You may want to evaluate how students enact and develop agency in specific domains of activity. This protocol is adapted from a study on students’ (domain-specific) agency in relation to the use of educational technology (Jones and Healing 2010). However, the protocol can be adapted to evaluate students’ enactment and development of agency in other domain-specific contexts, for example: e-learning; (independent) study skills; the (virtual) laboratory; ‘flipped’ or ‘blended’ learning; the library or other information resources; reflective/academic reading or writing; peer/self-assessment.
Theme 1: Students' (initial) experience of [X]
Possible questions:
Can you tell me about your first experiences of [e-learning] at university?
How were you introduced to [the library as a resource for searching scientific information]?
How did it relate to previous experiences of [‘flipped’ learning]?
How did you feel about [reflective/academic writing]?
What do you see as the (dis)advantages or challenges associated with [peer/self-assessment]?
Theme 2: Students' current/general use of or engagement in [X]
Possible questions:
What role does [technology] play in your studies?
Tell me more about how [the laboratory] fits in with your studies and your approach to studying?
How often do you [practice reflective/academic writing]?
What prompts you to [access the library] and how often does this happen?
What do you hope to get out of [e-learning]?
Theme 3: [X] and student life in general
Possible questions:
Could you tell me about yourself as a [technology user]?
Could you tell me about your experience of [reading] for recreation?
Where do you normally [access library resources]?
Does anything prevent you from [engaging in groupwork] effectively?
Does your experience of [the laboratory] have any relation to your life as a student more generally?
What kind of students enjoy/are good at [writing]?
Theme 4: [X] and future life
Possible questions:
What benefits do you think [flipped learning] will have for your future?
(When) do you think you will [access a library] after your degree?
Do you think employers value [academic writing]?
Theme 5: Participants' perspective
Possible questions:
Do you have any further comments or observations about [X] (at Imperial College London)?
Overall, how would you evaluate (your experience of) [X]?
References
Jones, C, and G Healing. 2010. "Net generation students: agency and choice and the new technologies." Journal of Computer Assisted Learning 26: 344-356.