Retention is not a new concept but in the online arena it has been getting a lot more attention over the past two years. As many schools continue to grow their online course offerings, student readiness for alternative learning environments remains an issue of concern. Many schools are working hard to help students get in the right course and providing them with the necessary tools to keep them enrolled successfully. Schools taking this proactive approach are noticing a return on their investment.
Schools are using various strategies to provide students with the help they need. Most have an orientation course that includes various tutorials and instructions of how to contact instructors. Some institutions are using a personal touch assigning a mentor or liaison to assist students in communicating their needs. Adding a readiness assessment to measure a student's strengths and weaknesses such as SmarterMeasure is serving not only as a remedial tool, but also gives administrators insight about their students.
Companies like Innovative Educators are noticing a spike in interest of their webinars, many of which focus on student retention. One of their newest resources is called StudentLingo. It is a suite of tutorials and services that offer students remedial help. For a free trial of the StudentLingo suite click here.
What is Digital Learning Day? "Digital Learning Day is a culminating event in a year-round national awareness campaign to improve teaching and learning for all children", a place to start a conversation, try one new thing, or showcase a success! Digital learning is part of everything we do. Technology facilitates our vacations, shopping, banking, and communications. It's time to embrace what how we learn digitally and celebrate it, learn better ways to make it happen, and share with others. Don't miss out on the chance to be a part of this first time ever national effort. Register today, it's free!
Noel-Levitz and SmarterServices are excited to announce their latest collaboration on a 2011 White Paper - Online Student Readiness as a Predictor of Online Student Satisfaction.
In an effort to determine whether online student readiness, as measured by the SmarterMeasure™ Learning Readiness Indicator, is predictive of satisfaction as measured by the Noel-Levitz Priorities Survey for Online Learners™, research was conducted comparing the readiness measures with satisfaction measures of 1,560 students at five institutions. Suggestions for good practice are included, so that online learning leaders can assist students in becoming satisfied with their online learning experience. This study was a collaborative effort between SmarterServices and Noel-Levitz.
Significant findings show there is a strong relationship between online student readiness and satisfaction/retention. Two components measured in SmarterMeasure - Individual Attributes and Life Factors proved to be predictors of whether a student was satisfied with his/her classes and whether they would enroll again. The full report can be found here.
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