Online MIA's: How to Retain the Online Student

Presenter: Douglass McFerran Room #: EXHAL

Date: 3/28/2007 @ 9:30:00 AM - 10:20:00 AM

Category: Roundtable Session

Theme: ELearning

Sub Theme: Conquering The Digital Divide

Ed Level: ALL EDUCATIONAL LEVELS

Tech. Prof.: ALL TECHNOLOGY LEVELS

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Organization: Los Angeles Mission College

Description: Too often students sign up and begin an online course only to be missing in action as the term goes by. What are some strategies to keep them on task?

Abstract: Student retention and success in online classes has been notoriously lower than in traditional classes or in hybrid classes. This is frustrating for the dedicated instructor and potentially damaging for an instructor whose own retention may depend on the number of students completing the course successfully. In our discussion we will review relevant research and then attempt to identify key factors that lead to online students becoming academic MIA's--missing in action and presumed lost to the course. Several specific strategies will be discussed with participants exchanging their own observations on what works well and what does not.