Making Good Online Courses Great: Strategies to Increase Retention in Online Courses
Abstract: The increase in the number of online courses offered by higher education institutions in the United States during the past several years has been extraordinary. Part of the institutional drive to increase online course offerings is to meet non-traditional student demand, particularly for place-bound students. Attracting additional student enrollment via distance education additionally offers institutions a financial option to support revenues in an era of declining state funding and decreased student enrollment. As institutions experience remarkable growth in distance education, the low rates of retention for online courses have remained largely the same. To remain competitive in the distance education market, institutions must identify the factors that both hinder and help retention in online course delivery.
Presider: Scott Mavers, University of North Texas