Giving students as much decision making power as possible...interesting...what are your thoughts?

Youdagogy

Online learning from the comfort of your own house?  What do you think?

Faculty Responsibilities in Online Learning

Student retention has long been a buzz word in the education community, in particular higher education.  Why is it that some people drop out of classes?  Over the past decade reasons for dropping classes haven't changed much.  Financial troubles, family commitments, unpreparedness, emergencies, and changes in career path have been among the top of the list for face-to-face learning (traditional classes).  Now with distance learning making a boom in record enrollees, we have a new "reason" added to the list...Are students ready for elearning?  So often times the answer to this question is taken for granted. Many individuals assume if you carry a Blackberry, online classes will be a breeze. However, being enveloped in a society filled with technology kiosks on every corner, does not translate into an overnight successful elearning student.  Understanding how to use technology is only the first step in the big picture.  Students must also recognize their natural tendencies, personalities, and learning styles related to elearning.  Even typing skills can impact an individual's ability to be successful.  When a traditional students enters college, he/she must take assessments to determine their level of knowledge in a specific subject such as math or english.  Being proactive allows a school to assist the student on a path to success by getting started on the right foot.  In a similar fashion, READI - Readiness for Education At a Distance Indicator (provided by eLearningToolBox.com) sheds light on a student's strengths and weaknesses as they relate to distance learning. In addition, provides remedial tools on how to improve their skills. 

A great deal of study and research has been done on student retention.  Innovative Educators is a group of educators that provide webinars on this subject as well as others.  Moving forward, institutions must invest on retaining what is rightfully theirs.  Earning student's trusts and dollars is difficult in the competitive world of higher education.  Is your school serious about retention?  Is there someone employed that monitors at-risk students? Thousands of dollars are spent on recruiting students, marketing, and ads to draw students in.  Protect your investment and look into resources that will educate your institution on what to watch for and how to proactively prevent hard earned dollars from permanently logging out of their online class.

Student Retention - What Are We Doing About It?