3.2 Online course offerings: issues of retention and professional  (Page 6/8)

Student level of satisfaction regarding course delivery has also been found to be an important factor in retaining students in online courses. Herbert (2006) revealed that the data from his study showed that almost without exception, successful completers were more satisfied with all aspects of an online course. Carr (2000) maintained that gifted instructors can always work around problems encountered with online course delivery.

The literature reveals some online teaching strategies that may increase student retention levels and in turn strengthen the online course experience for students. Among the many teaching techniques highly valued include:

1. Training of educators on how to teach online classes is very important (Serwatka, 2002).
2. It is crucial for instructors to let students know how much time and computing skill is necessary to be a successful distance education student (Carr, 2000).
3. Engage students as early as possible and keep them engaged. Successful distance education professors e-mail their student frequently and respond to email messages promptly, hold regular office hours, and develop personal touches to make contact with their students, such as posting photographs of themselves (Carr, 2000).
4. Herbert (2006) echoed Braxton, Sullivan, and Johnson’s (1997) belief that “A critical issue in retention in online courses is related to a student’s sense of belonging (p. 2). The instructor should strive to create a sense of community among the students so they care about one another and are interested in what others have to say. This can be done by providing an online informal discussion area where students can share information about each other, debate topics and share points of view. This is sometimes called a “discussion board” (Serwatka, 2002).
5. Yang and Cornelious (2005) warned that instructors should understand that online education is not merely uploading teaching materials, sending and receiving e-mail messages, and posting discussion topics onto the Internet. More importantly, it provides an arena for an interactive, deep collaborative, and multidimensional thinking and learning environment (p. 7).

Conclusions

According to WebSiteOptimization.com (2004) the number of U.S. households that had Internet access was 18% in 1997, 41% in 2000, and 75% in 2004.

As stated earlier, Allen and Seaman (2008) reported the number of students taking online courses currently exceeds 3.5 million. These statistics are the foundation for the recent increase in demand for online delivery of course instruction. To meet the demand, higher education institutions must restructure their programs to accommodate, that is, unless they want to risk declining enrollment.

There will always be traditionalists who argue that online courses will never be able to supply the personal interaction that some students crave in order to be successful (Carr, 2000). They maintain that personal relationship building and maintenance can only truly be accomplished in the physical presence of others. However, recent studies support online course delivery to be just as effective as traditional course delivery and in some cases more effective, regarding student outcomes and scores on standardized tests. Many would argue that a combination of the two delivery methods may be the best compromise for all, while others maintain that totally online delivery will eventually be the norm in our ever changing society. Regardless, online learning is here to stay, and it will be a determining factor in the success of education leadership programs for many years to come.