Student agency is one of the reasons why next gen learning looks and feels different from traditional instructional practices.
Despite the best of intentions, whole group instruction that is teacher-centered or curriculum-centered tends to ignore the agency of individual students to own their learning and direct their own path through it. When student agency is embraced, the instructional model shifts to a student-centered learning model.
This article by Kristen Vogt appeared in Next Gen Learning on January 14, 2016