Functional organs and computer use within collaborative group projects

In this article I apply the concept of a functional organ to explain the use of computers within interdisciplinary and authentic group projects completed as part of a business degree at Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand. The concept, which is described by a model contained within the theory of activity first formulated by Leont’ev, helped to unravel the complexity involved in these incidences of joint activity and also clarified the relationship between the computer, as a cultural tool, and the members of the groups. Implications and challenges facing this approach are also discussed.