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Opinion: Can Online Learning Boost College Retention Rates?

After COVID-19 forced everyone to pivot to a digital-first world, many students decided to stay there. Colleges should meet them where they are, online, by developing courses with their needs, distractions and technology in mind.

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The short answer to the query in the headline is yes. I could leave it there, but let’s delve into why college retention rates are declining and how exactly online learning can help.

Postsecondary institution enrollment is declining. The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center recently reported that undergraduate enrollment alone saw a 9.4 percent drop from spring 2020 to spring 2021, resulting in nearly 1.4 million fewer undergrads than before the pandemic. This drop is largely due to COVID-19, but not solely. The debate about whether the cost of college is worth a student’s time, money and energy — particularly with today’s inflation rate — is a measurable factor.

We know individuals can earn more over their lifetime with a bachelor’s degree than with a high school diploma. Other opportunities such as flexibility and career choice open up more for individuals with degrees, even in today’s labor market. But whether those long-term income gains are worth the upfront investment is a major sticking point. This is where online learning can save the day, but not just any online learning.

As higher education institutions work to make degrees more affordable, flexible and adaptable, too many of them are stuck with archaic systems that aren’t catered to students at all, let alone online students. They’re clunky, difficult to use and fail to create an engaging environment. Colleges and universities need to focus on student-driven learning and engagement initiatives combined with the right technology to create an interactive online learning experience that not only retains but attracts students.

STUDENT-CENTERED LEARNING


Keeping students at the center of the learning process is essential to delivering a successful online experience. Professors and educators must know how to use the technology to teach online, but putting an in-person class onto a screen is not an effective adaptation — at least, not one that students will gravitate toward. No matter the technology professors are working with, student-centric courses must be designed to consider how students will interact with the course content, how they will interact with other students and how they will interact with their instructor.

As an example reported by eLearn Magazine, Casper College, the first junior college established in Wyoming, implemented a mobile application to focus on providing a comprehensive digital learning experience to its global student population. A mobile app allowed their diverse student body to have the same learning experience, regardless of whether it came through a phone, tablet or computer. The app ensures students can access learning materials, contact instructors, submit assignments and complete any other tasks that they might have done on the college website. According to eLearn Magazine, the student response has been positive, and the college has seen increased student and faculty participation.

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT


Every educator has encountered resistant learners — the ones who refuse to answer questions or participate in group activities. Put a screen between that educator and learner and there’s an entirely new barrier to work through. Building engagement remains one of the most unique and stubborn challenges for online learning, but it is achievable.

When designing digital content, educators must first consider that students are more likely to face distractions online than in a classroom setting. Social media, child care and busy households are just a few examples of what is competing for students’ attention. With content that is convenient and accessible, institutions can offer a better, more engaging learning experience for online learners who juggle these challenges.

Educators creating convenient and accessible content must also take care to ensure it doesn’t get stale. As new technology and educational approaches develop, learners are changing with it. To stay relevant, educators must regularly update the content and its delivery. Tracking a learner’s progress throughout the course can also help determine levels of engagement and what content needs to be updated.

Not only is it important to choose how educators engage with students — and students with educators — but when to engage must also be chosen intentionally. From forums to private chats to email consultations to virtual office hours, every student will have a different preference, but how and when educators are available to connect with their students will make a difference in the overall success of a course.

Finally, data is the diplomat. Digital learning environments rely on data to gather insight from student efforts and behaviors. Once collected, this data can help determine course elements that need adjustment or are successful in developing engagement and retention. Educators should be committed to diving into their course’s data and analytics.

TECH AND TOOLS


What would we do without smartphones, calendar reminders and email? Today’s students expect to learn with top-tier technology integration, and colleges and universities need to understand how vital it is for students to have a seamless transition between in-person, computer and mobile learning. Educators should implement a learning environment that is supported and adopted by institutions, faculty and students alike.

Don’t get new technology for the sake of it. Instead, think about how end users will interact with it and the types of features needed to fulfill institutional objectives. Determine if your current learning management system (LMS) can incorporate different collaborative solutions. If it can, consider video-conferencing solutions explicitly created for e-learning and other tools such as live chats, forums and messaging to enable instructor-student and peer communication. If it can’t, what do you need to incorporate? What is the No. 1 sticking point with students, and how can your technology address that?

Phill Miller is managing director of Open LMS and has nearly 20 years of experience in ed tech.