Self-study offers freedom and flexibility, but motivation can quickly fade without the right support. For L&D teams, this makes it harder to ensure learning programmes deliver the outcomes and engagement they’re designed for.
Discover four ways to help learners stay focused, feel supported and get the most out of online self-study courses.
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Practical. Flexible. Adaptable. Personal.
58% of employees say they prefer learning at their own pace and it’s easy to see why. Self-study offers the freedom to fit learning into busy lives. But with that freedom comes a challenge for L&D teams: how do you keep learners motivated from start to finish?
Discover four practical ways to sustain motivation and help learners get the most from online self-study.
Tip one: Make learning meaningful and relevant
Do learners know why the training matters? Motivation grows when people understand the purpose behind their learning. If a course feels disconnected from their role or goals, it quickly becomes a box-ticking exercise rather than an opportunity to develop.
That’s why it helps to offer clear pathways instead of long lists of skills or generic toolkits. Grouping courses under themes such as workplace communication or leadership gives learners a framework they can relate to. Within those themes, modules on practical tasks, like negotiation or client presentations, make the connection to real challenges even stronger. Learners can see how their effort translates into meaningful impact at work.
Tip two: Build connection and community
Studying independently gives learners flexibility, but it can also feel lonely if they never connect with others. Your role is to make sure they don’t feel like they’re on their own. One way to support this is by creating small learning groups or pods before the training begins. Bringing colleagues together, whether from the same team or across departments, gives them a shared starting point and makes it easier to stay engaged as they progress.
Even after the course has started, you can help maintain a sense of community through light-touch interaction. Chat groups, social channels or internal platforms give learners a space to ask questions, share tips and encourage each other. These small moments of connection can make self-study feel more social and more sustainable. We’re social creatures, and adult learners often respond well to collaboration. Building in small moments of interaction can make self-study a more engaging and sustainable experience.
Tip three: Make progress visible and rewarding
It is easier to stay motivated when you can see how far you have come. When learners can track their own progress and feel that their efforts are recognised, they are more likely to stay engaged and keep going. It also helps build a sense of responsibility and ownership over their learning.
As part of its English Online flexible course, the British Council has introduced a Sense of Progress dashboard. It shows learners how many points they have earned for different activities and helps them keep track of what they’ve achieved. They can work towards badges like Seeker, Challenger, Champion and Legend and when they reach the top stage of a level, they complete an assessment to check if they’re ready to move on.
All badges and certificates are collected on an Achievements page, which makes it easier for learners to reflect on their progress and feel a sense of achievement. The dashboard also gives managers and trainers useful insights into how learners are doing, where they might need extra support and when it’s time to acknowledge progress.
Tip four: Sustain motivation with reminders and feedback
What helps learners stay motivated between milestones? Often, it’s the combination of timely feedback and gentle reminders that keeps them moving forward. Progress tests at the end of each theme in the British Council’s English Online course give learners a clear sense of where they stand and what to focus on next. These checkpoints help maintain momentum and make progress feel more purposeful.
Reminders also help learners stay connected to their learning. Welcome emails, booking prompts and weekly study tips offer steady, low-pressure support. These small moments of contact help build a rhythm, keeping learners engaged without taking away the flexibility that self-study offers.
We explore this approach in more detail in our blog Rolling out English online flexible course in your organisation.
Final thoughts
Clear goals, chances to connect with others, regular feedback and visible progress all make a difference.
The key is to design learning journeys that people want to stay with. When goals are clear, progress is easy to see and interaction is encouraged, self-study no longer feels isolating - it becomes a supported experience. For L&D teams, the task is not to reinvent learning but to create the right conditions for motivation to grow and for learners to see the impact of their effort.
British Council has 90 years’ experience of partnering with organisations and individuals in over 200 countries to upskill their workforce for success.
Our four-step process supports you to implement initiatives that make a difference, whatever the career path your employees choose. Our online courses offer personalised, scalable options to grow your employees’ skills.
Download our Corporate English Solutions brochure or book a free consultation to learn more.