Designing Online Instruction for Success: Future Oriented Motivation and Self-Regulation

Given the high rate of student drop-out and withdrawal from courses and programs using an online learning format, it is important to consider innovative ways to foster and encourage student success in online environments. One such way is to incorporate aspects of student future orientation into the design of online instruction. This paper presents an overview of a program of research examining whether perceptions of student motivation, self-regulation, and future time perspective can be positively influenced through future oriented instruction in a blended learning (semi-virtual) environment at a German university. Individual differences in student future time orientation can provide insight into this interesting connection between the influence of attitude toward time on motivational and self-regulatory processes in learning. In conclusion, the practical implications of this topic for the design of online learning environments must be considered: Increased effort needs to be taken for developing methods for online instruction to tap into and encourage the future orientation of students, and for providing meaningful connections to the content and possible future outcomes. This paper intends to provide insight into and examples of how an online course or semi-virtual programs can benefit from a future oriented design.