The document summarizes findings from a literature review on online learners conducted for an advisory group meeting. It identifies 5 key questions about successful online learners and provides headline findings for each. Successful online learners are characterized as experienced, motivated, autonomous, digitally capable, and willing to collaborate. They set goals, manage their time well, and integrate personal and course technologies. Differences like prior experiences, capabilities, and access needs can impact success. Providers can help by preparing learners, teaching responsively, and supporting a diverse range of learners and content.

1. Online Learners study:
Advisory Group meeting
June 2016
Lou McGill, Helen Beetham

2. 29/07/16 Jisc Online Learning Study
Schedule
1.Findings from literature review
2.Introduce #OLsuccess: activities and questions
3.Engaging online learners
4.Engaging people who support online learners
5.Any other contributions

3. Literature review: 245+ references
• Search terms:
• online_learning, online_learners, MOOC, open_learning, virtual_learning,
networked_learning
• (plus) learner: experience, engagement, satisfaction, motivation,
identity/identities, progression, development, perception, voice
• (focused searches for specific issues recommended by Advisory Group):
disability, access, accessibility, inclusion, induction, preparation, self-efficacy, self-
regulation, readiness
• Criteria for selection:
• Academic database (so excludes project work, grey lit)
• Recency (post 2012 unless particularly relevant or frequently cited)
• Involvement of learners
• Focus on the learning experience, rather than teaching, course design, or
organisational issues29/07/16 Jisc Online Learning Study

4. Literature review: types of study
• Factor analysis: factors influencing the outcomes of online learning
• learner-related factors (dispositions, experiences, capabilities)
• environmental factors (digital environment, spaces and places of learning)
• factors in course design and delivery (induction, content and media, activities,
assessments, teacher ‘presence’, role of tutor/peers etc)
• Comparative: contrasting online and offline learning activities or courses
• Case studies: usually course-centred
• Qualitative and mixed-method
• including participative and learner-centred studies
• including attitudinal and affective issues
• Synthesis studies and literature reviews
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5. Literature review: themes
• self-regulated learning, self-efficacy, readiness to learn online
(scales)
• affective issues especially social presence/distance,
collaborative learning
• large-scale questionnaires, (coming in) use of analytics and
system data
• lack of consensus on key issues e.g. collaborative learning,
intrinsic dispositions vs. educational ‘capital’, retention, role
of induction, open vs structured, role of age, role of gender...
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6. Literature review: difficulties
• Extensive, varied and contradictory literatures
• Possible to whole areas of work due to diversity of terminology
• Business interests: individual providers taking different approaches,
protective of their own research/development
• Academic interests: clear ‘tribes’ emerging with different languages,
conferences, explanatory frameworks (qualitative, focus on experience /
affect / social presence vs quantitative, focus on large-scale surveys,
learner factors rather than learners as actors)
• Differences among learners may be more significant than similarities of
‘online’ setting, especially in large-scale surveys
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7. Literature review: outputs
» Zotero OLEE library
» Literature review: full bibliography
» Literature review: analysis (original questions)
» Literature review: analysis against 5 new key questions (link sent to
you)
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8. New focus: five questions
• What makes for success in learning online?
1.What are successful online learners like?
2.What do successful online learners do?
3.How do successful online learners feel?
4.What differences among online learners make a difference to
their success?
5.How can providers help online learners to succeed?
29/07/16 Jisc Online Learning Study

9. 09/07/15 Building digital capability
#OLsuccess bit.ly/Olsuccess - July 4-10 2016

10. #OLsuccess bit.ly/Olsuccess - July 4 – 10 2016
29/07/16 Jisc Online Learning Study
»https://youtu.be/C3kNQ8m6mGY

11. #OLsuccess bit.ly/Olsuccess - July 4-10 2016
A week to find out more about successful online learners with
• a dedicated discussion forum
• short survey and daily pop-up polls
• a daily focus question and blog post
• rolling twitter discussion
• presence at live events (Academic Practice with Technology 7 July)
• DS106 activity and other creative reflections/contributions
• #LTHEchat 13 July, FE
• summaries on storify
• ... what else?
29/07/16 Jisc Online Learning Study

12. Trello board with key questions please comment
https://trello.com/b/99slt9me/successful-online-learners#
29/07/16 Jisc Online Learning Study

13. #OLsuccess questions
• http://bit.ly/OLsuccess-questions
• A googledoc where you can look at our questions for
learners and contribute/comment
• Questions for short survey, discussion forum and short
polls
29/07/16 Jisc Online Learning Study

14. #OLsuccess reaching online learners
• How can we reach online learners?
• ideas for activities
• building interest/participation
• How can you help? (e.g.)
• Emails, tweets, blog posts
• Messages to online cohorts/ colleagues with online learners
• Messages in institutional learning environments
• Host a virtual event
• ...
29/07/16 Jisc Online Learning Study

15. #OLsuccess reaching online learners
• Any other comments/contributions
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16. 09/07/15 Building digital capability
Headline findings
›1. What are successful online learners like?
•Experienced, successful learners (especially online!)
•Motivated, resilient and persistent
•Autonomous, self-efficacious, self-regulating
•Curious and inquiring
•Well prepared and well organised
•Digitally capable (ICT proficient)
•Trusting - willing to share, initiate, ask for help
•(At least 10%) likely to have a disability

17. Headline findings
›2. What do successful online learners do?
•Engage in the right learning in the first place!
(freedom, choice, motive: signposting, advice)
•Set goals, make and monitor plans
•View and review a wide range of course-related content
•Be pro-active in: information finding; help-seeking; initiating communications
•Manage time and attention
•Focus on own motivations and progress
•Integrate personal with course technologies and media
•Interact, collaborate and share with other learners (?? contradictory findings
e.g. for some learners individual focus more successful)
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18. Headline findings
›3. How do successful online learners feel?
•Successful online learners enjoy learning - even when it is challenging (fun,
motive, curious, self-development, internal LOC)
•Successful online learners experience empathy and care - even in
situations of low social/emotional presence (implied from research)
•Successful online learners manage complex feelings about working with
others (implied from research)
•Successful learners manage anxiety and frustration e.g. with technology
(implied from research)
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19. Headline findings
›4. What differences between online learners matter to their
success?
•Self-efficacy, self-regulation (disposition or repertoire?)
•Educational background, experiences and capital: previous success
•ICT confidence and capability
•Other demands on time, especially older adult learners
•Access needs and disabilities
•(In a few studies) age, gender, culture?
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20. Headline findings
›5. How can providers support online learners’ success?
•Prepare online learners to study online - norms, practices, expectations,
good study habits, functional access
•Teach responsively, empathically, with digital confidence
•Enable learners to use their own devices, services and skills
•Support access to rich and diverse learning content
•Provide a digital environment that is secure, accessible, social and
personalisable: open (for some learners)
•Consider learners’ different motivations, interests, learning histories and
digital resources
•Address the barriers to success we have identified for specific groups of
learners
29/07/16 Jisc Online Learning Study