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[ WRITINGTECHNOLOGIES+ ACTIVITYTHEORY ]

ENG690–002| Spring2012

 W 6:30–9:15| RB114

Dr. Brian J. McNely | RB2111765.285.8682

bjmcnely@bsu.edu

Ofce Hours: T/TH10:45–12:00 | W 6:00–6:30

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[ABOUT ]

“Telling stories is essentially a meaning-making process. When people tell stories, they select details of theirexperience from their stream of consciousness. … Every word that people use in telling their stories is amicrocosm of their consciousness.”

— Seidman, 2006

“In activity theory, people act with technology; technologies are both designed and used in the context of  people with intentions and desires. People act as subjects in the world, constructing and instantiating theirintentions and desires as objects. Activity theory casts the relationship between people and tools as one of 

 mediation; tools mediate between people and the world.”

— Kaptelinin & Nardi, 2006

“Learning is a process that takes place in a participation framework, not in an individual mind. This means,among other things, that it is mediated by the differences of perspective among coparticipants. … Learning is,as it were, distributed among coparticipants, not a one-person act.”

— Hanks, 1991

“Embodied interaction places particular emphasis on interaction as activity in the world. Phenomenologyargues that action and meaning are inherently inseparable. There is no way to talk about actionindependently of meaning.”

— Dourish, 2001

“Activity theory focuses on practice, which obviates the need to distinguish 'applied' from 'pure' science—understanding everyday practice in the real world is the very objective of scientic practice. … The object of activity theory is to understand the unity of consciousness and activity.”

— Nardi, 1996

“People can learn about themselves through the things they make.”

— Sennett, 2009

“Consciousness is located in everyday practice: you are what you do,” suggests Nardi (1996). What we do,more than ever, is write. We write to remember, to reect, to itemize, and to internalize. We write with pens, pencils, laptops, tablets, and mobile phones. We write for ourselves, and we write for and with others in acomplex social matrix that is in turn mediated by our writing work.

 Activity theory, as Nardi (1996) notes, “proposes a strong notion of  mediation—all human experience is

shaped by the tools and sign systems we use. Mediators connect us organically and intimately to the world; they are not merely lters or channels through which experience is carried.” Activity theory offersresearchers of writing and communication a set of tools for exploring and theorizing everyday practice—theembodied, often mundane activity of being-in-the-world as one who writes.

ENG 690 explores contemporary writing technologies as complex forms of mediation; in particular, we'llexplore how writing mediates social practice. The course will introduce you to key sources in activity theoryfrom a variety of interrelated disciplines—Rhetoric and Composition, Human-Computer Interaction, andComputer-Supported Cooperative Work—giving you the tools to apply theories of human activity to yourown studies of writing as complex mediation.

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[OBJECTIVES ]

Students will—

Explore theories and practices of contemporary writing work:• Recognize and categorize important genres and styles of written communication

• Consider the prevalence of writing work in everyday experience

• Critically engage perspectives on activity theory

 Analyze written artifacts and practices:• Critically interact with writing in everyday experience

• Explain rhetorical choices (metacognition) made as a result of both individual and collaborative work

•  Analyze specic artifacts and/or organizations to better understand rhetorical, social, cultural, and

 political implications of writing work in everyday experience

Research practices that impact professional writing scenarios:• Plan and implement complex research on written communication as human activity

• Recognize appropriateness of different methods for producing and researching practices and contexts

•

Explore and practice writing as a way of thinking, knowing, and being

Produce professional, scholarly artifacts:•  Apply rhetorical and design principles to producing professional, scholarly artifacts

•  Apply principles of fair use, copyright and documentation conventions for print and digital media

• Recognize rhetorical possibilities of different modes (alphabetic text, images, graphics, video, audio,

etc.) and make sound rhetorical choices when combining modes

[KEYWORDS ]

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[ SOURCES ]

Selected academic journal articles sourced via BlackboardSelected blog posts, articles, images, and videos sourced via Twitter Vygotsky, L. (1986). Thought and Language. Vygotsky, L. (1978).  Mind in Society.Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated Learning. 

Nardi, B. (1996). Context and Consciousness: Activity Theory and Human-Computer Interaction.Engeström, Y., Miettinen, R., & Punamäki, R. (1999). Perspectives on Activity Theory.Bazerman, C., & Russell, D. (2002). Writing Selves, Writing Societies.Sannino, A., Daniels, H., & Gutiérrez, K. (2009). Learning and Expanding with Activity Theory .Engeström, Y. (2010).  From Teams to Knots: Activity-Theoretical Studies of Collaboration and Learning at Work.

[ASSESSMENT ]

 Deliverables

Practica (2) 200

 Autoethnography of Activity 150Discussion Lead 100

Research Brief  100

Collaborative Meta-Analysis 200

Research Project 250

Course Total: 1,000

Grading Scale

 A 950–1,000

 A-900–949

B+ 860–899

B 830–859

B- 800–829

C+ 760–799

C  730–759

C- 700–729

[DETAILS ]

Grading Policy

Deliverables are assessed according to criteria distributed through Blackboard.

Storage and Backup

This course will require the consistent use of one or more of the following methods of digital storage andbackup:

BSU iLocker :: Dropbox :: Google Docs

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 Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty

Proper citation is a hallmark of good scholarship. Crediting someone else's work—whatever form that work takes—is a nice thing to do.

It's nice to be nice to people.

Don't use someone else's work without giving them credit. Don't submit work for this class that you did foranother class. Don't falsify data. If in doubt, see BSU's statement on academic integrity. But mostly? Be nice to people and give credit where it's due.

 Attendance, Withdrawals, and Incompletes

Come to class—it's fun!

Don't be late—you'll miss important stuff!

If you miss more than 3 classes—for any reason—your nal grade will be lowered by one step for eachmissed class beyond the limit (for example, 4 absences will result in a reduction from a B+ to a B).

Let me know early in the semester if you will miss class for university business or religious holidays. Pleasesee the University Catalog for more information on withdrawals and incompletes.

Students Needing Accommodations

If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, if you have emergency medicalinformation to share with me, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible. My ofce location and hours are listed on the rst page of this document.

For additional information, please contact Larry Markle, Director of the Ofce of Disabled Student

Development, at lmarkle@bsu.edu or 285-5293; TTY 285-2206. The DSD ofce is located at Student Center116.

Writing Center

The Writing Center offers free one-to-one assistance on all of your writing projects for all of your classes. Also? The Writing Center is full of awesome people.

They are located in RB 291, and are open 10 am to 8 pm, Monday–Thursday, and 10 am to 2 pm on Friday.

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[CALENDAR+ SCHEDULE ]

 Important Dates

 Autoethnography 3.14Research Brief 4.4Collaborative Meta-Analysis 4.18

Research Project 5.2

[ Complete the readings before the class for which they are assigned, and prepare to interact in class. ]

 Week 11.11  Activity Theory Overview

Kain, D., & Wardle, E.  Activity theory: An introduction for the writing classroom.Genre Ecology Models

 Week 21.18 Vygotsky — Thought and Language

 Week 31.25 Vygotsky — Mind in Society

Practicum Due

 Week 42.1 Lave & Wenger — Situated Learning

Duncan, M. (2004).  Autoethnography: Critical appreciation of an emerging art. Wall, S. (2006). An autoethnography on learning about autoethnography.Discussion Lead — Laura 

 Week 5

2.8 Nardi, pp. 3–174Spinuzzi: How Not to Write FictionPracticum Due

 Week 62.15 Nardi, pp. 175–379

Discussion Lead — Nicki

 Week 72.22 Engeström, Miettinen, & Punamäki, pp. 1–227

Discussion Lead — Elmar

 Week 82.29 Engeström, Miettinen, & Punamäki, pp. 231–443

Discussion Lead — Sarah

 Week 93.7 Spring Break :: No Class!

 Wiles, R., Crow, G., & Pain, H. (2011). Innovation in qualitative research methods: Anarrative review. [ BB ]

Faber, B. (2002). Professional identities: What is professional about professionalcommunication? [ BB ]

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 Week 103.14 Bazerman & Russell, Introduction through “Chronotopic Lamination”

 Autoethnography Due

 Week 113.21 Bazerman & Russell, “Intercultural Knowledge” through “Dissertation Writers”

Discussion Lead — Jenn

 Week 123.28 Sannino, Daniels, & Gutiérrez Ch. 1–10

Discussion Lead — Elizabeth

 Week 13  4.4 Sannino, Daniels, & Gutiérrez Ch. 11–19

Research Brief Due

 Week 14  4.11 Engeström Ch. 1–5

 Week 15 4.18 Collaborative Meta-Analysis Due

 Week 16  4.25 Engeström Ch. 6–9

Final5.2 7:00–9:00

Research Project Due