Pedagogically sustained Adaptive LEarningThrough the exploitation of Tacit and Explicit knowledge

Instrumental genesis

Amaury Daele (UNIFR)

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The concept of instrument

Instrument (material or

symbolic) = use scheme + artefact

Actor Object of Activity

Instrument = mental use scheme + artefact (ex: use of hammer) Instrument = mediator between Actor and Activity, it changes the Activity (ex: a

compressed air nailing machine) In return, the Actor may adapt the Instrument (ex: elastic cable to the ceiling)

Example from Did@cTIC: Amaya template, change of the way to take notes in meetings, adaptation of and feedback to Amaya team

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Instrumentation/Instrumentalization

“Instrumental genesis”: progressive construction of the use of an artefact by an actor for a given purpose within a given environment.

“The instrumentation is the process through which the constraints and the potentialities of an artefact permanently condition the action of a subject in order to solve a given problem.” (Trouche, 2005, p. 274).

Examples: Did@cTIC taking notes during meetings (Amaya template) “The instrumentalization is a process of personalisation of the artefact; it is thus a

process of differentiation of the artefacts through which each user appropriates the artefact. […] This process can be considered as a “defacement” or “hijacking” or as a contribution of the user to the process of design of the instrument.” (Trouche, 2005, pp. 274-275).

Example: Did@cTIC asking for a personalization of DocReuse

Catachresis: tying a knot in one’s handkerchief

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Instrumental genesis in groups

Process of negotiation of meaning and use of the artefacts Functioning framework vs Use framework

economy efficiency balance

Example: Different CoPs use differently the same tool because of different objectives and different environment but also because of different process of negotiation of meaning

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Mediation

Instrument = mediator between Actor and Activity epistemic function: the actor uses the instrument in order to be informed about

the object of his/her activity (e.g. RSS feed, mailing-list); pragmatic function: the actor uses the instrument in order to transform the object

of the activity (e.g. word processor); reflective function: the actor uses the instrument in order to transform his/her own

actions or conceptions or to manage his/her actions (e.g. calendar); relational function: the actor uses the instrument in order to transform the action

of another actor or a group of actors or to manage the actions of another actor or group of actors (e.g. wikis).

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Synthesis and questions

Instrumentation is about the collective appropriation of a tool by a CoP. How do CoPs collaboratively negotiate the use (and the meaning regarding their

activities) of the new services? Or: how do they appropriate the services, how do they train, etc.? How do they adapt their activities while using the new services?

Instrumentalization is about the evolution of a tool through its use by a CoP and construction of new uses of services by CoPs’ members.

How do the CoPs deal with their former tools and ways of using technologies? How do they conceive the interactions between their tools and the new tools? How do they influence the design of the services in order the services fit their use?

Mediation is about the way the CoPs plan and develop the use of the services regarding an issue or a need they concretely face.

What has changed while using the new services in terms of new knowledge acquired by the members or modification of members’ behaviours, attitudes and beliefs? What are the conditions of these changes?