Re: Of forks and computers

Bill Barowy (wbarowy who-is-at lesley.edu)
Thu, 14 May 1998 20:43:41 -0400

At 9:07 PM +0200 5/14/98, Eva Ekeblad wrote:
Eva,

I am getting rather dense - I think I understand what you are saying, but
I'm not sure - could you provide some grounded examples of the definitions
you have provided? i.e. object, interactivity, intra-activity.

Thanks

>
>I agree that activity theory helps. So repeating my hunches in different
>words, placing them in an activity system, I'd say that the OBJECT of an
>activity is what we interact with, while the mediating artifacts we USE
>towards that object.
>
>Interactivity is then the play between the process of our activity and the
>counterprocess of the object (this word is, again, a loan from Raeithel).
>
>Use, on the other hand could be re-named intra-activity: a within-system play.
>
>In applying this to concrete situations we must see the flow of things
>between positions in the abstract system, and the changing boundaries.
>

Bill Barowy, Associate Professor
Technology in Education
Lesley College, 29 Everett Street, Cambridge, MA 02138-2790
Phone: 617-349-8168 / Fax: 617-349-8169
_______________________
"One of life's quiet excitements is to stand somewhat apart from yourself
and watch yourself softly become the author of something beautiful."
[Norman Maclean in "A river runs through it."]