1. The Use of Activity-Oriented Design Methods (AODM) to Guide the Design of Mobile Application for Distance Education Students at the Namibia University of Science and Technology
Theme: Reshaping methodologies and techniques for institutional research
Theme: Reshaping methodologies and techniques for institutional research
Dr Leena Kloppers and Mr Joseph Gandanhamo

2. Problem Statement
Though the Distance Education centre (COLL) at NUST provides the students with the flexibility they need to study and provides a tutorial support system to support the distance students, the distance students perform poorly compared to on-campus students

3. Problem Statement (contd.)
Though all the distance education students at COLL have cell phones, and its role to support distance education students has been documented (Kloppers, 2015), its potential as a tutorial support tool beyond contacting tutors and sending SMS notifications has not been explored.

4. Objectives of the Study
Identify the constraints of the tutorial support system for distance students
Identify the system requirements for a mobile app which addresses those constraints

5. Activity-Oriented Design Method (AODM)
Grounded in human-computer systems design research with emphasis on user input and development of useful technologies (Greenhow and Belbas, 2007).
Provides researchers with a step-by-step approach which allows for the application of the theory into practice and an analytical tool for studying human activities in the context in which it takes place.
By applying this approach, evidence-based insights can be provided for the mobile app designers.

6. Methodology and Methods
Exploratory case study
Online questionnaires
218 responses from 1000

7. Stage 1: Model the situation being examined

8. Stage 2: Produce an Activity System of the situation
Activity System of the tutorial support system

9. Stages 3 and 4: Decompose the situations Activity System and Generate Research Questions
Sub-activity triangle focused on
Generation of sub-activity oriented questions
Subject-Tool-Object
How do the face-to-face tutorials and individual tutoring sessions help the student learn well and pass assessments?
Subject-Rules-Object
How does the rule of contacting tutors for support and attending face-to-face tutorials help the students learn well and pass assessments?
Subject-Division of Labour-Object
How does the support provided by the tutors influence the students to learn well and pass assessments?
Community-Tool-Object
How effective are the face-to-face tutorials and individual tutorials in helping the students learn well and pass assessments?
Community-Rules-Object
How do the rules of contacting the tutors and attending face-to-face tutorials impact the assistance tutors can give to help students learn well and pass assessments?
Community-Division of Labour-Object
How does the support provided by the regional coordinators for the face-to-face tutorials impact students’ ability to learn well and pass assessments?

10. Subject-Tool-Object
How do the face-to-face tutorials and individual tutoring sessions help the student learn well and pass assessments?

11. Stage 5: Conduct a Detailed Investigation
Subject-Tool-Object

12. Stage 5: Conduct a Detailed Investigation (contd.)
Contradictions are one of the key principles of Activity Theory.
According to Mwanza-Simwami (2009), contradictions are identified
when the results of the activity analysis do not match with desired outcomes
the subjects are interacting with the tools or other members of the community
result of rules and regulations that restrict the subjects from achieving their objective
Contradictions in activity systems are seen as agents of change and development (Engeström, 1987)

13. Contradiction in Subject-Tool-Object sub-activity triangle
How do the face-to-face tutorials and individual tutoring sessions help the student learn well and pass assessments?
Primary Contradiction 2: Tutors are not always available

14. Stage 5: Conduct a Detailed Investigation

15. Functions of Mobile App
Provide a platform for communication and interaction which is not bound by time and place
Increase time and quality of interaction between students and tutors and between students
Reduce delays in response from tutors
Provide two way communication
Eliminate late notifications of changes to tutorials

16. Mobile App Design Process
Target Deployment Platform
Back-End Design
User Interface Design

17. References
Engeström, Y. (1987). Learning by expanding: An activity-theoretical approach to developmental research. Helsinki: Orienta-Konsultit.
Kloppers, L. (2015). Investigating the potential of cell phones in distance education-A Polytechnic of Namibia case study (unpublished doctoral dissertation). Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK.
Greenhow, C., & Belbas, B. (2007). Using activity-oriented design methods to study collaborative knowledge- building in e-learning courses within higher education. International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, 2(4),
Mwanza-Simwami, D. (2009). Using activity-oriented design methods (AODM) to investigate mobile learning. In G. Vavoula, N. Pachler, & A. Kukulska-Hulme (Eds.), Researching mobile learning: Frameworks, tools, and research designs (pp ). Berne, Switzerland: Peter Lang.

18. Questions?