Synopses & Reviews
Motivating and Retaining Online StudentsMotivating and Retaining Online Students offers a guide to help instructors increase the motivation of online students and thereby improve the overall retention rates for educational institutions. Based on a study from online education experts Rosemary M. Lehman and Simone C.O. Conceição, the book focuses on the most important issues such as course design, student engagement and motivation, and student support strategies.
Helping minimize student dropout, increase student retention, and support student learning management, the strategies outlined in the book allow for student diversity and individual learner differences. Lehman and Conceição's proven model gives instructors an effective approach to help students persist in online courses and succeed as learners.
"Motivating and Retaining Online Students is a must-read for faculty who want to move beyond simply providing students access to education and training to ensuring student success in online learning."
Chère Campbell Gibson, professor emerita, University of Wisconsin-Madison
"This is a 'must-have' primer for addressing the challenges of getting online students to be active learners and keeping them engaged once you have their attention. Once again, these authors have created a valuable resource that is filled with useful instructional innovations for the beginner as well as the experienced instructor."
J. Ana Donaldson, past president, Association for Educational Communication and Technology, and online educator and learning consultant
"Effectively providing online teaching and learning is one of the most significant challenges facing 21st Century higher education faculty members. From novices to seasoned veterans, this book provides substantive insights that can assist online faculty members to become more effective online instructors."
Larry G. Martin, professor and chair, Department of Administrative Leadership, University of WisconsinMilwaukee
Synopsis
This book is designed to help increase or improve the retention of online students and thereby increase the overall retention rates for educational institutions. It is filled with empirical research from the author’s study of motivation and retention strategies that can reduce online learner dropout and provides effective online strategies that help minimize student dropout, increase student retention, and support student learning management. It puts the focus on issues of such as course design, student engagement and motivation, and institutional, instructional, and informal support for online students.
Synopsis
Motivating and Retaining Online Students will help instructors increase the motivation of online students and thereby improve the overall retention rates for educational institutions. Based on a study by the authors’, the book focuses on the most important issues instructors face, such as course design, student engagement and motivation, and student support strategies.
Helping minimize student dropout, increase student retention, and support student learning management, the strategies outlined in the book allow for student diversity and individual learner differences. Lehman and Conceição’s proven model gives instructors an effective approach to help students persist in online courses and succeed as learners.
Synopsis
Finally, the first research-based book of sound strategies and best practices to help instructors motivate students to complete their online courses.
Although studies support the effectiveness of learning online, students often fail to complete online courses. Some studies have found that as many as 50–70% drop out of their online courses or programs. Retention is not only a growing expectation and imperative, but it is also as opportunity for faculty members to take the lead in innovating, researching, and implementing new strategies while demonstrating their effectiveness.
Designed for instructors and instructional designers, Motivating and Retaining Online Students is filled with empirical research from the authors’ study of motivation and retention strategies that can reduce online learner dropout. Focusing on the most important issues instructors face, such as course design; student engagement and motivation; and institutional, instructional, and informal student support strategies, the book provides effective online strategies that help minimize student dropout, increase student retention, and support student learning.
While helping to improve the overall retention rates for educational institutions, the strategies outlined in the book also allow for student diversity and individual learner differences. Lehman and Conceição’s proven model gives instructors an effective approach to help students persist in online courses and succeed as learners.
About the Author
Rosemary M. Lehman worked with University of WisconsinExtension for more than 20 years and is now an author, online instructor, and partner in eInterface.
Simone C. O. Conceição is a professor in the School of Education, Department of Administrative Leadership, at University of WisconsinMilwaukee.
They are the authors of Managing Online Instructor Workload and Creating a Sense of Presence in Online Teaching both from Jossey-Bass.
Table of Contents
List of Tables, Exhibits, and Figure ix
Preface xi
The Focus of This Book xii
Who Can Benefit from This Book xii
Our Beliefs About Learning and Teaching xii
How This Book Is Organized xiii
Acknowledgments xiv
About the Authors xvii
1. Concerns and Opportunities for Online Student Retention 1
Evolving Concepts of Presence, Communication, and Interaction 1
Redefining the Characteristics of the Higher Education Learner 2
New Ways of Learning 2
Causes for Increased Enrollment 3
The State of Higher Education and Online Learning 4
Concerns for Online Student Retention 5
Reasons Online Students Drop Out 5
Factors for Student Persistence in Online Education 7
Opportunities for Online Education 10
New Learner Behaviors and Skills in the 21st Century 11
Filling the Gap: Strategies for Online Persistence 14
2. Design Strategies for Retaining Online Students 17
Intentional Design for Online Courses 19
Design Elements and Strategies to Help Students Stay Motivated Online 20
Creating the Learning Environment 20
Planning for the Teaching Process 25
Predicting Learners’ Needs 30
The Impact of Intentional Design for Online Course Success 32
Design Strategies for Retaining Online Students 34
3. Student Strategies for Staying Motivated Online 38
Pathway and Strategies for Staying Motivated in Online Courses 38
Self-Awareness 39
Self-Efficacy 40
A Purpose for Taking a Course 41
Means to Achieve Goals 42
Rewards for Achieving Goals 53
Explaining Study Findings from a Motivational Perspective 56
Incorporating Student Strategies into Course Design 59
4. Support Strategies for Helping Online Students Persist 65
Types of Support Perceived as Important by Students 66
Human Resource Support 66
Institutional Support 69
Self-Care 70
Support Strategies for Helping Online Students Persist 71
Instructional Support Strategies 72
Institutional Support Strategies 75
Self-Care Strategies 80
5. Pulling the Strategies Together 83
Established Findings Related to Online Student Retention 84
Major Contributions from Our Study 84
New Ways of Th inking About Learning and Teaching 86
Persistence Model for Online Student Retention 87
Student-Centered Model 88
Strategies for Helping Students Persist in an Online Course 89
Times of Change for Learning in the 21st Century 94
Instructors’ Skills for Meeting Students’ 21st-Century Fluencies 95
Implications and Conclusions for Learning and Teaching Online 104
Glossary 107
References 111
Appendix 1 117
Appendix 2 127
Index 135