ICLS 2000 Proceedings

Instructions at Work: A Case of Coronary Diagnostics

Berthel Sutter
Department of Human Work Science
University of Karlskrona/Ronneby, Soft Center
S-37225 Ronneby, Sweden
Tel: +46-457-385555, Fax: +46-457-27125
Email: Berthel.Sutter@iar.hk-r.se

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to explore the role of instruction as an integrated part of work activity. The perspective I take is an activity-theoretical conception of instruction integrated with three fundamental professional work practices, namely highlighting, use of coding schemes, and articulation of graphic representations. The empirical part of the paper consists of a patient case from a clinical heart conference that is studied in detail. The main outcome of the study is an analytical distinction between instruction as ("crystallized") artifact-bound representations and "live" or situated instructions. It is argued that all instructions are situated, and that situatedness is a doubly situatedness: both from the artifact-mediated tradition of the profession and from the ongoing interactions at work.

Keywords: performance support, workplace learning, activity theory

Preferred Citation Format:
Sutter, B. (2000). Instructions at Work: A Case of Coronary Diagnostics. In B. Fishman & S. O'Connor-Divelbiss (Eds.), Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference of the Learning Sciences (pp. 91-97). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

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