Motivation vs Focus

How are motivation and focus related?  This is something I’ve been pondering for several days in light of a discussion at a recent conference. As an educator, I was asked about the role of faculty in massively open online courses (MOOC). I replied focus thinking when all else changes, all else being class size, delivery, geography, and control; the instructor should  provide the focus for learning, discussion, discovery.  


With a chance to reflect, I'm now thinking motivation might have been a better response thought I'm still not sure.  Is it stimulus or center? Momentum or axis? Of course, the right answer may not be either choice.


I visualize a MOOC as non linear, messy, designed in a star pattern yet much more like a galaxy. What holds a galaxy together? A simple answer, gravitational force.  Does this mean an instructor in a MOOC should be an "attractive force" holding all of the parts together? 

Source: NASA Image Gallery