From mastery to utilisation: appropriation of tools for collaboration in learning situations

Vocational students were invited to construct a project plan with the support of a graphical shared workspace. We describe the emergence of the use and effect of this technical artefact by building on Rabardel's (1995) concept of instrumental genesis. From this perspective, a tool or instrument is seen as a mixed functional unit composed of an artefact and a utilisation scheme. We view tool appropriation as a constructive utilisation of the artefact. In case of collaborative tool use this utilisation has to be coordinated. We examine tool appropriation in a collaborative setting as development over three stages. In order to construct their project plan the students had to arrive at a shared representational format. We hypothesized that they would make certain choices during a stage of personal utilisation, and would then coordinate these choices to arrive at a shared convention of use. Our analysis illustrates a transition from mastery to collective utilisation of the tool.