Exploring Push and Pull Learning Strategies to Motivate Online Students
Time to read: 4 minutes
Push Learning - what we usually do
Push learning is a commonly used technique in traditional instructor-led teaching, where learners are provided with a specific set of learning objectives and a timeline for completing them. We are all familiar with this method, where information is delivered through classroom sessions.
Push learning typically follows a set cycle
Students complete an assigned module.
They take an assessment to test their knowledge.
Students are then provided with the next step to continue their learning journey.
Push Learning Cycle
In the push strategy, you proactively disseminate course materials to your audience.
This may involve sending out emails, announcements, reminders, and other types of forward-facing communication to promote the course content and guide students through their next steps while pointing them toward lecture materials or additional resources.
Push learning can benefit our less-motivated students as the scheduled materials are purposefully placed front and center, and we can easily track who has and has not participated. However, this approach tends to be passive as learners may find it easy to overlook, skip, or rely solely on reminders, links, and communication techniques to get them through the course materials. That’s where pull learning comes in.
Pull Learning - what we should aim to do more
Pull learning is a learner-centric approach that promotes more independent thinking and autonomy.
Pull learning appeals most to students who are:
Curious - or likely to seek information on their own, or are self-motivated to learn
Proactive - these students are typically open to searching for relevant information and are confident with self-directed learning.
Need more information - some learners like to learn more, do more, and have more details. This may mean they are more self-aware of their learning gaps or are actively working toward a better grade, improving or enhancing a skill.
These students can be highly web-literate and experienced in searching for information.
These students are familiar with searching for information and evaluating the quality of resources, so pull learning allows students to customize content to their unique needs, skill gaps, and preferences.
However, pull learning also has its downsides as this method relies on students being self-motivated individuals who possess the knowledge, skills, and self-awareness to choose, absorb, and filter learning resources. Some students just aren’t that motivated and prefer more guidance. So, how do we strike a balance between the two?
Push or Pull?
Balancing push and pull learning strategies is key to success and learner engagement.
While push learning involves the instructor deciding what the learner needs to learn, pull learning allows learners to make some decisions.
Combining both strategies enables us to guide learners while promoting learner authority and self-directed learning.
Let’s explore a few ideas for creating a cohesive push-and-pull learning strategy. We’ll start with a few examples of each.
Push Learning Strategies
Provide a clear learning pathway for your learners. Help them visualize their next steps and track their progress.
Consider changing the format by adding videos, animations, and infographics.
Tell memorable stories and use real-world examples and case studies.
Highlight WIIFM (‘What’s in it for me’) and emphasize the negative repercussions of not understanding the topic.
Include activities that leverage social learning and gamification.
Push learning content in set intervals (like weekly or biweekly) to provide regular learning opportunities.
Pull Learning Strategies
Create a resource library for students who need or want access to more information or to continue learning.
Provide helpful tips, tutorials, and ‘how to’ resources; consider hosting a few live sessions where these items can be demonstrated or discussed.
Set challenges or true-to-life problems that require your learners to research or explore content.
Incentivise learning, content completion, or digital learning activity with virtual or real-life rewards.
Use student-generated content as part of the course content.
Use gamification to provide instant feedback and opportunities for self-evaluation.
Thanks to technological advances, pull learning offers several benefits that allow us to enhance our knowledge anytime and anywhere. However, push learning still holds relevance and importance, as the instructor’s guidance and structure are vital course design components. Combining the two approaches can create a powerful and engaging strategy for communicating with students and creating robust learning experiences.
Wait, There’s More!
Build your online courses to include more fun, interactive materials. Discover how to leverage the LMS features to create social learning experiences, utilize mobile notifications, and automated feedback for your students.
