Addressing Student Retention with Course Design

Student retention is a complex and multifaceted issue that many colleges and universities have sought to address, especially as online learning has only grown since 2020. One of the main factors contributing to attrition rates, specifically in online classes, is “related to ineffective course designs that are created based on assumptions about the online learner.” While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to student retention, one consistent fact is that students prefer well-designed online courses that meet their learning needs. 

So, how can well-designed courses increase retention? Many effective courses share some key characteristics.

Set Clear Expectations with Predictability

When students know what to expect week to week, they can focus more on mastering the subject matter rather than mastering the syllabus. The specific workload and hours may depend on the course’s learning outcomes, but setting clear, manageable expectations at the start will lead to greater student persistence.

Create a Lineup

While it is standard for classes to share a course schedule of assignments at the start of a semester, the lineup of resources and assignments should be thoughtfully designed to help students become accustomed to it.

For example, in the first week of an 8-week psychology class, students see that it includes three textbook chapters, two journal articles, and a video as learning resources, along with a discussion, a quiz, and a longer research-based assignment. If, in the second week, the readings suddenly double or the quiz is replaced by a timed essay, this creates uncertainty for students and may make them feel they can’t keep up.

Maintain Engagement with Consistency

Like setting expectations with a lineup, creating a manageable learning curve helps students stay committed and engaged. Even as a course’s concepts become more complex, the readings and assignments should maintain a consistent amount of commitment hours. Consider that students, especially in online learning, plan their education around their other family and work obligations. Students who feel their time is respected can more effectively manage and commit to an online course’s workload, leading to greater retention.

Mind the Learning Curve

A study on student online engagement post-COVID-19 found that students are the most active on their university’s learning management system during assignment deadlines. What this means for online course design is that weekly assignments should include mid- and end-of-week deadlines to ensure students stay active throughout, rather than waiting until the end of the week to catch up. This also has a compound effect when students bundle their work from other courses.

By spreading out the work over the week, students can maintain engagement and avoid burnout, leading to long-term retention.

Provide Options with Assignment Flexibility

A course that is both consistent and flexible may seem at odds, but they are essential to what makes a well-designed online course. Flexibility and creativity can be incorporated into individual assignments, allowing students to use different approaches that align with their specific situations.

Alternate Deliverables

Certain projects that work in an in-person class may not always translate to an online learning environment. Group projects especially need extra facilitation to organize when there are fewer students who are also separated and active online at different times. Instead, a project could be pre-segmented and assigned to individual students. They could communicate with each other about their progress in discussions or individually, but they would be able to work on and receive credit for their segment.

When students feel their needs are being accommodated, not just in their interactions with the instructor, but in the design of the course itself, they are more likely to stick with the class. When all a student’s classes are intentionally designed, it leaves the student with a better impression of their higher learning institution, helping them continue their degree program and increasing overall retention.

If your institution is looking to increase retention and raise the quality of its online programs, the educational specialists and instructional designers at Magellan are here to help.

References

Bawa, P. (2016). Retention in Online Courses: Exploring Issues and Solutions—A Literature Review: Exploring Issues and Solutions—A Literature Review. Sage Open, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244015621777

Carlton, G. (2023). Online Learning Statistics. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/advisor/education/career-resources/online-learning-stats/

Millar S-K, Spencer K, Stewart T and Dong M (2021) Learning Curves in COVID-19: Student Strategies in the ‘new normal’?. Front. Educ. 6:641262. doi: 10.3389/feduc.2021.641262