Online Learner Retention

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1 Online Learner Retention Overview
2 Assessing Learner Learning Experiences
3 Bureaucratic Interventions
4 Multiple Strategies
5 Pedagogical Strategies for Online Learner Retention
6 See Also
7 References

Online Learner Retention Overview

The challenges of college student retention in a variety of courses and learning modalities has suffused the educational “retention” literature. Common research and endeavors have focused on studying contemporary students and their attitudes and needs; identifying early indicators of trouble in a class and reaching out to these students; the provision of support (like advisement, tutorial support, remedial learning, and others) and services to the learners; the encouragement of the building of student bonds and “learning communities”, and training faculty and staff to be more sensitive and responsive to learner needs.

The under-representation of societal members in particular domain fields may result in social injustices and limitations to various academic and professional fields.

Assessing Learner Learning Experiences

To simplify this entry, this will focus mostly on learner retention for those in the computer science field, with a special focus on online learning and computer-based interventions.

Some studies have found higher attrition rates in distance education programs as compared to face-to-face ones although there are nuances in the findings (Hislop & Ellis, 2006). There are comparative studies between those who graduate and those who change fields (Biggers, Brauer, & Yilmaz, 2008). Researchers have examined predictive factors for success such as achievement on standardized tests, the number of calculus courses taken, computer access in the home, and having a mentor in high school (Katz, Allbritton, Aronis, Wilson, & Soffa, 2006, p. 42); they found a need for both programming skills and level-appropriate math (but not one at the cost of the other).

Adult learners need relevant and applicable learning, particularly in fields with fast-changing technologies; they need to learn transferable basic principles, information, and concepts (Whittington & Nankivell, 2006). Other learners need sensitivity to and awareness of their various cultural backgrounds, values, and histories (Latu & Young, 2004).

Eight factors that affect student persistence in the computer science major: “student-student interaction; student-faculty interaction; collaborative learning opportunities; pace/workload/prior experience with programming; teaching assistants; classroom climate/pedagogy; meaningful assignments; and racism/sexism” (Barker, McDowell, & Kalahar, 2009, p. 153).

Students in computer science, math, and physics at one university were found to be “significantly more susceptible to problems with computer gaming” (Hail & Carter, 2009, p. 229) and the resultant inattention to academics.

Bureaucratic Interventions

Some institutions of higher education use orientation programs for freshman as a retention intervention (Gathers, 1988). Other leaders smooth pathways to various careers beginning with outreaches in secondary school.

These outreaches may be quite sophisticated, and may involve hands-on problem-based learning and intense professional mentoring: “Special attention is paid to creating a cohort of students who come together every week to learn about the research process, and ethical and societal issues related to it. Each student takes a small project from the proposal stage, through design and implementation, to publication and presentation” (Peckham, Stephenson, Hervé, Hutt, & Encamacão, 2007, p. 124).

The defined learning paths and articulation agreements between various educational system layers may also enhance learner recruitment and retention (Darrah, Giorcelli, & Dodson, 2007).

Multiple Strategies

To retain students and encourage their persistence in a field, a range of strategies are suggested. Cuny and Aspray propose a rich variety of endeavors to bring females into the computing sciences learning track.

They suggest the following multi-faceted approaches:

sparking interests in younger learners; broadening the criteria used in admissions and being flexible in handling applications;

encouraging re-entry students; providing bridging opportunities to entering graduate students from a range of undergraduate degrees and filling in gaps of knowledge in order to help them be competitive;

including diversity considerations in the admissions process; being proactive in making recruiting contacts; reviewing departmental messages to address “overt or subtle messages that might discourage women from applying”;

exposing undergraduate women to computing research; encouraging individual women undergraduates to enter the field;

countering negative stereotypes about the particular field;

providing women role models for undergraduates in terms of computer scientists;

conscientiously mentoring women graduate students; helping to create a peer community for the women students;

broadening the institutional culture of the department “to accept a range of personal choices in balancing work and life”;

providing women professionals as role models;

integrating students into the research culture of the department as early as possible;

helping the students become involved in the professional community and the departmental community;

standardizing the methods the department uses for delivering information, “so that students do not have to be part of an informal social network to receive it,” and reworking the departmental infrastructure to promote the equal participation of women (Cuny & Aspray, 2000, pp. 169 – 173).

Pedagogical Strategies for Online Learner Retention

Various applied strategies have been shown to improve learner retention.

Pair Programming: The use of “pair programming” (where dyadic teams of programmers work simultaneously on “the same design, algorithm, code, or test”) has been identified as one effective intervention. Here, one of the student developers is the designated driver while the other reviews the keyed data in order to “identify tactical and strategic deficiencies, including erroneous syntax and logic, misspellings, and implementations that don’t map to the design.” The two then switch-off roles after a certain period of time (McDowell, Werner, Bullock, & Fernald, 2006, p. 90).

Collaborative Learning: Small group collaborations may also enhance learning experiences, including shared research (Guo, 2008). Collaborative peer-led teams (Biggers, Yilmaz, & Sweat, 2009) in student-centered pedagogical designs were found to improve learner performance and persistence. The promotion of community identity and relationships may mitigate the social isolation that students may perceive (Crenshaw, Chambers, Metcalf, & Thakkar, 2008). Cooperative learning has been found to benefit learners (Beck & Chizhik, 2008). The integration of learning communities into distance education endeavors may enhance retention (DiRamio & Wolverton, 2006) and professional development as the various learners progress into their respective fields.

Glamor: Glamorous projects are used to attract and retain minority students, such as the BalloonSAT project that involves “the launch of high-altitude helium-filled balloons with communications equipment, scientific sensors, and on-board computers coupled with ground-based tracking, retrieval, data archiving and analysis” (Austin, Johnson, & Flowers, 2007, p. 320). Some suggest using game and simulation-based learning for engaging underrepresented populations into informal “Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics” (STEM) learning (Gibson & Grasso, 2009). Others propose the use of rich multimedia, games, entertainment and the impact of "peers, instructors, mentors, and support staff on fun" (Neal, Perez, & Miller, 2004, p. 1590) to make learning more engaging and fun.

Formative Assessments: Computerized (formative) examinations may enhance learner competence and motivations (Barros, Estevens, Dias, Pais, & Soeiro, 2003; Woit & Mason, 2000). The identification of high-risk students early on may ensure that they get the help that they need and that courses may be improved to meet their needs (Boetticher, Ding, Moen, & Yue, 2005).

Accessible Learning: The accessibility of the learning may involve the enhancement of sensory accessibility, too, such as the improvement of lectures through the capture of signing, textual information, and visual information (Hughes & Robinson, 2007).

Rich, Authentic Learning: Various programs improve learning opportunities for students. One program engages undergraduate students in research and outreach, in a context with tiered mentoring and collaboration (Dahlberg, Barnes, Rorrer, & Powell, 2008), to enhance retention. This endeavor encourages authentic engagements with the domain’s culture. Course redesigns have focused on active and cooperative learning to help students develop support systems to improve their competence and confidence, to ultimately affect their persistence (Gonzalez, 2006, p. 133).

Assimilation into the Professional Culture:The professional culture which in the case of IT may involve “the use of technical jargon, primary value of technical knowledge, extreme and unusual demands on people in the profession related to the constant change of IT, feelings of superiority and a general lack of formal rules” (Guzman, Stam, & Stanton, 2008, p. 33). The various professional cultures may include barriers to different learner populations.

Designed Learning Spaces: The research literature talks about impressive physical facilities that may enhance learner retention—by providing an environment for student interactions, research, and experimentation (Wooley, 2002). This concept applies to socio-technical spaces, such as enriched online learning ones (King, 2004). Socio-technical systems that encourage increased class participation and a deeper sense of community, such as through an interactive video commenting system (Du, Rosson, Carroll, & Ganoe, 2009), may enhance learning.

References

Austin, S. A., Johnson, L. P., & Flowers, J.M. (2007). Stimulating minority student retention with BalloonSAT projects. ITiCSE ’07: Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom. ACM. 320.

Barker, L. J., McDowell, C., & Kalahar, K. (2009). Exploring factors that influence computer science introductory course students to persist in the major. SIGCSE 2009: Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA. ACM. 153 – 157.

Barros, J.P., Estevens, L., Dias, R., Pais, R., & Soeiro, E. (2003). Using lab exams to ensure programming practice in an introductory programming course. ITiCSE ’03: Thessaloniki, Greece. ACM. 16 – 20.

Beck, L.L. & Chizhik, A.W. (2008). An experimental study of cooperative learning in CS1. SIGCSE ’08: Portland, Oregon, USA. ACM. 205 – 209.

Biggers, M., Brauer, A., & Yilmaz, T. (2008). Student perceptions of computer science: A retention study comparing graduating seniors vs. CS leavers. SIGCSE ’08: Portland, Oregon, USA. ACM. 402 – 406.

Biggers, M., Yilmaz, T., & Sweat, M. (2009). Using collaborative, modified peer led team learning to improve student success and retention in Intro CS. SIGCSE ’09: Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA. ACM. 9 – 13.

Boetticher, G.D., Ding, W., Moen, C., & Yue, K.-B. (2005). Using a pre-assessment exam to construct an effective concept-based genetic program for predicting course success. SIGCSE ’05: St. Louis, Missouri, USA. ACM: 500 – 504.

Crenshaw, T.L., Chambers, E.W., Metcalf, H., & Thakkar, U. (2008). A case study of retention practices at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Proceedings of the 39th SIGCSE Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education: Portland, Oregon, USA. ACM. 412 – 416.

Cuny, J. & Aspray, W. (2000). Recruitment and retention of women graduate students in computer science and engineering: Results of a workshop organized by the computing research association. San Francisco, California. SIGCSE Bulletin: 34(2), 168 – 174.

Dahlberg, T., Barnes, T., Rorrer, A., & Powell, E. (2008). Improving retention and graduate recruitment through immersive research experiences for undergraduates. SIGCSE ’08: Portland, Oregon, USA. ACM. 466 – 470.

Darrah, M., Giorcelli, R., & Dodson, T. (2007). A comprehensive program for expanding pathways to IT careers. SIGITE: Destin, Florida, USA. ACM. 195 – 200.

DiRamio, D. & Wolverton, M. (2006). Integrating learning communities and distance education: Possibility or pipedream? Innovative Higher Education: 31(228), 99 – 113.

Du, H., Rosson, M.B., Carroll, J., & Ganoe, C. (2009). ‘I felt like a contributing member of the class’: Increasing class participation with ClassCommons. GROUP ’09: Sanibel Island, Florida, USA. ACM. 233 – 242.

Gathers, E. (1988). One freshman studies program which improved student retention in the first year computer science sequence for majors. Proceedings of the 1988 ACM Sixteenth Annual Conference on Computer Science: Atlanta, Georgia. ACM. 739.

Gibson, D. & Grasso, S. (2009). Online recruitment and engagement of students in game and simulation-based STEM learning. ICFDG 2009: Orlando, Florida, USA. ACM. 285 – 290.

Gonzalez, G. (2006). A systematic approach to active and cooperative learning in CS1 and its effects on CS2. SIGCSE ’06. Houston, Texas, USA. ACM. 133 – 137.

Guo, J. (2008). Using group-based projects to improve retention of students in computer science major. Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges. ACM: 187 – 193.

Guzman, I.R., Stam, K.R., & Santon, J.M. (2008). The occupational culture of IS/IT personnel within organizations. The DATA BASE for Advances in Information Systems: 39(1), 33 – 50.

Hail, A. & Carter, L. (2009). Problems with computer gaming may contribute to retention troubles for CS students. Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges: Southwestern Conference. ACM. 229 – 237.

Hislop, G.W. & Ellis, H.J.C. (2006). Retention of distance and on-campus students in a graduate computer science degree program. ITiCSE ’06: Bologna, Italy. ACM. 342.

Hughes, G. & Robinson, P. (2007). Photonote evaluation: Aiding students with disabilities in a lecture environment. ASSETS ’07: Tempe, Arizona, USA. ACM. 99 – 106.

Katz, S., Allbritton, D., Aronis, J., Wilson, C., & Soffa, M.L. (2006). Gender, achievement, and persistence in an undergraduate computer science program. The DATA BASE for Advances in Information Systems: 37(4), 42 – 57.

King, V. (2004). Technology-facilitated online and distance learning student support. Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies. IEEE.

Latu, S. & Young, A. (2004). Teaching ICT to Pacific Island background students. Sixth Australasian Computing Educational Conference: Dunnedin, Australia. Conferences in Research and Practice in Information Technology: 30, 169 – 175.

McDowell, C., Werner, L., Bullock, H.E., & Fernald, J. (2006). Pair programming improves student retention, confidence, and program quality. Communications of the ACM: 49(8), 90 – 95.

Neal, L., Perez, R., & Miller, D. (2004). eLearning and fun. CHI 2004: Vienna, Austria. ACM. 1590 – 1591.

Peckham, J., Stephenson, P., Hervé, J-Y., Hutt, R., & Encamacão, M. (2007). Increasing student retention in computer science through research programs for undergraduates. SIGCSE ’07: Covington, Kentucky, USA. ACM. 124 – 128.

Whittington, J. & Nankivell, K. J. (2006). Teaching strategies and assessment measures for rapidly changing technology programs. International Conference on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques. Boston, Massachusetts, USA. ACM. 1-6.

Woit, D. & Mason, D. (2000). Enhancing student learning through on-line quizzes. SIGCSE 2000: Austin, Texas. ACM. 367 – 371.

Wooley, B.A. (2002). Utilizing a computing lab to improve retention and recruiting of computer science and computer information science students. Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges: Eastern Conference. ACM. 228 – 234.

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Online Learner Retention

Online Learner Retention

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