Yes I totally agree with what you are saying. I think motivation is absolutely linked to how we measure our success as learners. I think that researchers looking at MOOCS are now realising that “dropout” is not always a negative response. I have spoken to lots of MOOc learners in detailed phone interviews and they often reported that they value the courses and learn even if they decide to skip some activities or finish earlier than planned.
I think your comment highlights how important it is for learners to know what they want to learn and how they learn. So this shows a level of sophistication that not all learners will have – especially when they first start independent learning. I hope we get to hear from students who are experiencing online learning but not necessarily through choice…