•This paper reviews the online learning literature to address the attrition issue and increase the learning outcomes.•The review is classified into three categories, technology adoption, continuation of technology use, and learning outcomes.•Antecedents of adoption, continuance, and learning outcome are classified according to social cognitive theory framework.•Integration of virtual communities to online learning platforms is proposed for better outcome and engagement.•Future directions are discussed to enrich the online learning experience. The use of Technology to facilitate better learning and training is gaining momentum worldwide, reducing the temporal and spatial problems associated with traditional learning. Despite its several benefits, retaining students in online platforms is challenging. Through a literature review of the factors affecting adoption, the continuation of technology use, and learning outcomes, this paper discusses an integration of online learning with virtual communities to foster student engagement for obtaining better learning outcomes. Future directions have been discussed, the feedback mechanism which is an antecedent of students’ continuation intention has a lot of scopes to be studied in the virtual community context. The use of Apps in m-learning and the use of cloud services can boost the ease and access of online learning to users and organizations.