I posted this on LinkedIn, but I think it bears repeating here. The Chronicle of Higher Education recently published an article that says students in online courses are more likely to drop out than students in tradition courses.
It's hard to speculate on the reasons for this without seeing the full study, but from experience I can definitely say that the technology can be a huge barrier. I have yet to see an excellent Learning Managment System that is simple and user friendly, though it can also be the fault of the way the school inputs their materials. I would say this and the fact that online courses tend to be more work are the main two reasons, with the lack of connection running a close third. These are all solvable problems. If you replace some of the reading with audio or video lectures, for example, it would help students who struggle to read dense material. Having an introductory online training and orientation for new students would help with the technology issue, as well as keeping the course design as simple and clear as possible. You can even increase the connections in a class by having some fun off topic chats in a separate discussion thread (have students share favorite movies, books, recipes, etc... and participate in the discussion with them).
Just some ideas! I think this article provides an opportunity for us to discuss how to improve the distance learning experience, and thereby retention, of our students.
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