Semester
Spring
Date of Graduation
2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Type
PhD
College
College of Applied Human Sciences
Department
Curriculum & Instruction/Literacy Studies
Committee Chair
Aimee Morewood
Committee Co-Chair
Allison Dagen
Committee Member
Allison Dagen
Committee Member
John Oughton
Committee Member
Matthew Campbell
Abstract
While technology is a normal part of life both for personal and professional uses, this study focuses on how the use of technology positions the online learner. Understanding how technology tools position the learner can help instructors of online courses make meaningful and intentional instructional decisions for the technology tools they utilize. The research on the impact of technology tools in the field of education is limited. The main objective of this qualitative case study was to explore the use of technology tools in an online course to determine how those tools position the learner.
Data were collected from course artifacts, in-depth instructor and student surveys, and a follow-up interview with the instructor. The data collected were from one online graduate-level course and were analyzed using two technology frameworks: Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy (Churches, 2008) and the PICRAT Matrix (Kimmons, 2016).
The analysis revealed that students were positioned in the role of passive learner more often than as an active learner; both are needed for learning to occur. Students utilized tools to consume the content more than to create their own content. Students engaged in the lower-order cognitive skills more than higher-order thinking skills while using the technology tools in the course. The findings suggest that instructors should make meaningful and intentional uses of the technology by evaluating the tools being used with a technology integration framework. The use of integration frameworks helps ensure that students are positioned in both passive and active learning roles, providing them with opportunities to engage meaningfully in both.
Recommended Citation
Taylor, Susan E., "Positioning the Online Learner: How the Use of Technology Matters" (2025). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 12742.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/12742