For some time, higher degree research supervision has been the subject of research in universities. Universities have also been experiencing a boom in the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for mediating research, research training and teaching. While ICTs provide useful tools and greater connectivity for students and their supervisors and have the potential to transform supervision practice, communication problems associated with this expansion are also becoming apparent. This paper explores the nexus between supervision and ICTs and suggests that cultural historical activity theory could provide a lens for describing and understanding this nexus, through acknowledgement of the cultural, historical and technological influences that shape such complex human activity. Furthermore, activity theory perspectives can provide insight into how such activity might be transformed by exploiting inherent contradictions revealed through data collection and analysis. This paper lays the framework for the description and analysis of the activity of higher degree research supervision and transformations that may result from such studies.

Keywords: Research higher degree supervision; information and communication technology; activity theory.