Activity Theory and Analyzing Learning in Simulations

Purpose . The purpose of this theoretical article is to demonstrate how activity theory , a neo-Vygotskian sociocultural theory, can be used to analyze learning during simulation-based activities. Background . Simulations are complex, dynamic environments that evolve and change throughout implementation. Moreover, simulations simultaneously support multiple participants’ assigned different roles . This means that the learning within them is often co-constructed , rather than individually derived. These characteristics complicate understanding the learning within them. Method . This article presents a summary of the basic tenants of activity theory ( AT ), followed by a worked example to demonstrate how AT can be used as an analytic lens to generate rich description and analysis of participant activities as embedded in a complex dynamic simulation. Conclusions . Activity theory can be used as a theoretical lens in order to account for how participants partake in simulation-based learning contexts, which supports the rich description and analysis of how participants accomplish their goals.