This thesis addresses the problem of using qualitative descriptions produced from naturalistic field studies to inform the design of interactive technologies. Specifically, it describes the use of a conceptual framework conceived to bridge the divide between naturalistic field studies and design. The presented framework is based on activity theory and its foundations in cultural historical psychology. The thesis begins with an overview of the trend amongst researchers and practitioners to use naturalistic studies in the human-computer interaction and computer-supported collaborative work design fields. It focuses on the use of such studies in mobile device design. In doing so, it outlines the problems faced in drawing on the naturalistic descriptions produced from fieldwork studies to inform design. From a review of existing design approaches, activity theory is shown to offer several characteristics that may be useful in modelling naturalistic descriptions for the purposes of design. The thesis describes the theoretical underpinnings of activity theory and its relationship to design. This is followed by a closer inspection of the activity theory framework. It is revealed that the framework lacks a systematic means to incorporate naturalistic descriptions. An expanded conception of the framework is thus described that draws on some elements of ethnomethodology to orient naturalistic descriptions so that they are commensurate to activity theory's nomenclature. As a proof of principle, the application of the expanded framework is undertaken using the results from an empirical investigation of teenagers and their use of mobile telephones. Two interpretations of the fieldwork data are presented; one indicates that teenagers use their mobile phones to participate in the social practices of exchange and the second views the use of phones as contributing to localised forms of subversion. Both interpretations are modelled using the framework and subsequently used to outline a number of design implications. To conclude, the thesis summarises the overall success of the expanded activity theory framework. It is suggested the framework has sufficient means to model naturalistic descriptions but in practical terms it is likely to be overly demanding. It is argued that the need to adhere to the overarching theoretical framework is impractical in workaday design. An alternative toolbox approach is proposed that is able to draw upon some of the methods made available in activity theory. An argument is also put forward to draw on more general forms of sociological inquiry for the purposes of design.

This study examined whether art lessons, provided using an Interactive Whiteboard (IWB), were effective in transferring learning to a diverse student population. The descriptive investigation focused on three main areas; the impact of the IWB on student learning, the time invested in integrating the IWB, and the compatibility of the IWB with my teaching style. The research took place over fourteen weeks starting in late August, 2006, and continued in my art room during the first quarter of the school year. Data were collected through daily journal entries, video taped lessons and interviews. Although long hours were required for training and creating IWB lessons, student participation increased by 60% and the active learning produced deeper understanding and retention of the lessons. Utilization of the SMART Board (TM) facilitated whole group learning by accommodating diverse learning styles and student needs.

The development of interactive communication technologies, such as email and the Internet, has stimulated much discussion about their potential to assist in the renewal of democracy. Globalisation, intimately connected with technological advance, has likewise led to considerations of 'governance' that transcend the nation state. This thesis poses the general question: Can the efficiencies and economies which drive commercial applications of interactive technology be applied to democratic policy processes? What conditions will facilitate this? The perspective taken here views policy as a communication process between networks of actors who seek to use resources and decisions to promote their value systems (Considine 1994). Democracy is also seen as a communication process, with a set of criteria which ensure equal access to information and agenda setting among participants (Dahl 1989). These definitions and criteria have been chosen for their generality. They apply at all levels of analysis, and thus may be used for comparison across scales. These are aligned with concepts from complexity theory as applied to human nonlinear systems and organisational dynamics, drawing mostly on Kiel(1994) and Stacey (1996). The inherent unpredictability of these systems and their capacity for complex learning and adaptive self-organisation offers an alternative paradigm to linear, hierarchical management models. A combination of literature analysis and case study evidence leads to three extensions of complexity theory as applied to human systems: Firstly, interactive technology is proposed as a technique for the potential re-pluralisation of democratic processes in complex human systems. The possibility of adding many new non-elite voices, and of making these available to all others, relates to both chaotic forms of self-organisation and the benefits of electronic democracy. Secondly, evidence is presented for the existence of fractal, or self-similar patterns in the ways information technology is applied at different levels of governance. It is shown that instrumental approaches which emphasise efficiency dominate technology use at the global, national and organisational levels, and these are interdependent. Alternative patterns which encourage participation also exist at every level. Thirdly, it is argued that the values of the dominant actors are the main determinants of whether interactive technologies will be structured to favour democratic forms of communication at every level. Three theory chapters in Part I develop these arguments by extensive reviews of relevant literatures. On the global level, convergent media, telecommunications and technology conglomerates underpin a global 'nervous system' which discourages government intervention, promotes a global monoculture, inhibits pluralistic debate by minimising access to alternative forms of information, and emphasises individualism and consumption. Within nations, widespread uniformity of public sector reform is sympathetic and responsive to these globalising pressures. Deregulation, privatisation, retreat from public broadcasting, down-sizing and outsourcing have become standard approaches, and are reflected in Australian information technology policy and programs. Several exceptions demonstrate more participatory approaches. At the organisational level, instrumental approaches to management and computerisation also prevail. In each case, a shift towards globalising values corresponds to applications of information technology which dampen the complex interactivity required for democratic policy processes. Part II supplements this analysis with case study evidence. The organisational data were collected primarily during a two year qualitative study of interactive technology use in the Australian Department of Finance and Administration. The researcher found technology use was inseparable from other change processes, and these were found to have strong elements inhibiting participation in internal policy. An instrumental approach to interactive technology use reinforced hierarchical decision processes. Three minor case studies looked at an internal mailing list in a federal agency, a mostly national list on Internet and telecommunications policy, and an experiment in electronic democracy at the local level. These offered additional insights into the ways interactive technologies can contribute to complex but adaptive policy processes, if normative democratic values guide their design. The researcher proposes a set of communication protocols for the use of interactive technologies in democratic policy processes. These would enable the forms of communication necessary to reinvigorate democracy in an information age. It is also argued that these protocols, if applied at the organisational level, and particularly within the public sector, could become part of a reaffirmation of industrial democracy. This is necessary to ensure the integrity and accountability of the public sector, given the progressive intermingling of these institutions with private enterprise. Additional suggestions are made for research into government uses of information technology as an important focus for policy analysts.

Narrative is expressed in many forms, yet the reading of narrative through books may be unique in its transformative qualities. The medium of books has existed for thousands of years as a primary means of passing down and internalizing narrative from generation to generation. Are books now a dying medium in the face of ever-advancing technology in an increasingly fast-paced and technologically-dependent society? Technology now incorporates narrative into interactive environments in various ways often immersing the user in ever more realistic experiential scenarios. Yet, is something potentially lost with these advancements that can only be afforded through the time-tested method of old-fashioned reading? What makes reading so compelling a medium/activity for personal development? Does experience in these interactive environments offer the same transformative intrinsic experience afforded through the tranquil receptive processing, reflective elaboration and insight offered through the reading of books? This thesis seeks to explore these questions by looking at three major factors that must be considered in furthering our understanding of the potentials and limitations of interactive narrative technologies as they compare to narrative delivered via the established medium of books: 1) theories of self, identity/character, cognitive development and behavior (specifically as these relate to traditional text-based narrative), 2) theory and research associated with narrative transportation and transformation, and 3) current and future efforts to adapt narrative to the medium of interactive technology.

This master's thesis presents a research-through-design process that explores how can affective, context-aware systems support mental health and minimize stress in young adults during exam periods. This is achieved by designing an interactive system for stress recognition and relief. Biosensors embedded into existing wearable smart devices are used to infer stress-related mental states from a multimodal set of sensory data. The information is used to increase emotional awareness, provide recommendations for stress management, and enhance the users’ home environment. Two main challenges are addressed within this paper - detecting stress using easily available unobtrusive sensors and the output modalities supporting the human-computer interaction. Zenth has been developed through an iterative process, based on relevant literature and works in the field of affective computing, technology, and stress detection and recognition.

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This dissertation clarifies the role and relevance of the body in social interaction and cognition from an embodied cognitive science perspective. Theories of embodied cognition have during the past two decades offered a radical shift in explanations of the human mind, from traditional computationalism which considers cognition in terms of internal symbolic representations and computational processes, to emphasizing the way cognition is shaped by the body and its sensorimotor interaction with the surrounding social and material world. This thesis develops a framework for the embodied nature of social interaction and cognition, which is based on an interdisciplinary approach that ranges historically in time and across different disciplines. The theoretical framework presents a thorough and integrated understanding that supports and explains the embodied nature of social interaction and cognition. It is argued that embodiment is the part and parcel of social interaction and cognition in the most general and specific ways, in which dynamically embodied actions themselves have meaning and agency. The framework is illustrated by empirical work that provides some detailed observational fieldwork on embodied actions captured in three different episodes of spontaneous social interaction in situ. Besides illustrating the theoretical issues discussed in the thesis, the empirical work also reveals some novel characteristics of embodied action in social interaction and cognition. Furthermore, the ontogeny of social interaction and cognition is considered, in which social scaffolding and embodied experience play crucial roles during child development. In addition, the issue what it would take for an artificial system to be (socially) embodied is discussed from the perspectives of cognitive modeling and technology. Finally, the theoretical contributions and implications of the study of embodied actions in social interaction and cognition for cognitive science and related disciplines are summed up. The practical relevance for applications to artificial intelligence and human-computer interaction is also outlined as well as some aspects for future work.

The current generations of children are being taught in schools which are not relevant to their daily lived experiences. “Schools and the curricula that exist today are more suited to the needs of the industrial age than those of the information age” (Yelland, 9). As a result, students are becoming disengaged from the learning process. The vast permeation of digital media into our surroundings and a shrinking global society demand a new typology in learning environments. This typology must address students' creativity, social needs, and the importance of community and sense of place. How can these needs be met through the incorporation of technology – often controversial and deemed isolative and disconnecting? Can technology be used as a social tool to create healthy and productive learning spaces? This proposal responds to these questions by presenting a conceptual re-design of an elementary school in Winnipeg. The supporting theoretical framework outlines literature which examines education, technology and society, and space and place. Workshops and interviews with students and teachers are analyzed, and design precedents, strategies and methods are discussed. Collectively, the theories, concept, and research presented provide insight into the creation of an interactive, flexible, and community-focused learning environment.

The current generations of children are being taught in schools which are not relevant to their daily lived experiences. “Schools and the curricula that exist today are more suited to the needs of the industrial age than those of the information age” (Yelland, 9). As a result, students are becoming disengaged from the learning process. The vast permeation of digital media into our surroundings and a shrinking global society demand a new typology in learning environments. This typology must address students' creativity, social needs, and the importance of community and sense of place. How can these needs be met through the incorporation of technology – often controversial and deemed isolative and disconnecting? Can technology be used as a social tool to create healthy and productive learning spaces? This proposal responds to these questions by presenting a conceptual re-design of an elementary school in Winnipeg. The supporting theoretical framework outlines literature which examines education, technology and society, and space and place. Workshops and interviews with students and teachers are analyzed, and design precedents, strategies and methods are discussed. Collectively, the theories, concept, and research presented provide insight into the creation of an interactive, flexible, and community-focused learning environment.

Dynamic interactive technology brings new opportunities for helping students learn central statistical concepts. Research and classroom experience can be help identify concepts with which students struggle, and an \"action-consequence\" pre-made technology document can engage students in exploring these concepts. With the right questions, students can begin to make connections among their background in mathematics, foundational ideas that undergrid statistics and the relationship these ideas. The ultimate goal is to have students think deeply about simple and basic statistical ideas so they can see how they lead to reasoning and sense making about data and about making decisions about characteristics of a population from a sample.Technology has a critical role in teaching and learning statistics, enabling students to use real data in investigations, to model complex situations based on data, to visualize relationships using different representations, to move beyond calculations to interpreting statistical processes such as confidence intervals and correlation, and to generate simulations to investigate a variety of problems including laying a foundation for inference. Thus, graphing calculators, spreadsheets, and interactive dynamic software can all be thought of as tools for statistical sense making in the service of developing understanding.