“Adults are motivated to learn to the extent that they perceive that learning will help them perform tasks or deal with problems they face in their life situations” ( Knowles et al., 2015). When I started my graduate school at Northern Michigan University, I had never taken an online course. Because NMU's online course format uses NMU EduCat, I needed to learn the process and tasks associated with website navigation and tools in order to successfully complete the course requirements and interact with other class participants. I was hesitant and anxious about my ability to learn the features of EduCat, but the EduCat tutorial course offered step-by-step guidance with information, activities, and assessments that allowed me to learn the information I needed. I was able to immediately use my new knowledge to fulfill my course requirements. This direct application to my current reality as an online graduate student allowed my new knowledge about EduCat processes to easily take root as part of my daily task