Learning to use technology can be traumatic for adults. This study is qualitative and based on personal e-mail diaries written by adult learners. It identifies six stages adults may go through as they learn to use technology to communicate electronically. Initially, 30 teachers studying in a post-graduate university course were involved in a compulsory assignment which required them to learn to use e-mail. They were asked to take the role of a character from a children's book and respond to letters from school children. In addition to e-mailing the children, each participant was required to send three e-mail messages, or metacognitive reflections, to their professor explaining how they were learning to use the technology. Six categories emerged from the diary reports and formed the stages which learners typically go through as they learn to use the technology: (1) awareness; (2) learning the process; (3) understanding and application of the process; (4) familiarity and confidence; (5) adaptation to other contexts; and (6) creative application to new contexts. Once the stages were identified, new students were introduced to the stages at the beginning of their on-line assignment. There were enough positive student reflections to indicate that computer anxiety was overcome at the completion of the task and at confirmation of the six stages. (AEF)