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This issue of MCA presents a set of articles developing a theoretical dialogue between the work of linguist Michael Halliday and psychologist Lev Vygotsky. The Introduction provides background on Halliday's social linguistics, identifies some key themes for the dialogue with Vygotsky, and comments on the particular contributions of the included articles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focusing on expanding technical capabilities and new collaborative possibilities, we address 4 challenges for scientists who collect and use video records to conduct research in and on complex learning environments: (a) Selection: How can researchers be systematic in deciding which elements of a complex environment or extensive video corpus to select for study? (b) Analysis: What analytical frameworks and practices are appropriate for given research problems? (c) Technology: What technologies are available and what new tools must be developed to support collecting, archiving, analyzing, reporting, and collaboratively sharing video? and (d) Ethics: How can research protocols encourage broad video sharing and reuse while adequately protecting the rights of research participants who are recorded? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How might we usefully apply concepts and procedures derived from the study of other complex dynamical systems to analyzing systemic change in education? In this article we begin to define possible agendas for research toward developing systematic frameworks and shared terminology for such a project. We illustrate the plausibility of defining such frameworks and raise the question of the relation between such frameworks and the crucial task of aggregating data across ‘systemic experiments’, such as those conducted under the Urban Systemic Initiative sponsored by the US National Science Foundation. Our discussion includes a review of key issues identified by groups of researchers regarding (1) Defining the System, (2) Structural Analysis, (3) Relationships Among Subsystems and Levels, (4) Drivers for Change, and (5) Modeling Methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the role of critical social research in addressing the most pressing social problems. Exposure of scrutiny claims of inevitability; Analysis of the roots of social problems; Formulation of proper objects of social research.

It is a particular pleasure to comment on the four stimulating articles in this special issue of the Journal of the Learning Sciences (JLS). Each addresses critical issues of theory and method that have preoccupied me; all seek to analyze human activity across multiple time scales. Multiple time-scale analysis frames the right questions, however difficult answering them may be both conceptually and in practice. All four articles have a great deal in common with one another and with a more general model I have been developing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents an analysis of dynamics of ecosocial systems and human activities within them. Comments on the implications of multiple-timescale analysis for the study of meaningful human activity; Information about Classical systems theory which is rooted in spatial metaphors and the reductionist project; Role of signs and meaning in behavior and system dynamics.

The article presents the author's commentary or response to the review of his book "Textual Politics: Discourse and Social Dynamics."