The MASIE Center and the American Society for Training & Development (ASTD) have formed a partnership to understand the critical success factors behind learning technologies through a series of high-caliber research studies.

The first joint effort — the Learning Technology Acceptance Study — is to improve understanding of how organizations can increase learner use and acceptance of learning technologies. The study will strive to determine the conditions under which people will be more likely to accept and use technology-based learning.  These enablers and barriers to learner acceptance of learning technology include:
- learner motivations / reasons for participating
- logistics (timing/location/length) of event
- the marketing and promotion of the learning opportunity
rewards and recognition
- level of support from supervisor/manager
- organizational culture of learning
- the physical learning environment (conducive or distracting)

Future topics to be addressed by the partnership may include:
- comparisons of the relative effectiveness of technology/classroom/technology-classroom hybrid training
- matching and tailoring technology-based training to individual learning styles
- enhancing learning retention and performance through technology-based training.