“Future Is Yours”

Abstract

Globally, learners around the world have had to move from face-to-face (F2F) learning to full “emergency online learning” in many cases, such as in higher education. In “emergency online teaching,” instructors have been learning about how to support learners; however, with the slowing of the acute phases of the pandemic, many learners have dropped out, many for good. One of the most important strategies to retain online learners on their learning tracks involves a package of learning goods that position learners for the future in the near-, mid-, and far-terms. The core idea here is that “future pull” is alluring, and it supports learner persistence in online (and offline) learning. This work describes the mix of elements for creating just such a package in the contemporaneous moment based on the abductive logic study of instructional design work of the past several years for online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic at a Midwestern university.