A lot of folks opining about how online classes are a way to save costs and that the pandemic represents a way to assess online learning. Neither of these is really true, and have been addressed elsewhere. What I want to talk about is retention and attrition in online classes 1/

While specific percentages of students dropping out of online classes varies by type of institution, between 25-40% of online students drop their courses (Laing & Laing, 2015; Sorenson & Donovan, 2017). 2/

After more than two decades of delivering online classes, colleges and universities have generally not developed comprehensive programs to reduce attrition in online classes. 3/

This not only hurts students by wasting their time & money, but the effects on success & completion rates can also reduce the funding available to public institutions of higher education under performance funding models that developed in the second decade of the 21st century. 4/

There 's limited of consensus on the causes of attrition among students: feelings of isolation, difficulties with technology, family or work commitments, financial problems, and lack of educational preparedness (Bawa, 2016; Knestrick et al, 2016; Stone & Springer, 2019). 5/

Methods to increase student retention in online courses have developed in two primary areas: increasing instructor presence in online courses and creating support systems to address sources of student stress (Glazier, 2016; Stone & Springer, 2019). 6/

Studies on student retention are highly localized, making it difficult to generalize their results due to diverse contexts of U.S. higher ed: for-profit, non-profit, public, private, research intensive, community college, regional comprehensive, small, and large. 7/

Students also vary in their levels of preparedness for higher education, affluence, and educational or career goals. 8/

There are common themes related to attrition in online classes: lower GPA on entry, age at start of programs, family and financial issues, and pert-time enrollment (Bawa, 2016; Knestrick et al., 2016). 9/

The self-discipline needed the large time commitment of online classes require for successful completion also increase attrition in online courses (Bawa, 2016). 10/

Course designs that assume a level of technological competence beyond using social media also play a role in high attrition rates (Bawa, 2016). 11/

Requiring students to complete orientation courses before allowing them to enroll in regular online courses increases retention by familiarizing students with the nature of online learning (Bawa, 2016). 12/

Increased faculty training with tools and online pedagogy also tend to increase student retention in online courses, and do course designs that increase collaboration among students (Bawa, 2016). 13/

Faculty and institutions should recognize that the online learning environment and the methods of teaching are quite different from those of face to face classes (Laing & Laing, 2015). 14/

The keys to improving student retention in online courses were related to instructor presence in the online class and changes in the design of courses to reduce student feelings of isolation (Berry, 2019; Glazier, 2016; Laing & Laing, 2015; Stone & Springer, 2019). 15/

Developing “learning communities” in online classes helps reduce attrition to levels similar to traditional face to face courses requiring instructors to make time-intensive efforts to build rapport with & among their students (Berry, 2019; Laing & Laing, 2015; Glazier, 2016).16/

Course designs that increase social interaction among students decreased attrition in those classes by reducing students’ sense of isolation (Laing & Laing, 2015; Meyer, Bruwelheide & Poulin, 2019; Stone & Springer, 2019). 17/

It is important to foster development of a course identity as a social group in the first few weeks of the class – during the first month students are at their highest level of engagement (Laing & Laing, 2015). 18/

Engaging course design/content contribute to retention;multi-media content, interactivity, introductions, & prompt feedback help students sustain their commitment. The more active the course design is for online learners, the lower the attrition rates (Stone & Springer, 2019).19/

The most effective means of reducing attrition in online courses is increasing rapport between students and teachers (Bawa, 2016; Berry, 2019; Glazier, 2016; Laing & Laing, 2015; Stone & Springer, 2019; Sorensen & Donovan, 2017). 20/

The consensus re: methods communicate regularly w/ students in meaningful ways, personalized messages /feedback, quick response to student questions, instructor recording of videos, and instructor availability outside business hours (Athens, 2018; Stone & Springer, 2019; ). 21/

Students are more likely to stick with a class if they believe that the instructor sees them as a real person, not just a line in a grade book (Athens, 2018). 22/

Adopting "early alert" models of intervention to identify students at risk of not completing a course had a significant effect on increasing retention in online courses (Athens, 2018; Stone & Springer, 2019) 23/

All of this requires commitment of substantial time, resources, and training for instructors and institutions that is hidden from the view of many advocates of a pivot to online learning as a just as good and cheaper options for higher education. 24/

Athens, W. (2018). Perceptions of the persistent: Engagement and learning community in underrepresented populations. Online Learning, 22(2).

Bawa, P. (2016). Retention in online courses: Exploring issues and solutions—A literature review. SAGE Open. 25/

Berry, S. (2019). Faculty perspectives in online learning: The instructor’s role in creating community. Online Learning, 23(4), 181-191. 26/

Bloemer, W., Swan, K., Day, S., & Bogle, L. (2018). Digging Deeper into the Data: The Role of Gateway Courses in Online Student Retention. Online Learning, 22(4), 109–127.
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Glazier, R. A. (2016). Building rapport to improve retention and success in online classes. Journal of Political Science Education, 12(4), 437–456.
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Knestrick, J. M., Wilkinson, M. R., Pellathy, T. P., Lange-Kessler, J., Katz, R., & Compton, P. (2016). Predictors of retention of students in an online nurse practitioner program. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 12(9), 635-640. 29/

Laing, C. L., & Laing, G. K. (2015). A conceptual framework for evaluating attrition in online courses. The e - Journal of Business Education & Scholarship of Teaching, 9(2), 39-55. 30/

Laing, C. L., & Laing, G. K. (2015). A conceptual framework for evaluating attrition in online courses. The e - Journal of Business Education & Scholarship of Teaching, 9(2), 39-55. 31/

Meyer, K., Bruwelheide, J., & Poulin, R. (2019). Why they stayed: Near-perfect retention in an online certification program in library media. Online Learning, 10(4). doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.24059/olj.v10i4.1747 32/fin