Episode 191: Student Retention Through Online Learning

Hosts Tom and Kelvin consider the role well-designed online learning can play in institutional efforts to increase student retention. 

Content Links

• Info and Question Contribution: “Last Call at the TOPcast Cafe” Plenary Panel (OLC Accelerate 2025) 
• [Book] The SAGE Handbook of Online Higher Education (Wa-Mbaleka, Thompson, and Casmiro, Eds., 2024)
• [Research Study] “A Cross-Institutional Study of Instructional Characteristics and Student Outcomes: Are Quality Indicators of Online Courses Able to Predict Student Success?” (Joosten, Cusatis, and Harness, 2019)
  
• [Article] “Retention in Online Courses: Exploring Issues and Solutions—A Literature Review” (Bawa, 2016)
• [Framework] TILT = Transparency in Learning and Teaching (Winkelmes, 2009-2025)
• [Book] Teaching Naked (Bowen, 2012 – not to be confused with TILT above)
•  [LinkedIn Post(s)] “Five years from now, the primary job of an instructional designer won’t be instructional design.”
• [Book] How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen (Brooks, 2023)
• [Book] The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters (Parker, 2020)
• Past TOPcast Episodes Springboarding from the SAGE Handbook and Its Chapters
  • #171: “The ‘North Star’ of Online Learners’ Needs” (Refs Ch. 5)
  • #163: “The Online Syllabus: ‘A Welcome Mat for the Course’” (Refs Ch. 18)
  • #161: “Taste the Rainbow of Online Ed’s Possible Futures” (Refs Ch. 50)
  • #155: “High-Quality Online Discussions — Here’s How.” (Refs Ch. 27)
  • #150: “A Global, Holistic, 360 Degree Perspective on Online Higher Education” (Introduces SAGE Handbook)

Extra Special Feature

• Video Version of This Episode!