The five emotional types of learners on online courses

How do students respond emotionally to virtual learning? We know online learning has grown steadily since the initial pandemic-era surge, with 65 per cent of online MBA programmes seeing year-on-year growth in applications in 2024. But understanding how students feel during their online courses could be the difference between an exemplary academic performance and the student dropping out completely. 

In collaboration with researchers at the University of Helsinki, we published a study looking into students’ attitudes and how they ebbed and flowed during a foundation-level statistics course. 

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From their self-reported experiences, we were able to identify five types of learner. Each represented a different emotional journey during the course, which was delivered in either a hybrid or fully online format. By understanding these profiles and applying them to their own students, teaching faculty and programme designers can better support their diverse needs.

1. Average learners

The most common type of learner is characterised by moderate feelings of achievement and control over their workload, and belief in the value of the online course. These sentiments tend to remain consistent throughout the course, with only a slight dip midway through as the content becomes more challenging.

The learners who adhered most closely to this profile reported challenges with time management and the weekly tasks they were assigned. So, support them by keeping engagement high and preventing discouragement. 

Use your virtual learning environment’s features to set up automated reminders or encouraging messages, ideal for motivating this type of learner. Perhaps integrate optional hints or step-by-step guides for more difficult tasks to help students clarify their learning. These can also prevent them becoming disheartened when faced with more complex tasks. 

2. Struggling learners

Learners in this category typically experience a gradual decline during the term, in terms of satisfaction and their perceptions of control over their workload and the course’s value, with a slight recovery toward the end of the programme.

It’s common for these students to report experiencing acute time pressures, work overload and emotional distress. Consider intervening earlier and more often to ensure these students get the support they need.

The flexibility online learning offers students is one of the reasons it has seen such growth. But there is still a place for face-to-face interaction, whether it’s in-person for hybrid learning or on a video call. Schedule personal check-ins with struggling students after the first month to identify and address any issues you can see emerging in their work. 

Limited deadline extensions or grace periods can also help reduce anxiety among students who are finding the course more challenging, while rewarding them for persistence in completing assigned tasks.

3. Thriving learners

Students classed as “thriving” can be identified by high levels of emotional satisfaction and the view that they are in control of the workload and that the course is a valuable endeavour.

Unsurprisingly, they tend to report encountering few major inconveniences. They experience online or hybrid learning as interesting, meaningful and useful.

For this group, support should focus on enriching learning activities with optional advanced tasks. For example, embed exercises based around real-world case studies so they have opportunities to apply their theoretical knowledge. Positive reinforcement for outstanding work in the form of badges, shout-outs or personalised feedback can also help maintain their engagement.

4. Victorious (or time-blind) learners

While these learners maintain a strong belief in the value of the course they are studying, over time they experience a slight decline in feelings of achievement and control over the workload. In particular, they might report frustration with strict grading and time pressure.

Address these issues by making sure the grading rubrics are clear to everyone, and provide examples of high-scoring tests or assessments. Demystifying what qualifies for a high grade can help reduce frustration around assessment criteria.

Another way to relieve tension is to build in soft deadlines and buffer periods for assignments so they’re easier to fit around the students’ busy schedules. 

5. Determined learners

Learners in this category display a high level of commitment to completing the course, despite a more negative emotional state and feeling less in control of the workload. However, they often push through and complete the programme, drawing on their resilience. 

But we can still support them in their journey. Encourage journalling or setting aside time to reflect on their progress, both of which are helpful exercises to reinforce their sense of motivation.

Make sure mental health resources or stress management tips are available to these students, especially around the course’s midway point.

When we tailor solutions to the needs of our students in this way, we understand them as people with complex emotions, rather than just entries on a spreadsheet. Naturally, these emotions can greatly affect their level of satisfaction with the course, even leading to them dropping out.

Educators and course designers are vital here. Offering support, strengthening student resilience and enriching content for high-achieving students can help build on the flexibility online learning offers, for learning truly adapted to their personal needs.

Panu Erästö is senior lecturer at Aalto University School of Business.

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