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Findings show forum activity volume is significantly linked to retention, with student contributions having a stronger impact than tutor posts. Results also indicate tutor and student post counts are highly correlated, supporting educator discussions on fostering engaging online communities.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/","Research & 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is the focus of the case report?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"The report focuses on how online forum use, specifically asynchronous forum activity, impacts student retention in a Level 1 distance learning module.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"How was student retention connected to forum activity?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"Forum activity volume showed a significant association with retention, and student contributions had a greater impact than tutor contributions based on the reported statistical results.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"Why are asynchronous forums considered important for online distance learners?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"Asynchronous forums support flexible participation, helping students engage with others and feel connected, which addresses isolation and retention challenges in distance 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Module  \nBy Jessica Pinchbeck* & Caroline Heaney±  \nThe importance of making online and distance education successful has been dramatically prioritized due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Student retention is a key performance indicator in online higher education. Evidence suggests that within online distance education the key to retaining students is to encourage an engaging and supportive online community. Online asynchronous forums are one method that has been employed to promote such engagement. This study investigated the relationship between online forum activity and student retention amongst 21 tutor groups on an Open University Level 1 module. It found that the volume of tutor group forum activity had a significant association with student retention (p\u003C0.05 two-tailed, Pearson r=0.53), with student contributions having a greater impact on retention (p\u003C0.01 two-tailed, Pearson r=0.628) than tutor contributions. Although tutor contributions did not appear to impact student retention directly the number of tutor and student posts were highly correlated (p\u003C0.001, two tailed, Pearson r=0.86). Results indicate that asynchronous forums can be an effective tool in promoting student retention inan online distance learning environment. Important factors that impact on student retention within the educational medium of asynchronous forums are evidenced. The implications of these findings for educators are discussed.  \nKeywords: distance learning, student retention, forum participation, online learning community.  \nIntroduction  \nOne consequence of the recent COVID-19 pandemic has been that many universities across the world have had to develop and implement online teaching provision. Consequently, understanding how to best ensure the success of Higher Education students studying within online teaching environments has assumed a greater importance across the university sector worldwide. A commonly used measure of how successful a course or module has been is student retention i.e. the number of students who successful complete a module. This is particularly important in the context of online higher education, where the number of students who fail to complete is significantly higher than found in traditional university settings (Woodley & Simpson, 2014). Although many factors influence these phenomena, the use and nature of student online forums has been suggested as significant (e.g., Khalil & Ebner, 2014). Asynchronous forums, where posts can be entered by individuals at any time, have become the most widely used (De Lima,  \n*  \nSenior Lecturer, The Open University, UK.  \n±Senior Lecturer, The Open University, UK.  \n[https://doi.org/10.30958/aje.9-1-7](https://doi.org/10.30958/aje.9-1-7) doi=10.30958/aje.9-1-7  \nGerosa, Conte, & Netto, 2019) and for this reason this paper explores the role of online asynchronous forums in student retention.  \nThe context of this research is a level 1 sport and fitness module at The Open University in the United Kingdom (U.K.). The Open University is the largest university in Europe with approximately 173,927 students and a network of more than 5,000 tutors (The Open University, 2018a). Students, both within the UK and overseas, study at a distance through the provision of access to a distinct form of distance learning known as \"supported open learning\" that aims to offer flexibility, inclusivity, support and social opportunities with no formal entry requirements for the majority of modules (The Open University, 2018b). This approach incorporates teaching strategies including online tutorials and activities, printed materials, one to one student support sessions, forum discussions, a range of online support tools as well as online assignment submissions and feedback.  \nThe type of study experience offered by The Open University has increased in popularity (Yuan & Kim, 2014), firstly because of its purported b","cbCaifJzpCFbZCac","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaifJzpCFbZCac","pdf",405303,15,"English","# Introduction\n## Student retention in online higher education\n## Asynchronous forums and online learning community\n# Research context and learning environment\n## Supported open learning at The Open University\n## Barriers to retention in distance learning\n## Role of online learning communities","[{\"question\":\"What is the focus of the case report?\",\"answer\":\"The report focuses on how online forum use, specifically asynchronous forum activity, impacts student retention in a Level 1 distance learning module.\"},{\"question\":\"How was student retention connected to forum activity?\",\"answer\":\"Forum activity volume showed a significant association with retention, and student contributions had a greater impact than tutor contributions based on the reported statistical results.\"},{\"question\":\"Why are asynchronous forums considered important for online distance learners?\",\"answer\":\"Asynchronous forums support flexible participation, helping students engage with others and feel connected, which addresses isolation and retention challenges in distance learning.\"}]","Case Report: The impact of Online Forum Use on Student Retention in a Level 1 Distance Learning Module - read online free | PDF",1792076469,38]