Informal Learning with Technology: A Narrative of Self-determined Learning

Much education is formalized and revolves around satisfying an externally mandated curriculum. Informal, self-determined learning allows individuals to select a more democratic learner-centered approach to education; one that may matter more to the learner than to any other external person or institution. The underlying premise of this research is that informal, self-determined learning through technology is capable of opening up different avenues of learning. Through a narrative methodology and a conceptual framework identified as Full Access Learning (FUAL), learning â and education in general â is opened up and personalized in different ways, informally and often with technology. Examples of self-determined learning with technology are explored, including the author's own lived experience of constructing learning through digital and informal means. Such self-determined and informal learning, through FUAL, can prove to be a space where diverse and personal educational initiatives are encouraged and modernized in an effort to synchronize with the current societal technological norms of the 21st century. A broader goal of this research, however, is to provide further evidence for learners who may not connect well with more formal and traditional learning approaches, such as schooling, and to add to the argument that different ways of learning can help individuals thrive. Learning that is personal and meaningful can create individual growth opportunities. What transpires from personal growth can have multiple ripple effects. As technology continues to evolve and becomes more ubiquitous, different ways of learning can occur. The challenge is to discover and engage in multiple ways of self-determined learning, as each learner determines appropriate.Ph.D