Students perceive online courses differently than traditional courses. Negative perceptions can lead to unfavourable learning outcomes including decreased motivation and persistence. Throughout this review, a broad range of factors that affect performance and satisfaction within the online learning environment for adult learners will be examined including learning outcomes, instructional design and learner characteristics, followed by suggestions for further research, and concluding with implications for online learning pertinent to administrators, instructors, course designers and students. Online learning may not be appropriate for every student. Identifying particular characteristics that contribute to online success versus failure may aid in predicting possible learning outcomes and save students from enrolling in online courses if this type of learning environment is not appropriate for them. Furthermore, knowing these learner attributes may assist faculty in designing quality online courses to meet students' needs. Adequate instructional methods, support, course structure and design can facilitate student performance and satisfaction.Keywords: online learning; learner characteristics; instructional design; online learning outcomes Advances in technology, including the internet, have affected the delivery of education across the world. Online learning is growing at an incredible rate. The Sloan Foundation annual report, Going the Distance: Online Education in the United States 2011, reported that over 6.5 million students enrolled in at least one online course during 2010 with 31% of post-secondary students taking at least one online course (Allen and Seaman 2011). While there has been an increase in this method of delivery, it is still relatively new. The present review will examine a broad range of factors that affect performance and satisfaction within the online learning environment for adult learners. Much research has been done examining traditional models of delivery (i.e. classroom); extensive information regarding the online classroom is still emerging. According to Moore and Kearsley (2005), online learning has typically been the chosen method for working adults aged 25Á50. Online education offers a convenience and flexibility that traditional face-to-face classes cannot, especially important for those learners balancing work, school and family. Almost all courses nowadays have some online component, often using web-based technology to facilitate delivery of course

Yoga has been demonstrated to modulate autonomic nervous system activity, decreasing anxiety and stress, and improving quality of life. This preliminary study sought to examine the use of yogic techniques on persons who stutter given the interaction between physiological arousal/anxiety and stuttering that current multifactorial models of stuttering propose. Four participants (M = 52 yr, SD = 10; 2 female, 2 male), recruited from local stuttering support groups in the greater Philadelphia community volunteered to participate. Stuttering severity, anxiety, and experiences regarding stuttering and communication were measured at baseline, post intervention, and at 4 months follow-up. The participants attended group yoga sessions and engaged in home practice. Descriptive results revealed that participants showed improvements across outcome measures, with the most improvement related to anxiety. Participants also reported improvements in their perceptions about communication as per qualitative analysis of responses to the open-ended questionnaires. The results suggest the potential benefits of yoga for persons who stutter and warrants further study using an experimental design.