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Dear Professor Friedman,

Please sign me on for the Workshop on Activity Theory.

Thanks and best regards,

Kuohsiang Chen

Ken Friedman wrote:

> And remember, if you want to take a workshop and haven't registered, please do.
>
> Workshops are free. All you have to do is register for the workshop of your
> choice. If you have already signed up for a workshop OR you don't want to
> take part, don't worry. This is for you who plan to take a workshop and
> haven't let me know.
>
> Post Conference Workshops
>
> There will be four post-conference workshops following the conference on
> Doctoral Education in Design. Workshop participation is included in the
> conference fee.
>
> Judith Gregory will lead a full-day workshop on July 13 on activity theory.
>
> John Langrish will offer two half-day workshops on July 13, one on thesis
> writing, and one on doctoral supervision.
>
> Anders Skoe will led a two-day workshop on July 13 and 14 on behavior design.
>
> When you book your hotel accommodations and make your travel arrangements,
> please allow for workshop participation.
>
> Please let me know which workshop you wish to attend by signing up at
> <[log in to unmask]>. If you have not yet registered for the conference,
> you may include your workshop preference when you send me your registration.
>
> Ken Friedman
>
> ---> Workshop on Activity Theory
>
> Judith Gregory, Ph.D.
> Associate Professor
> Department of Informatics
> University of Oslo
>
> All day workshop, 13 July
>
> Activity theory has been an increasingly significant topic of inquiry in
> research fields from design research and computer assisted architectural
> design to management studies and information science. Despite the growing
> interested in activity theory, little of the important literature is
> available in English.
>
> Judith Gregory is an expert in activity theory who used the theoretical
> framework, core concepts, methodological principles, and research methods
> in her own doctoral work at University of California. Her conference paper
> and workshop will explore issues and their implications for critical design
> practices and doctoral education in design.
>
> The workshop will deepen Gregory's description of essential concepts in
> activity theory. These include the mediated and collaborative nature of
> human activity in situated contexts, organized around the notion of the
> activity system, organizational, and cultural-historical communities of
> practice. Another concept particularly significant to design is the use and
> creation of artifacts that are simultaneously material-semiotic and ideal.
>
> Among methodological principles, activity theory emphasizes: following
> complex shared objects (motives) through time (developmentally); detailed
> analysis of practices (e.g., interaction analysis of video documentation,
> conversation analysis); intermediate concept construction (between
> theoretically informed concepts and field data); creating resources for
> reflecting on practices, design, and interventions; and "looking for
> trouble" (regarding discoordination, disruptions, and breakdowns as
> opportunities for creative problem-solving).
>
> The workshop will involve the dynamic presentation of the three areas of
> core concepts, methodological principles, and compatibility. Gregory will
> present recent cases of fruitful combinations between activity theory and
> other conceptual approaches.
>
> ---> The Seven Deadly Sins of Writing a PhD: Problem to Avoid
>
> John Langrish, Ph.D.
> Director of the Postgraduate
> Faculty of Art and Design
> Manchester Metropolitan University
>
> Morning, July 13
>
> John Langrish has supervised over thirty PhD degrees in art and design and
> examined over forty.
>
> >From this experience, he has constructed a list of 'seven deadly sins.' The
> list begins with 1) plagiarism, 2) polemic, and 3) 'shouldism.' The
> Langrish workshop will include opportunities to identify these seven
> failings in examples of student work that demonstrate what 'sinful' writing
> is.
>
> In discussing the original seven deadly sins, Thomas Aquinas stated that
> the best way to combat sin is to concentrate on the opposite virtue.
> Perhaps that is how he became a saint.
>
> The Langrish workshop will also focus on the virtues of the PhD. These
> virtues include originality, reasoned argument, and relevance.
>
> These virtues are contrasted against the seven sins to concentrate on the
> positive aspects of doctoral development. They become more important when
> seen against the background of the 'seven deadly sins.'
>
> ---> Supervising the Supervisors
>
> John Langrish, Ph.D.
> Director of the Postgraduate
> Faculty of Art and Design
> Manchester Metropolitan University
>
> Afternoon, July 13
>
> Nearly every University provides formal courses for research students. Few
> support for potential supervisors.
>
> This workshops is an opportunity to discuss essential issues in supervision:
>
> 1) There is no such thing as 'best practice.' 2) There are many supervisory
> 'styles.' 3) The only rule is that both supervisor and student should have
> a clear expectation of each other's requirements. 4) Several common
> problems cause research students to drop out. Many of these can be solved.
> 5) Some doctoral supervision is inadequate. Is quality control of
> supervision the answer? 6) Workshop participants will propose additional
> discussion themes.
>
> ---> Designing Human Behavior
>
> Anders Skoe
> President
> Interactive Coaching Services - ICS
> Geneva
>
> Two-day workshop, 13 and 4 July
>
> Design has grown to encompass services as well as products. In doing so,
> design has moved beyond static design in two or three spatial dimensions.
> Design now inhabits a non-spatial dimension, time. Increasingly, design
> also involves behavior as a dimension beyond the physical dimensions of
> space-time.
>
> Behavior design has many aspects. Between an organization and its clients,
> it involves the behavioral interface between front office employees and
> company customers. Within service firms - including design firms - it also
> involves problem solving, strategy development, company culture, and
> organizational learning.
>
> This workshop will explore this new area of design. Workshop participants
> will learn about behavior design and develop behavioral coaching skills.
> This includes understanding how to design behavior based on the unique,
> existing personalities of organization members, along with understanding
> cross-cultural issues, universally accepted behaviors and their impact on
> people. The workshop will stimulate ideas for research and explore ways to
> teach behavior design at the university level.
>
> Day 1 - Theme: Service Behaviors. This day will present the workshop plan.
> The day's activities will include: who's who among participants, mental
> preparation, service management, customer contact employees as product
> producers, a service is ephemeral - and consumed as it is produced,
> employees produce the service in interaction with customers, considering
> appropriate behavior, creating strong, effective corporate cultures.
>
> Day 2 - Theme: Leadership and Coaching. This day's activities will include:
> day plan, reflection on day 1, customer - employee role plays, feedback and
> suggestions from colleagues, feedback and suggestions from workshop leader,
> some behavioral psychology models and theory, dialogue on research areas,
> dialogue on teaching opportunities, action plans, workshop evaluation.
>
> Anders Skoe has worked as an executive in Telecom Canada, SAS Airlines, and
> the International Airline Transport Association. He now consults to
> telecommunication, information, airline and design firms.
>
> --