Describing team work with activity theory

Turner, P.; Turner, S.

Abstract

The proposal that activity theory might serve as a model or theory for computer-supported cooperative working remains an open question. Here we demonstrate the usefulness of activity theory in elucidating a series of small group software design meetings. The structure and dynamics of the meetings are presented, as are the work processes of transformation and mediation. Finally, we show how a contradictions analysis can support the derivation of requirements on a system to support the design meetings.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: 2001-08
• Deposit Date: May 22, 2008
• Print ISSN: 1435-5558
• Electronic ISSN: 1435-5566
• Publisher: BMC
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 3
• Pages: 127-139
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/pl00011528
• Keywords: Activity theory, Case study, Cooperative working, Scenarios, Software design, Contradictions analysis, System requirements
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/id/eprint/1792