The action map seems to be an adequate tool for assessing situated problem solving in at
least two ways. First, it provides a representation of not only the product but also the
process of problem solving in the sense that it maps the actions and their sequence as they
unfold in the problem solving process thus providing a visual representation of the internal
structure of the activity. Second, it captures the interaction between the problem solver and
reality because it describes the sequence of actions as they occur simultaneously in the
internal plane (thinking) as well as the external plane (doing