How do I keep online learners motivated?

1. Relevance and purpose

Learners like to have:

  • Clear information at the start about the program and its learning objectives
  • An indication of how each activity relates to the learning objectives.
  • Clear information about how they will be assessed, and on what criteria.
  • Activities that relate to their own experience and/or context, and have a practical application.

This can be achieved in the information learners receive at the start of the program, in the information given with each activity or through summaries. You could also customise the program to suit particular contexts such as the learners’ workplace.

For example

You could send a personal email to each of your learners at the end of the activity or unit, to confirm his/her successful completion, and also to reinforce the relevance of the tasks accomplished in terms of practical application and learning objectives. You could also add a suggestion for further learning, such as; “Please try that new technique the next time you have to deal with a customer complaint, and let us know how it goes”.

2. Variety and challenge

Using a variety of activity styles and interaction can help maintain interest allows a program to cater for different learning styles. Variety maintains interest and motivation in an online environment, as repetitive tasks can be very boring. Variety can help stop plagiarism because learners are required to communicate on different levels and with different ‘voices’.

By varying the level of challenge, learners stay motivated and keen to keep learning. A smart strategy is to start with easier activities then progressively increase the complexity of the tasks – of course, only at levels appropriate to your learners’ abilities. Different activity types can include:

  • Individual, paired or group tasks.
  • Essays, reports or short answers tests.
  • Discussions, debates, collaborative tasks (where a final product has to be devised), case studies or role-plays.
  • Multiple choice quizzes, games, self-assessed quizzes, webquests, weblogs, and interactive exercises such as ‘drag-and-drop’.

For example

Have additional optional quizzes, games or individual tasks of increasing difficulty on standby so that you can use them for learners who have accomplished the set tasks and need further challenges. Remember however that working in pairs, teams or groups online increases the difficulty of a task or activity because it can be challenging to work collaboratively in an online environment.

3. Comfort and confidence

Unless your learners have studied online before, they may fear that they are not ‘doing it right’. Even experienced online learners can have this insecurity at the start of a new program, so it is important to ensure that you make your learners feel welcome and comfortable so that things get off to a good start. Perhaps the most important component here is a good induction, which should include:

  • How to access the program, logging on etc.
  • The details of the program, including deadlines and expectations
  • Getting to know both you and the other learners.
  • How to understand and use the technology and where they can find help.

Here are some other good strategies:

  • Try and predict what problems may occur or insecurities learners may have, you can pre-empt them through course design or information sharing.
  • Respond promptly to emails, especially at the start of a course.
  • Make sure responses are personalised and directly address any concerns expressed by the learner
  • Intervene quickly and supportively if the learner seems to be having problems
  • Reassure learners as to their ability to work well online
  • Give praise and recognition where it’s due, and lots of feedback.

For example

A good way to handle this orientation stage is to design a “webquest” where learners have to explore the online environment to answer a set of questions, such as “What colour is the background in the chat room”. This is a good social activity (you could also allocate them into pairs) that also helps build confidence in using the online system.

4. Listen and value

The greatest impact on a learner’s level of motivation is the nature of the interactions they have with the online facilitator and, where present, other learners. It is critical that they receive positive responses and feel that their efforts and contributions are valued. Your relationship with each learner may have the greatest impact and this is made more problematic by the lack of non-verbal communication in the online environment - no body language, facial expression or voice tone.

So you can help your learners feel they are being listened to and valued by:

  • Giving timely responses, even if only to acknowledge receipt of work.
  • Offering constructive, specific and positive feedback.
  • Giving clear directions and instructions at all times.
  • Making sure responses are personalised so the learner feels you have listened to him or her as an individual.
  • Showing a willingness to engage in discussion or exploration over and above the minimum required if it is relevant to the course aims.
  • Being alert to problems with the course design or content.
  • Being alert to inappropriate or negative behaviour from other learners.

You can’t always guarantee positive or thoughtful responses from other learners in the group, but a constructive group dynamic can be encouraged – especially if you model appropriate behaviour/s and communication styles. It’s also a good idea to set up “etiquette” guidelines at the start of an online program. The important “getting to know you” stage will help you be alert to different personality styles in your online learning group.

For example

Set your group an activity, to develop ‘ground rules’ for appropriate behaviour during the program. Ask them for a list of 10 guidelines that they will commit to, and post them up somewhere that everyone can see. You should also encourage learners to give each other feedback and recognition on their work.

5. Achievement and progress

Sometimes, being an online learner can feel lonely – you don’t always get that instant recognition of your achievements and it can seem like a never ending struggle to get to the end of a program. Always make sure that you respond constructively and positively to your learners’ work – this helps learners recognise their strengths and feel a sense of achievement that they’re doing okay. They will also feel more optimistic about any weaknesses they may have. Regular updates are important too – personal emails work the best for this. Here are some other strategies to try:

  • Design programs with learning in manageable ‘chunks’ so learners can see their progress as they complete each section.
  • Design activities that, at regular intervals, encourage learners to summarise or reflect on what they have learned.
  • Integrate regular self-assessed tasks, such as automated quizzes, so that learners can consolidate what they have learned and confirm their progress.
  • Help learners manage their workload so they don’t fall behind and feel discouraged. Establish achievable timelines for the program.

For example

Some LMSs (Learner Management Systems) enable learners to view their own progress and/or results – this is a good feature to look out for if you’re selecting an LMS for your online programs. However, low-tech can work just as well – simply create a space in your online environment where you can post up results and achievements for everyone to see. You can also do simple things like send virtual chocolates or flowers to learners who deserve a little extra recognition.

6. Interaction and socialisation

Personal interaction can form a large part of the learning experience in face-to-face learning, so it makes sense that it’s also important in online learning. Learners will often ask questions of their peers that they may be reticent to ask trainers, and scheduled interaction can prevent negative socialisation that gets in the way of study.

Social interaction online doesn’t always happen spontaneously as it does in a face-to-face environment – you may have to set it up or actually make it happen. This can be because learners don’t know each other or may be afraid to make the first move. There are various methods for encouraging interaction, one of the most successful being a good “icebreaker” task at the start of a program. Here are some you could try:

  • A list of questions to be answered and shared – make them a mix of personal and work/study related.
  • A ‘round robin’ quiz where each person answers a question then poses another.
  • Web searches for facts of personal interest.
  • True/False quizzes – eg; two truths and one lie.
  • Description of yourself using a song/book/film/animal.

For example

Here are some other ideas you could try:

Provide a space for non-work related interaction such as a ‘Café’ or “Lounge” in your discussion area, or a social chat room.

Have occasional or initial face-to-face meetings so that learners can interact on a more familiar level.

Set up a “photo board” so that learners can share pictures of themselves, family, pets etc.

7. Support and help

The quickest way to de-motivate your learners is to not address problems in a timely way. Good support mechanisms for learners are critical in online learning, and you need to ensure that learners know how to access support (particularly technical) and have good systems in place to facilitate this. You should also provide:

Contact details of support/technical staff – phone, fax, email etc, and their hours of availability.

A help or Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) sections on the system for common and recurring problems.

For example

Some online learning systems have an “Online Help” service built in, or available on an external website. You could set up a “webquest” activity where learners need to investigate the help or FAQ service to find answers to common problems.

8. Fun and enjoyment

All of the other topics on the wheel play an important part in a successful online learning experience, but don’t forget also to make the learning fun. This can be achieved through:

  • The use of humour and light-hearted interaction.
  • Using quizzes and games for learning.
  • Encouraging informal interaction.
  • Setting up a bit of low-level competition in the group for some activities.
  • Being enthusiastic yourself – it’s infectious!

For example

Some people are willing to be more extroverted online than they would otherwise be in “real life” – so this is a great opportunity for you to set up some fun and silliness. Remember though, not everyone has the same sense of humour – so wait until you know your learners a little and until they are well socialised before trying anything too extreme.