Navigating digitally mediated educational environments in crisis situations through an adapted Cultural-Historical Activity Theory framework

Lebanon’s ongoing financial, banking, and political crises disrupted education, exposing the often overlooked influence of neighboring activity systems. This case study investigated remote learning at a private university in Lebanon through Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT), aiming to fill a gap in cultural-historical research on remote learning and further develop CHAT. Following an abductive approach, data was collected through in-depth interviews with 7 university students. Guided by Engeström and Sannino's frameworks, the study explored contradictions students faced during remote learning and how they addressed them. Students reported challenges including internet issues, demotivation, and difficulty concentrating. Most contradictions (61 out of 79) remained unresolved. When resolved, contradictions were mainly addressed by modifying tools used in remote learning. Students who modified rules of interaction or engaged more actively with the learning community were able to overcome further challenges. The study also underscored the importance of “physical space” in remote education; it proposes a 7th component to CHAT, the Extended Space (E.S), which incorporates physical and virtual environments where learning occurs. Ultimately, this study contributes to the development of CHAT by highlighting the spatial dimensions and interactivity of remote learning contexts, while also providing practical recommendations for optimizing learning in digital environments.