Defeating the Kobayashi Maru: Supporting Student Retention by Balancing the Needs of the Many and the One
By Joanna C. Dunlap and Patrick R. Lowenthal
Access the article online: http://www.educause.edu/library/EQM1042
Key Takeaways
- Online courses and programs don't have to accept the Kobayashi Maru no-win solution by choosing between the needs of the many and the needs of the one.
- Although participating in a supportive learning community can bolster online student engagement and retention, individualized one-on-one communication strategies also play an important role in an online student retention plan.
- Low-tech communication strategies, such as the telephone and e-mail, can effectively enhance students' sense of connection with their professors and courses — an important part of the online retention equation.
Death to the Digital Dropbox: Rethinking Student Privacy and Public Performance
By Patrick R. Lowenthal and David Thomas
Access the article online: http://www.educause.edu/library/EQM1032
Key Takeaways
- Requiring students to submit work privately using a digital dropbox (or even worse, e-mail) can be a destructive pedagogical practice.
- Students benefit from public performance and public critique because people have to perform in the "real world" and are regularly subject to critique.
- Online faculty should strive to incorporate authentic, real-world types of experiences in the online courses they