Retention
Studies have shown that online course enrollment at community colleges are growing faster than classroom enrollment. The failed retention rate for online courses is about 10 to 20 percent higher than face-to-face courses. This statistic indicates the need for institutions and instructors to build student engagement and promote a sense of community among students. Below are suggestions that will increase retention and student engagement.
To increase retention in online courses two key factors are student engagement and integration. In the online environment the instructor should design courses that are learner-centered. The student needs to feel comfortable in the online environment and they must perceive the instructor is enthusiastic about the course and genuinely cares about them.
The instructor’ responsibility is to engage the learner early on in the course by offering collaborative assignments for the students to build relationships with the instructor and classmates. Engage students by using technology tools that are useful and fun such as concept map.
The student’s satisfaction with the online environment affects retention. Faculty responsiveness, quality of the online instruction and timely feedback are important factors to the student. Having an advanced data-driven reporting system, such as the Blackboard system, creates a user-friendly environment to access materials and opportunities for interaction throughout the course.
Students need structure in their coursework so instructors must provide a syllabus that clearly states the course requirements and expectations. Detailed instructions for assignments are imperative. It’s important to state the purpose of the assignment so students feel they are not wasting their time.
Online coordinators are utilized to increased retention of online students and contribute to academic success. They encourage and facilitate communication between the students and the faculty members. The online coordinators track the student’s schedules and progress toward degree completion and support the student who may have individual challenges that keep them from attending classes.
Online peer mentors are experienced online students. They model the behavior of the successful online student by demonstrating the importance of logging in to the course frequently and engaging in class discussions. They answers questions about the course and are trained using the technology. By utilizing the peer mentors the instructor has more time to focus on the course content.
Communication is vital in the online environment. The more the instructor involves the student in the learning process the more likely the student will achieve a successful learning outcome. Communicating through emails and posting documents online are effective contact methods. If the student hasn’t visited the class in some time send an email as a reminder and they have been missed.
Responsiveness to a student’s needs has a lot to do with a student’s retention. Students need to feel that the teacher is concerned about his or her progress. Instructors need to respond promptly to student inquiries and provide feedback on a regular basis.
Instructors must continue their research on the trends of engagement and retention. By measuring and analyzing course completion rates and student satisfaction rates improvements can be made to their online course. Communicating with fellow faculty members and peers will enhance the online coursework for students.
The instructors are the foundation for successful online coursework and need the support of their institution. The school needs to offer online workshops and certificate programs to the faculty for their profession development. Haley Edwards said in his Time magazine article, ”The War on Teacher Tenure” that some teachers are filing lawsuits alleging unfair testing expectations and demanding better in-class support and job training. There is an “outright mutiny, driven in large part by the controversial rollout of Common Core State Standards, which are linked to new state curriculums, more-difficult tests and new teacher evaluations. Reforms need to take place that give the teachers the respect they deserve.
To increase retention in online courses two key factors are student engagement and integration. In the online environment the instructor should design courses that are learner-centered. The student needs to feel comfortable in the online environment and they must perceive the instructor is enthusiastic about the course and genuinely cares about them.
The instructor’ responsibility is to engage the learner early on in the course by offering collaborative assignments for the students to build relationships with the instructor and classmates. Engage students by using technology tools that are useful and fun such as concept map.
The student’s satisfaction with the online environment affects retention. Faculty responsiveness, quality of the online instruction and timely feedback are important factors to the student. Having an advanced data-driven reporting system, such as the Blackboard system, creates a user-friendly environment to access materials and opportunities for interaction throughout the course.
Students need structure in their coursework so instructors must provide a syllabus that clearly states the course requirements and expectations. Detailed instructions for assignments are imperative. It’s important to state the purpose of the assignment so students feel they are not wasting their time.
Online coordinators are utilized to increased retention of online students and contribute to academic success. They encourage and facilitate communication between the students and the faculty members. The online coordinators track the student’s schedules and progress toward degree completion and support the student who may have individual challenges that keep them from attending classes.
Online peer mentors are experienced online students. They model the behavior of the successful online student by demonstrating the importance of logging in to the course frequently and engaging in class discussions. They answers questions about the course and are trained using the technology. By utilizing the peer mentors the instructor has more time to focus on the course content.
Communication is vital in the online environment. The more the instructor involves the student in the learning process the more likely the student will achieve a successful learning outcome. Communicating through emails and posting documents online are effective contact methods. If the student hasn’t visited the class in some time send an email as a reminder and they have been missed.
Responsiveness to a student’s needs has a lot to do with a student’s retention. Students need to feel that the teacher is concerned about his or her progress. Instructors need to respond promptly to student inquiries and provide feedback on a regular basis.
Instructors must continue their research on the trends of engagement and retention. By measuring and analyzing course completion rates and student satisfaction rates improvements can be made to their online course. Communicating with fellow faculty members and peers will enhance the online coursework for students.
The instructors are the foundation for successful online coursework and need the support of their institution. The school needs to offer online workshops and certificate programs to the faculty for their profession development. Haley Edwards said in his Time magazine article, ”The War on Teacher Tenure” that some teachers are filing lawsuits alleging unfair testing expectations and demanding better in-class support and job training. There is an “outright mutiny, driven in large part by the controversial rollout of Common Core State Standards, which are linked to new state curriculums, more-difficult tests and new teacher evaluations. Reforms need to take place that give the teachers the respect they deserve.