Revisions 2

Title: Becoming Familiar with a New Technology: An Agentic Perspective

WHY: To see if we can interpret experiences in terms of an agency-based learning theory.  To provide starting evidence that this theory is worth investigating.  To see how people make meaning in their lives in choosing ways to explore or ignore new technology.  To give meaning to learning experiences; to make learning more human. To give learner more responsibility.  So we can know how to be better learners (how to recognize and meaningfully engage in learning experiences).  So we can know how to be better teachers (how to assist learners in learning meaningfully).
Just use exploration part, or whole theory?


1. Intro: Agency and Learning

• Y&S - many learning theories are influenced by hard physical determinism
• Looking at humans in this light may be a narrow outlook
• Y,S & F Learning theory - based on human agency
• Explanation of Theory
• Explanation of Deterministic Learning Theories
• Explanation of differences
• LMS helps increase communication and interaction.
• When teachers encounter Learning Suite, some of them choose not to explore it at all.  Others explore it in many different ways.  
• This study a qualitative study providing examples of specific adult learning experience from learner's perspective and in the learner's own words.  A study of learning ot see whether or not Yanchar, Spackman and Faulconer's theory of learning could explain this experience agentically. 
• Understanding learning experiences in terms of YS&F's learning theory will provide insight into how learning could be understood as an agentic process, and the impact that perspective could have on future research in teaching and learning. 

2.  Research Questions:

1. How do typical university faculty members describe their experiences of learning to use a new LMS?
2. How do their responses agree or disagree with Y, S & F learning theory?
3. How does what we know from YS&F's learning theory based on agency change the way we look at learning?

3. Related Literature    

• Fundamental ideals/principles behind LAEF
• How those fundamental ideals/principles could help teachers and learners
• BYU Learning Suite  - statistics, WHAT WE KNOW
• Why this is a good scenario to study
• Why this study -

Method:

• Is this grounded theory research?
• Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis - Qual. research, gets at human experiences and meanings behind them, to the learners. Good b/c we can talk with professors about choices that were and were not meaningful to them. Also, I can interpret their responses as the researcher, which I will have to do in order to talk about choice and effects on learning. (LOOK MORE INTO THIS)
• Will talk with about 5 professors who originally chose to learn the technology, as identified by user data.  (1-Early adopters, 2-Early Majority, 2-Late Majority, 1-Laggard [how were they selected, why this group? why adults?]) (FIX)
• Will ask them how they first chose to learn Learning Suite  
• Tell me about your choices in learning to use Learning Suite. (What were some of the things you did to get more familiar with it?)
• Which helps did you use at first?  Why those?  How do you think those choices affected your learning experience?

 Results: Stories of learning a new technology. To analyze for themes/patterns similar to those in YS&F's "exploration" phenomenon. That will help with WHY.