Activity Theory and Virtual Learning Environment
What is “Activity Theory”? What philosophical perspective is this theory contextualized in?
Activity Theory has been designed as a support system for investigating needs, tasks, and outcomes to design CLEs. Activity Theory is believed to be a socio-cultural, socio-historical perspective through which human activity systems are studied. Activity Theory is a study between consciousness and activity. Jonassen (2000) has developed four assumptions that are related to Activity Theory. They are as below.
Interdependence: Both consciousness and activity depend on each other. They are inseparable.
Intentional: The actions and behaviors of humans are intentional most of the time.
Mediated Action: Technical tools and mental processing signs are sources to mediate an action according to the environmental context.
Historicity: with the passage of time, change comes in activities. Activity Theory suggests that with the passage of time, activities should also evolve.
As far as the philosophical perspective of Activity Theory is concerned, Activity theory is derived from the classical German philosophy of Kant and Hegel. Their historical philosophy promotes both the importance of historical advancement of ideas and the active and constructive role of human beings (Jonassen & Murphy, 1999). The contemporary philosophy of Marx and Engels and the Soviet cultural-historical psychology of Vygotsky, Leont’ev, and Luria are also the theories on which Activity Theory is based.
What do each of the following constructs mean in the Activity Theory: subjects, object, tools, rules, and roles in the community? Why are these elements important?
Subjects: Subjects are the people or participants of a community. They can be students, teachers, professionals, and members from all occupations that have joined a community together. They can also be experts and novices, but the focus is on the students.
Object: Object is usually the goal or target that is set to achieve. Teachers usually plan certain objects and seek fulfillment through the activities of students. A simple example of Object can be development of a problem-solving environment for online learning.
Tools: Tools can be devices, methods of execution of a plan learning material, presentations, researching, writing, discussions, and theories.
Rules: Rules are the policies that are designed keeping in view the needs of the learners, course requirements, ethics and accountability fall under the category of rules.
Role: Role is referred to the actions of a community member. Different people have distinct roles in a community like student, teacher, facilitator, instructional designer, assistant, and project manager, etc.
How is a Virtual Learning Community considered as an activity system? Please provide an explanation based on this week’s readings. Please also provide an example of a virtual community that illustrates the activity system.
Virtual Learning Community is considered an activity system because it contains all the proponents of activity Theory. The participants or subjects are engaged in various activities, use different tools and mediums to share their past experiences, ideas, and knowledge, must follow certain rules, they belong to different sections of society, their roles are different in those communities, and they always have an object in mind. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Moodle, Canvas, Math Forum, and many other examples are VLCs that are based on a certain Activity system. Without that system, they cannot run smoothly.
Why did Jonassen say that Activity Theory can serve as a framework for analyzing needs, tasks, and outcomes for designing constructivist learning environment (in our case, virtual learning environments)?
Activity Theory can be a framework to analyze needs, tasks, and outcomes to design CLEs in an effective way because it provides a proper sequence, a set of rules, guidance to value the participants, and provides a proper structure to construct an advanced learning environment. Jonassen & Murphy (1999) have identified important steps to construct a better learning environment. They are given below.
- Clarify the purpose of activity
- Analyze the activity system
- Analyze the activity structure
- Analyze tools and mediators
- Analyze the context
- Analyze activity system dynamics
All these steps of Activity Theory can be extremely beneficial to construct a learning environment whether it is virtual learning community or learning environments. This organization is like a proper plan and instructional designing to facilitate the participants or learners.
References:
Jonassen, D.H. (2000), Revisiting activity theory as a framework for designing student-centered learning environments. In D. H. Jonassen & S. M. Land (Eds.), Theoretical foundations of learning environments (pp. 89-121). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
Jonassen, D.H., Rohrer-Murphy, L. (1999). Activity theory as a framework for designing constructivist learning environments. ETR&D 47, 61–79.