Kathleen Borsos-Wooley EdTech 550 May 10, 2005 Improving Retention and Success Rates in Higher Education Distance Education courses

Kathleen Borsos-Wooley EdTech 550 May 10, 2005

Mission: To make DE learning a success for everyone!

Concept/Problem While technology has presented many opportunities for learning, with it has come problems that need to be addressed in order to improve retention rates and success for the learner. We need some shifts in thinking!

While technology has presented many opportunities for learning, with it has come problems that need to be addressed in order to improve retention rates and success for the learner.

We need some shifts in thinking!

Rationale Internet has offered powerful opportunities for improvement in Higher Education Insight into online learning barriers will lead to: Increase in “time to degree” (result of decrease in scheduling conflicts) Lower educational costs Reduction in travel time and expenses More eagerness to learn online

Internet has offered powerful opportunities for improvement in Higher Education

Insight into online learning barriers will lead to:

Increase in “time to degree” (result of decrease in scheduling conflicts)

Lower educational costs

Reduction in travel time and expenses

More eagerness to learn online

Rationale, con’t. Positive Ramifications for both: Individuals Society at large More intrinsically motivated and successful learners = a more educated society

Positive Ramifications for both:

Individuals

Society at large

More intrinsically motivated and successful learners = a more educated society

Problems/Barriers Low retention due to: Lack of interactivity (face-to-face interaction), feedback, etc. Time management problems Motivation Computer confidence issues Technical issues (computer/internet problems) Transactional Distance (psychological issues)

Low retention due to:

Lack of interactivity (face-to-face interaction), feedback, etc.

Time management problems

Motivation

Computer confidence issues

Technical issues (computer/internet problems)

Transactional Distance (psychological issues)

Literature Review/Studies Rensselaer Polytechnic Tidewater Community College (Norfolk, VA) Tomball College (Houston, TX)

Rensselaer Polytechnic

Tidewater Community College (Norfolk, VA)

Tomball College (Houston, TX)

Rensselaer Polytechnic Focused on large enrollment freshman classes (25 courses account for 44% enrollment) Research shows spike in dropout rate from freshman to sophomore year Pressure for good performance from faculty who teach higher level courses

Focused on large enrollment freshman classes (25 courses account for 44% enrollment)

Research shows spike in dropout rate from freshman to sophomore year

Pressure for good performance from faculty who teach higher level courses

Rensselaer Polytechnic, con’t Findings DE Instructors must: Provide humanizing activities Acknowledge ALL student messages Provide constructive feedback Provide summary messages to restate ideas/concepts Manage online forums Model online good manners

Findings

DE Instructors must:

Provide humanizing activities

Acknowledge ALL student messages

Provide constructive feedback

Provide summary messages to restate ideas/concepts

Manage online forums

Model online good manners

Tomball College Study Enrollment escalating Funding not keeping pace with enrollment DE could allow more course offerings w/o space and facility issues PLUS Texas had 2 nd highest internet user population (right behind CA)

Enrollment escalating

Funding not keeping pace with enrollment

DE could allow more course offerings w/o space and facility issues PLUS

Texas had 2 nd highest internet user population (right behind CA)

Tomball College, con’t What did they find? Faculty lacking DE skills Little support for training in the community colleges

What did they find?

Faculty lacking DE skills

Little support for training in the community colleges

Tomball College, con’t. What did they do? Created a Center for Distance Learning Developed certification training for faculty (mandatory)

What did they do?

Created a Center for Distance Learning

Developed certification training for faculty (mandatory)

Tomball College, con’t. What happened? (and almost immediately!) Completion rates up/dropout rates down Student complaint rates declined Faculty evaluations improved Faculty started seeing themselves as “among the best in practice”

What happened? (and almost immediately!)

Completion rates up/dropout rates down

Student complaint rates declined

Faculty evaluations improved

Faculty started seeing themselves as “among the best in practice”

TC Lessons Learned: Know your students Implement a program and DO IT! Set instructor standards and track results Utilize “off-the-shelf” solutions Invest time and $ in standardizing course formats Spend time and $ in communication and advertisement

Know your students

Implement a program and DO IT!

Set instructor standards and track results

Utilize “off-the-shelf” solutions

Invest time and $ in standardizing course formats

Spend time and $ in communication and advertisement

Summary of Findings Administrative orientation Pre-course orientation Academic advising Tutorial services Library services Time management skills Computer confidence skills Motivational support Lack of individual learning support Student Support Services More technical support Appropriate media and technology selection Improved course design (interactivity) Technical issues & delivery Media and Technology Need improved: Interactivity Instructor feedback Teaching strategies More use of learning communities Transactional Distance Learning Solution(s) Barrier Category

Administrative orientation

Pre-course orientation

Academic advising

Tutorial services

Library services

Time management skills

Computer confidence skills

Motivational support

More technical support

Appropriate media and technology selection

Improved course design (interactivity)

Need improved:

Interactivity

Instructor feedback

Teaching strategies

More use of learning communities

Summary of Findings, con’t . More national, state and local policies needed Lack of Policy Policy More on how people learn Improved measures for learning Lack of data Research and Development Solution(s) Barrier Category

More national, state and local policies needed

More on how people learn

Improved measures for learning

Final Thoughts “ Online learning now depends more on the ability of educators and trainers to tutor and support learners online than on the technology itself.” Dr. Ian Heywood, 2000 World Open Learning Conference and Exhibition, Birmingham, England “ Connect the Disconnected” Dr. Ray Ganey, Cochise College, AZ

“ Online learning now depends more on the ability of educators and trainers to tutor and support learners online than on the technology itself.”

Dr. Ian Heywood, 2000 World Open Learning Conference and Exhibition, Birmingham, England

“ Connect the Disconnected”

Dr. Ray Ganey, Cochise College, AZ

Final..Final Thoughts “ Technology has limitations on what it can accomplish. You do not..” Lou Gerstner, CEO, IBM “ Tell me and I will forget” “ Show me and I will remember” “ Involve me and I will understand” Confucius

“ Technology has limitations on what it can accomplish. You do not..”

Lou Gerstner, CEO, IBM

“ Tell me and I will forget”

“ Show me and I will remember”

“ Involve me and I will understand”

Confucius

Sources A Vision of E-Learning for America’s Workforce. Report of the Commission on Technology and Adult Learning. Retrieved March 1, 2005 from http:// edweb . sdsu . edu /courses/EDTEC596DE/web- basedEdCommissionReport . pdf Clark, Ruth & Mayer, Richard E. (2002). e-Learning and the Science of Instruction : Proven Guidelines for Consumers and Designers of Multimedia Learning. Wiley. Clark, R.C. The Pitfalls of e-learning. Adapted from the book: e-Learning and the Science of Instruction: Proven Guidelines for Consumers and Designers of Multimedia Learning . Retrieved February 21, 2005 from . http://www. pfeiffer .com/ WileyCDA / PfeifferArticle /id-15.html Keegan, D. (1990). Open learning: concepts and costs, successes and failures. In Atkinson, R. and McBeath, C. (eds). Open learning and new technology. Perth: ASET/Murdock University, 230-243. McInnerney, J.M. & Roberts, T.S. (2004) Online Learning: Social Interaction And The Creation Of A Sense Of Community. Educational Technology & Society , 7 (3), 73-81. Retrieved from: http://www.distance-educator.com/ dnews /Article13224. phtml Moore, M., & Kearsley, G. (2005) Distance Education: A Systems View (2nd ed). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

A Vision of E-Learning for America’s Workforce. Report of the Commission on Technology and Adult Learning. Retrieved March 1, 2005 from http:// edweb . sdsu . edu /courses/EDTEC596DE/web- basedEdCommissionReport . pdf

Clark, Ruth & Mayer, Richard E. (2002). e-Learning and the Science of Instruction : Proven Guidelines for Consumers and Designers of Multimedia Learning. Wiley. Clark, R.C. The Pitfalls of e-learning. Adapted from the book: e-Learning and the Science of Instruction: Proven Guidelines for Consumers and Designers of Multimedia Learning . Retrieved February 21, 2005 from . http://www. pfeiffer .com/ WileyCDA / PfeifferArticle /id-15.html

Keegan, D. (1990). Open learning: concepts and costs, successes and failures. In Atkinson, R. and McBeath, C. (eds). Open learning and new technology. Perth: ASET/Murdock University, 230-243.

McInnerney, J.M. & Roberts, T.S. (2004) Online Learning: Social Interaction And The Creation Of A Sense Of Community. Educational Technology & Society , 7 (3), 73-81. Retrieved from: http://www.distance-educator.com/ dnews /Article13224. phtml

Moore, M., & Kearsley, G. (2005) Distance Education: A Systems View (2nd ed). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Sources, con’t. Multimedia Educational Repository for Learning and On-line Teaching (Project Merlot). Retrieved March 22, 2005 from http://www. calvin . edu /~ bbaas /merlot.html Pitinsky, M. (Ed.) (2003). Wired Tower. 1st Ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Saba & Associates (2001). Distance Education: An Introduction. http://www.distance-educator.com/portal ... intro.html Simpson, J. & Head, L. (2000) Red Hot Tips: Improve Retention in Your Distance Education Courses. Presented at the League for Innovation International Conference (Chicago, IL, October 2000). . Retrieved March 20, 2005 from http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_nfpb=true&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=Retention+in+Distance+Education&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=eric_metadata&_pageLabel=ERICSearchResult Stewart, Thomas. (1999). Intellectual Capital. New York: Doubleday. Web-based Education Commission (2000). The Power of the Internet for Learning: Moving from Promise to Practice: US Department of Education Office of Postsecondary Education. Retrieved February 28, 2005 from http:// edweb . sdsu . edu /courses/EDTEC596D ... Report. pdf

Multimedia Educational Repository for Learning and On-line Teaching (Project Merlot). Retrieved March 22, 2005 from http://www. calvin . edu /~ bbaas /merlot.html

Pitinsky, M. (Ed.) (2003). Wired Tower. 1st Ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

Saba & Associates (2001). Distance Education: An Introduction. http://www.distance-educator.com/portal ... intro.html

Simpson, J. & Head, L. (2000) Red Hot Tips: Improve Retention in Your Distance Education Courses. Presented at the League for Innovation International Conference (Chicago, IL, October 2000). . Retrieved March 20, 2005 from http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_nfpb=true&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=Retention+in+Distance+Education&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=eric_metadata&_pageLabel=ERICSearchResult

Stewart, Thomas. (1999). Intellectual Capital. New York: Doubleday.

Web-based Education Commission (2000). The Power of the Internet for Learning: Moving from Promise to Practice: US Department of Education Office of Postsecondary Education. Retrieved February 28, 2005 from http:// edweb . sdsu . edu /courses/EDTEC596D ... Report. pdf