[helenbeetham]

It’s interesting how much weight the research gives to motivation. But motivation isn’t something you can easily measure. As you say, Clare, there are different reasons for engaging with online learning. The reward you are hoping for will decide whether at the end of the day you feel you have been successful. It’s very early days to be looking at the survey results but at the moment the motives people give for learning online seem to be quite evenly spread around the different options. I wonder what we will find out in the next couple of days when we focus more on this issue?

[helenbeetham]

If I’m honest a lot of my online learning is very bitty and ‘of the moment’. I don’t just mean finding out information – though I do that a lot – but finding out ‘how to do’ something, from using a new online service to fixing a new seat to my canoe. Is that online learning? It feels like it it. What do others think?

[helenbeetham]

I think that’s the reason many of us choose to learn online – we maybe couldn’t afford the time, money, travel, energy etc to do it offline, or perhaps that option just isn’t available. I wonder if there was any trade-off for you, and how you felt about that? And if this would have worked out as well if you hadn’t already made good connections?

[helenbeetham]

Great points Tim and Kamila. One thing we have already found is that online learners want guidance to make sure they choose the right courses and opportunities to start with. Would you agree?