field, one focusing on the introduction of a CAD system.

In the paper "Activity Analysis as a method for information systems development", Mikko Korpela and co-workers introduce an approach to analysis in the early phases of systems development. The central point is a schematic depiction of activity systems. It has strong similarities to Engeström's triangles (1987) but differs in that it is more directly intended to be a tool for practitioners. The theoretical basis for the analytical tool is discussed, and two experiments with using the tool in realistic settings in Finland and Nigeria.

Editorial by Jesper Simonsen.

General information about the Scandinavian Journal of Information Systems

A few hardcopies of the special issue are available from Ann Andreasson (email: ann@informatik.gu.se). The price is 150SEK.


Last update: by Olav W. Bertelsen.