8. Motivating learners
Learning online requires a high level of self-discipline, self-motivation and self-management. Not all online learners are responsible at this level. It is important for an eTutor to foster, as needed, learner's motivation, self-discipline, independent learning of the content and participation in, and contribution to, the course learning community. This requires knowing the learners: where and when they learn as well as the degree of pressure and motivation they need. These strategies help eTutor in motivating learners:
Communication: Ask learners (individually) how they are doing with the content. You may share your personality and experience to empathise with the learners. Give the feeling that you are in the learning project together and are cooperating and there for them.
Empathy: sharing some of the learner's experience helps understand challenges s/he may be encountering. In this case, an eTutor may advise on the practical learning process and strategies that are responsive to the challenges the learner experiences.
Learner-learner interaction: Learners may share difficulties and advise with one another on handling the difficulties based on their first-hand experience not necessarily shared by an eTutor. This may also save the eTutor's time that could be wasted on advising several individual learners in the same issue. Equally, social interaction may help overcome the feeling of isolation that may lead to dropping out.
Defined goal: Learners may set up defined goals and clear milestones they want to achieve to meet or perform beyond the course objectives. As an eTutor you may motivate learners by providing them with constructive feedback on their progress toward achieving their goals.
Complement: Always praise the learner's accomplishment and achievement of a milestone. Praise should also be reflected in the first component that make up a constructive feedback (please see the three components of constructive feedback). Praise may be provided in the public (in the forum, for instance)
Critique: when critiquing the learner, send her/him a personal email highlighting what is wrong or lacking using the first person. However, keep this critique polite. Never criticize the learner in the public.