Instructional Design for Flow in Online Learning

Sandra C. Ceraulo:

This tutorial describes how the instructional design of an online course can facilitate an optimal learning experience for the student. The optimal learning experience is the state termed “flow.” Flow, as defined by creativity researcher Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (pronounced Me-high Chick-zhent-me-high), is the “state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; the experience is so enjoyable that people will do it even at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it.” During flow experiences, work is pleasure and is rewarding in itself. Csikszentmihalyi has also described flow as “joy, creativity” and ” the process of total involvement in life.”