Activity theory: another perspective on task analysis.

Turner, Phil; McEwan, Tom

Abstract

In this chapter, we introduce activity theory, describing its origins and its principal researchers and thinkers. We stress its descriptive power and its usefulness in defining uniquely a unit of analysis for work. We contrast its development with that of task analysis. We conclude with a brief demonstration of this descriptive power by using it as an organizing framework of the evaluation of a collaborative virtual environment.

• Publication Date: Sep 1, 2003
• Deposit Date: Jul 24, 2008
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 24, 2008
• Publisher: CRC Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Pages: 423-444
• Book Title: The Handbook of Task Analysis for Human-Computer Interaction
• ISBN: 805844333
• Keywords: Activity theory; Development; Application; Work analysis; Empirical evaluation
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/id/eprint/1805
• Contract Date: Jul 24, 2008