Date

10-20-2023

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)

Chair

Daniel Baer

Keywords

learner agency, instructional design, andragogy, asynchronous training, professional development, workplace learning, non-linear navigation

Disciplines

Education | Instructional Media Design

Abstract

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand asynchronous online professional learning for adults that maximizes learner agency through non-linear instructional design strategies by the lived experiences of Learning and Development professionals. The theory guiding this study is Malcolm Knowles’ theory of andragogy, as it speaks to the unique characteristics of adult learners and is the lens by which the creation of asynchronous learning experiences that maximize learner agency can be viewed. The central research question investigates the lived experiences of learning professionals who create asynchronous online professional learning for adults that maximizes learner agency through non-linear instructional strategies. The sample for this hermeneutic phenomenological study included 11 Learning and Development professionals as participants from a corporate professional learning function at an early childhood education company. The data was collected using the following methods: semi-structured individual interviews, journal prompts, and a focus group interview. The data was analyzed by developing hierarchical codes to uncover patterns in the data and identify apparent themes and subthemes. The results of this study demonstrate that learning professionals leverage non-linear design strategies to scaffold learning, rely on strategies to delineate scope of practice and navigate obstacles, and position adult learner characteristics as the centralized focus when creating asynchronous learning for adult audiences.

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