One area of socio-behavioral learning that interests me is student motivation in online learning environments. Research shows that motivation is deeply influenced by social-emotional conditions like engagement, belonging, and feedback. Unlike in-person settings, where teachers and peers provide direct cues, online learning can sometimes leave students feeling isolated or disconnected, which reduces persistence and success.

The evidence tells us that social presence—the feeling of being connected to real people in an online environment—strongly predicts student satisfaction and learning outcomes (Richardson et al., 2017). Concepts like self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000) also help explain this: students are more motivated when their needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness are met. In online learning, this means giving students meaningful choices, constructive feedback, and opportunities to collaborate.

The main concepts we need to interpret this evidence include:

Social presence: feeling connected to others in digital spaces.

Self-determination theory: the role of autonomy, competence, and relatedness in motivation.

Engagement: both cognitive (focus, effort) and emotional (interest, belonging).

For example, in a well-designed online course, discussion boards, group projects, and regular instructor feedback can reduce feelings of isolation. This mirrors Espelage’s work on bullying in schools, where the social-emotional climate directly impacts learning—here, it’s about the climate of connection in digital learning spaces.

References

Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68–78. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.68

Richardson, J. C., Maeda, Y., & Swan, K. (2017). Social presence in relation to students’ satisfaction and learning in the online environment: A meta-analysis. Computers in Human Behavior, 71, 402–417. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2017.02.001