ABSTRACT
Since the publication of Context and Consciousness: Perspectives on Activity Theory and Human-Computer Interaction (Nardi, 1996a) in 1996, people have often asked me, as the editor of the volume, what impact Activity Theory is having on the world of technology design. Gay, Rieger, and Bennington’s paper is a happy answer to this question. Their fruitful use of Activity Theory to study mobile computing devices shows the specific ways Activity Theory can inform design. Following an Activity Theory approach, the authors opt for “sustained, longitudinal research on the introduction of computer technology.” They pay careful attention to the sociohistorical context of technology use and the mediation of human activity by cultural artifacts. Taking a cue from the emphasis on human development in Activity Theory, the authors ask, “What features and capabilities should the mobile computing systems provide for different teaching and learning activities?” The authors assess users’ motivations and understand that there will be a diversity of motives, not a one-size-fits-all world.
