In this session Elizabeth Murphy and Maria Rodriguez Manzanares will illustrate how they relied on Third Generation Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) and the concept of contradictions to make sense of data from a case study of e-teaching in virtual high-school classrooms in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. They will provide a brief overview of Third Generation Activity Theory, outline their approach and protocol, provide actual coded examples and discuss the limitations and value of this approach in particular and Activity Theory in general to distance education research. Elizabeth and Maria will be assisted in this presentation by doctoral students Brian Kerr and Charlene Dodd, who will discuss the coding of contradictions.