2026 ATD Dissertation Award
Selected for excellence in research on networked individualism and personal learning networks, Dr. Kari Word will be recognized at the International Conference and Expo (ICE) in Los Angeles in May 2026.
How patients learn to navigate healthcare—and why preparation changed how they experienced healthcare.
How individuals create personalized learning ecosystems through digital and social networks.
Patient-driven education beyond formal healthcare settings, powered by intrinsic motivation.
Communities of practice where patients share knowledge, resources, and lived experiences.
Enabling endometriosis patients to take active roles in their health and learning journeys.
Selected for excellence in research on networked individualism and personal learning networks, Dr. Kari Word will be recognized at the International Conference and Expo (ICE) in Los Angeles in May 2026.
Research conducted at Florida State University
Many patients begin their healthcare journey feeling dismissed, not believed, and questioning their own reality. In my research, participants described feeling gaslit—or even "going crazy" while trying to figure out what was wrong.
But as they began learning from their personal learning networks online, something shifted. They didn't just become more informed. They became empowered, motivated, and driven—not only to advocate for themselves, but to help others avoid the same experience.
What Patients Told Me
"I felt like I wasn't being taken seriously."
"I started to question myself."
"It felt like I was going crazy."
These weren't isolated experiences. They were consistent patterns.
What Changed
As patients began learning and preparing, they described feeling:
This research explored how patients learn to navigate complex healthcare systems when answers are not immediately available. Over time, many patients:
Build their own networks of information and support
Teach themselves how to evaluate medical information
Learn to organize their symptoms and history
Begin preparing differently for healthcare conversations
"Patients who feel supported emotionally and with knowledge—by way of their personal learning network—experience a breakthrough moment where they realize they are not crazy, not alone, and there is hope after all."
Dr. Kari's research reveals how self-directed learning in patient communities extends far beyond endometriosis—offering insights applicable to corporate learning, medical education, and public health.
Insights for training healthcare providers to better understand patient-driven learning and community knowledge.
Applications for building informal learning ecosystems and leveraging employee networks for knowledge sharing.
Strategies for public health campaigns that empower patients and communities to take active roles in health advocacy.
Dissertation Title
Networked Individualism and Personal Learning Networks: The Self-Directed Learning Journey of Endometriosis Patients
This qualitative study explored how patients develop informal learning strategies as they navigate chronic health conditions.
Explore ResearchFrom middle school math teacher in Texas to Ph.D. researcher at Florida State University, Dr. Kari Word's journey reflects a passion for learning and discovery that transformed both her career and her research mission.
After earning her Master's in Educational Technology, Kari worked as an instructional designer while pursuing her curiosity about doctoral research. In 2018, she enrolled at Florida State University's Instructional Systems and Learning Technologies program, where she discovered her research focus: understanding how endometriosis patients teach themselves about their condition through online communities and personal learning networks.
On March 5, 2025, Dr. Kari successfully defended her dissertation. Exactly one year later, she learned her research had been selected for the 2026 ATD Dissertation Award—a recognition of her groundbreaking work on informal learning in patient communities.
Middle school math teacher, Texas
M.Ed. Educational Technology
Instructional Design, Consultant
Began PhD coursework at FSU
Research conducted
Dissertation Defense, and Graduation
ATD National Dissertation Award Winner
Stay Tuned for The Prepared Patient Method, workshops and talks for medical providers and schools, discussions about the role informal self-directed learning has at work and in our daily lives, and possibly more research in this area.