| Promoting and sustaining learners' motivation can be challenging in any learning environment. Promoting and sustaining motivation in the online learning environment can be even more complex, situation dependent, and multifaceted compared to the typical face to face learning environment. Lack of motivation in the adult learner and the inability to promote and sustain motivation as an educator in the online learning environment has resulted in low motivation to be successful, high drop-out rates, and low satisfaction of the learner.;"Any experienced teacher knows that without the proper motivation for students to engage in a learning experience, the otherwise best designed experience will be unsuccessful" (Hodges, p. 1). Analyzing motivational theories that are related to adult online learning will enable us to better understand how to promote and sustain motivation in the online learning environment. Increasing motivation can increase learner satisfaction, reduce drop-out rates, and produce successful outcomes for the learner. |
