Hi all.
Thanks for some really interesting questions and contributions on the matter of narrative research.
A brief way of summarizing one of the key points in the discussion of narrative is that it helps us focus on micro-narratives to understand what is going on or what can go on in different contexts. It does this instead of emphasizing generalizable meta-narratives related to the "impact" of technology on education and to the story of technological progress more generally. (For a slightly different take on the narrative of Lisa and the way it fits with other ideas in the book, you can check out a slidecast of a presentation I gave last week in Quebec: http://learningspaces.org/n/node/35)
On to Critical Theory & E-learning: Some of the most important points I make in my chapter/article about critical theory and e-learning (see: http://www.acm.org/ubiquity/volume_9/v9i22_friesen.html) are not unrelated to what I say about narrative. Both emphasize the importance of focusing on marginalized rather than dominant discourses and information sources; both privilege the realization that any particular experience will depart from grandiose claims about technological efficiency, inevitability and ubiquity (to give just two examples.)
So, I look forward to your questions and thoughts on the application of critical theory in e-learning research. So far, it has been an enriching experience!
Also, if you don't get around to reading the article/chapter on critical theory, you can listen to a short podcast of an interview I gave last spring in New Zealand: http://www.massey.ac.nz/~jdmilne/norm_20march09.mp3 It covers at least part of the material in the chapter.
See you online, and happy thanksgiving to our American colleagues!
-Norm