Online learners are more motivated when instant gratification is involved. In other words, they get excited when they know that rewards are just around the corner instead of weeks or months away.
Additionally, there isn’t a great deal of time to doubt or second-guess when you’re achieving a short-term goal, which means that your online learners can maintain a steady source of motivation throughout the entire eLearning experience.
2. Allow for ongoing feedback
This type of goal is short-term, meaning that online learners will get the opportunity to receive feedback more frequently. Once they complete a proximal goal, they can immediately modify performance behaviors and correct habits, which allows them to boost productivity and efficiency right away. They can then use this to their advantage when pursuing their next proximal goal.
3. Make long-term goals more manageable
Proximal goals also make distal goals more manageable by breaking them down into smaller steps. Learners can overcome each proximal hurdle one at a time, rather than having trying to pole vault over an insurmountable wall. Thanks to increased motivation, they are also more likely to achieve long-term goals that are more challenging.