Further development and expansion of open distance and online learning (DOL) and blended learning has been possible due to significant research in the areas of instructional/learning design (based on various learning theories) and how learners engage in authentic activities in the contexts of both individualised and collaborative learning. The recent analysis by Molenda (2023) and the analysis by Martin and Bolliger (2023) should be useful reads in this regard. A significant component of any instructional design or learning design for DOL is engagement of learners in self-directed and reflective learning in both individualised and collaborative learning contexts. There are well-researched theories of learner engagement, the most prominent being the Community of Inquiry framework of Garrison, Anderson and Archer (2000) encompassing teaching presence, social presence and cognitive presence especially in asynchronous online learning environments. Further explanation to engagement at macro, meso and micro levels was given by Bond (2019) in which learning was assumed to occur within a given socio-cultural context.