Chapter 2: Learner Intent Andonline Learning

Learning is a natural human activity that can be facilitated with online instruction. Yet while online instruction offers many potential benefits, it tends not to produce learning unless the participating student’s main intention is to learn. When the design of an online course deliberately or inadvertently promotes course completion as a primary goal, students often abandon any real intention of learning. Implementing effective online instruction requires a fundamental shift in the way we think about the administration and design of online courses. The expectation that learning occurs must be communicated to students, not just through the instruction but through the administrative practices and policies that govern an online course.