Applying Activity Theory to Computer- Supported Collaborative Learning and Work-Based Activities in Corporate Settings

Business needs in many corporations call for learning outcomes that involve problem solutions, and creating and sharing new knowledge within workplace situations that may involve collaboration among members of a team. We argue that work-based activities (WBA) and computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) are appropriate components for courses in such learning situations. Via this approach, collaborative work situations become the core of a course. We further describe how activity theory can provide a framework for the design of courses that involve WBA and CSCL as part of a workplace-oriented activity system for learning. The use of this design approach for courses offered by the Learning and Leadership Development organization of Shell International Exploration and Production is described and an example is elaborated. Finally, we identify four main issues and challenges that arose during the use of the design approach. In the workplaces of professionals in multinational corporations, problems and challenges continually arise that involve creating new solutions and constructing new knowledge, and indirectly involve improving communication and understanding among colleagues in different parts of the world, working virtually with one another. Key strategies involve capturing and sharing the tacit knowledge in the corporation, a particularly challenging task in that such knowledge is often difficult to see and express, is personal, and involves subjective perception, intuition, and foresight (Nonaka & Konno, 1999). Learning takes place in the context of these challenges and strategies. Such learning can be either formal, such as via participation in structured courses, or informal, such as via mentoring and coaching related to cognitive apprenticeship in the workplace (Collins, Brown, & Newman, 1989); via self-directed processes and experiential learning (Brookfield, 1995); and via participation in learning communities (Wenger, 1998). There is no commonly shared definition of the terms formal, informal or nonformal learning (for the debate on this see Colley, Hodkinson, & Malcolm, 2002; Jeffs & Smith, 1999; Livingstone, 2001; McGivney, 1999). In the context of this paper, formal learning is defined as any learning structured into a course or other form of learning event, delivered in classroom or at a distance, and supported by an instructor. In contrast, informal learning is any unstructured learning that takes place in the work context and arises from both individual participation—doing the work—and social interactions with peers and experts, but without the support of an instructor.