When documentation becomes feedback: tensions in feedback activity in Learning Management Systems

Figures & data

Figure 1. Activity system (cf Engeström, 1987, p. 78)

Table 1. Participant data.

Teacher	Gender	Year in profession	Schools	Participating classes
A	Female	8	Private	2
B	Female	10	Municipal 1	2
C	Male	17	Municipal 2	1
D	Female	25	Municipal 3	2
E	Male	3	Municipal 4	2
F	Male	2	Municipal 5	2

Table 2. Operationalisations of the activity theory concepts.

Actions	What does the teacher do? What does the teacher aim to achieve by doing this?
Tools	Which tools are used in/form the action?
Rules	Which explicit or implicit regulations, norms, traditions or conventions appear?
Community	Who are the participants? What characterises the interaction between the participants?
Division of labour	Who does what? Which roles can be distinguished?
Object	What are the motives of the activity? What gives the activity its form and direction?
Results	What does the teacher want to achieve?

Figure 2. The documenting activity. The concept from Figure 1 in bracket (cf Engeström, 1987)

Table

Course: Social studies 1b
Red marking – Risks not achieving the knowledge requirement Yellow marking – Meets the knowledge requirement predominantly Green marking – Meets the knowledge requirement completely
Nivå E	Nivå C	Nivå A
Students can in basic terms give an account of and analyse the organisation and social conditions of different societies, and their underlying ideas.	Students can in detail give an account of and analyse the organisation and social conditions of different societies and their underlying ideas.	Students can in detail and in a balanced way give an account of and analyse the organisation and social conditions of different societies and their underlying ideas.
Students can also in basic terms give an account of human rights.	Students can also in detail give an account of human rights.	Students can also in detail and in a balanced way give an account of human rights.
In their analysis, students explain simple relationships and draw simple conclusions about similarities and differences between the organisation of different societies.	In their analysis students explain relationships and draw well grounded conclusions about similarities and differences between the organisation of different societies.	In their analysis, students explain complex relationships and draw well grounded conclusions about similarities and differences between the organisation of different societies.
In addition, students can in basic terms give an account of the importance of historical conditions and draw simple conclusions about contemporary social conditions, such as the development of working life, influence and are influenced by individuals, groups and social structures.	In addition, students can in detail give an account of the importance of historical conditions and draw well grounded conclusions on how contemporary social conditions, such as the development of working life, affect and are affected by individuals, groups and social structures.	In addition, students can in detail and in a balanced way give an account of the importance of historical preconditions and draw well grounded and balanced conclusions on how contemporary social conditions, such as the development of working life, influence and are influenced by individuals, groups and social structures.
Students can analyse social issues and identify some causes and consequences.	Students can analyse social issues and identify some causes and consequences.	Students can analyse social issues and identify several causes and consequences.
In their analyses, students with some certainty use the concepts, theories, models and methods of the social sciences.	In their analyses, students with some certainty use the concepts, theories, models and methods of the social sciences and evaluate them in simple assessments.	In their analyses, students with certainty use the concepts, theories, models and methods of the social sciences and evaluate them in balanced assessments.
Students discuss in basic terms causes and consequences, and also possible solutions to social issues.	Students discuss in detail causes and consequences, and also possible solutions to social issues.	Students discuss in detail and in a balanced way causes and consequences, and also possible solutions to social issues.
Students can give simple arguments for their viewpoints and in simple assessments evaluate the viewpoints of others.	Students can give well grounded arguments for their viewpoints and in simple assessments evaluate the viewpoints of others.	Students can give balanced arguments for their standpoints and evaluate with balanced assessments the views of others.
Students can in basic terms give an account of the rights and obligations of individuals in their roles as consumers, the relationship between household income and spending, assets and liabilities, and also the relationship between personal finances and the economy.	Students can in detail give an account of the rights and obligations of individuals in their roles as consumers, the relationship between household income and expenditure, assets and liabilities, and the relationship between personal finances and the economy.	Students can in detail and in a balanced way give an account of the rights and obligations of individuals in their roles as consumers, the relationship between household income and expenditure, assets and liabilities, and the relationship between personal finances and the economy.
In their work on social issues, students can with some certainty search for, examine and interpret information from different sources, report their sources, and make simple reflections on the relevance and credibility of the sources.	In their work on social issues, students can with some certainty search for, examine and interpret information from different sources, report their sources, and make well grounded reflections on the relevance and credibility of sources based on their purpose.	In their work on social issues, students can with certainty search for, examine and interpret information from different sources, report their sources, and make well grounded and balanced reflections on the relevance and credibility of sources based on their purpose
Students can with some certainty and in a structured way, express their knowledge of social studies using different types of presentations.	Students can with some certainty and in a structured way, express their knowledge of social studies using different types of presentations and express themselves independently in relation to the sources.	Students can with certainty and in a structured way, express their knowledge of social studies using different types of presentations and express themselves independently in relation to the sources.

Engeström, Y. (1987). Learning by expanding: An activity‐theoretical approach to developmental research. Helsinki: Orienta‐Konsultit Oy.

 Google Scholar