Online learning has been around since the conception of the internet (Harasim, 2000). Students who are looking for something different than the traditional classroom learning experience will find many benefits when participating in online learning. Many students prefer online learning due to its flexibility. Learners can progress through the course at their own pace and find course contents that fit their learning needs (Thomson, 2010). For the students, they are not limited to the offerings of institutions geographically close to them. Online learning can bring students in rural areas into any online classroom of their choosing (Chaney, 2001). For the instructors, their courses will not be limited to specific demographics. The courses will have global reach to students anywhere in the world with internet access (Appana, 2008). Online courses are also cost effective for institutions and instructors. The majority of cost comes from the initial stage and “becomes cheaper due to economies of scale” (Olugbenga et al., 2006). Once the contents of an online course is made, the majority of the cost is made up of simple upkeep and learner interactions.
In order for students to be successful in an online learning environment, self-regulation and intrinsic motivation are important factors that need to be considered (Matuga, 2009). On top of that, communication and interaction are critical factors in the success of an online course (Savenye, 2005). The interactions can be with the instructor and with the learner’s peers. This is something that my venture will hope to address by using both a built in A.I. teaching assistant and the actual instructor of the course.
Bite-sized learning, also known as micro-learning is taking part in courses that are consisted of short easily consumable lessons and activities that students can learn and practice from anytime and anywhere (Gray, 2015). This content delivery model and its flexibility allow students to address knowledge gaps, help engage students with the short format, and participate in learning anywhere (Technavia, 2022). There is an increased popularity in bite-sized learning with a 71% increase in appeal to millennial leaners (Kravchyna, 2022). The bite-size model improves engagement for learners and “helps prevent burnout” from learning (Kravchyna, 2022). Many employees are finding themselves having to learn new skills to stay employable in the current job market (Panacci, 2015). Adult learners often struggle to find time to fit learning into their busy schedule (Fairchild, 2003). This is where the integration of bite-sized learning and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are helpful to meet those learner’s needs. MOOCs are both cheap and flexible (Janakiraman & Watson, 2018). Oftentimes learners can enroll in courses for free or for under $50 dollars. These courses are also flexible where students can progress at their own pace and at the learners’ convenience. However, even with high enrollment rates, MOOCs are seeing significant attrition rates (Aparicio et al., 2019). Some students enrolled in MOOCs are lacking motivation and commitment to finish the course due to the lack of penalty for not doing so (De Freitas et al., 2015). As mentioned above, this lack of motivation and commitment can be overcome by interactions with the teacher and the learner’s peers.