Motivation has to come from within an individual and from external support. Incentive can be lost when people believe they have no control or choice, no skills or resources to be successful, and no external resources to turn to for help. A key to successfully motivating an online student is to meet individual needs in terms of control, competence and belonging.
In online education, the students have more control over their individual learning progression. The learning establishment needs to publish requirements and expectations for its online student body. A detailed Web page providing course descriptions, learning objectives, work assignments and estimated time to complete the class should be readily available.
A student will be more motivated if the materials are relevant and timely to the learner. Knowing how a particular course fits into the overall scheme of the educational process and possible career advancement will help the student to be more enthusiastic about the material and content being presented.
A new online learning environment can bring about anxiety and concern. A student should be encouraged to contact other students and/or faculty members regarding any issues with course work or technology problems. Email reminders, offers of assistance or sending notes of encouragement can be very successful at gaining and keeping a learner's attention.
Feedback can be very important in motivating students. Many individuals are eager to know how they did on a test, how a paper was received, or if they were considered active participants in a discussion board. Many online students are working adults with both professional and personal responsibilities. Rather than just wanting to get through a course, most take great pride in doing the best they possibly can in their course work. Receiving critical and essential feedback from the instructor can help students stay focused on goals they will achieve and attain through the learning process.