Högskolan i Skövde

Traditionally cognition has been regarded in terms of internal symbolic representations and computational processes, while the environment largely has been reduced to inputs and outputs. More recent situated cognition approaches emphasise the role of environmental resources in cognition, and today it is well known that artefacts affect, not only the individual, but also social interactions. Despite a growing emphasis on the role of artefacts we still have only a limited understanding of the ways artefacts are used and adapted to support cognitive capabilities. This paper presents initial steps in the development of a framework that can contribute to a more principled understanding of the role of artefacts in social interactions. This focus on artefacts is based on concepts from human-computer interaction and cognitive science: triggers, placeholders, and entry points. Triggers and placeholders concern the way environmental resources affect, and are used in, work processes. Entry points, on the other hand, concern the ways people adapt their environments, with a focus on the properties of artefacts. These concepts complement each other and provide a perspective that integrates agent, environment, activities, and temporal aspects. This part of the framework is illustrated by a case study conducted in a setting where artefacts take a central role in the ongoing work processes.