Student Retention in Online, Open and Distance Learning (Open and Flexible Learning Series)

Student retention has become a key issue for all further and higher education institutions and is a major concern among those involved in online learning courses where retention rates are often even poorer than those for traditional campus-based courses. There is increasing recognition that student retention is the responsibility of the actual institutions running the courses, and that it is within their power to encourage sustained participation without compromising academic standards. In this book, Ormond Simpson provides a clear, accessible analysis of what works and at what cost. He outlines strategies for increasing retention, providing useful case studies and examples to illustrate how these strategies can change institutional policy and practice. Areas covered include: * Who drops out and why * Integration * Reclamation * 'Retentioneering' an institution * Recruitment and retention * Course design.

Ormond Simpson is Director of the Open University's Centre for Educational Guidance and Student Support, and has over 25 years' experience of developing, researching and practising student support