Reform efforts in college teaching emphasize the importance of using innovative pedagogical approaches to make online learning more meaningful and successful. The authors present individualized project-based learning (iPBL), an innovative pedagogy derived from a traditional project-based learning (PBL) method. They describe their design model through Acts of Motivation (AOM), a two-stage iPBL assignment requiring students to resolve motivation-related issues of concern to them. Sample student project reports are highlighted with preliminary thematic analysis results, and the broad utility value of the iPBL method across disciplines in distance education is presented.