Incorporating Online Human Touch: Instruction and Programming to Increase Online Student Engagement and Retention

The long-term sustainability of online education programs is highly dependent on student enrollment and retention. Therefore, administrators need to identify strategies and models that engage, connect, and retain students. To proactively address student attrition, Drexel University's Master of Science in Higher Education Program has developed and implemented the concept of online human touch (OHT) instruction and programming. This interactive and personalized approach to online education has resulted in high student retention rates and high levels of student satisfaction. This session will present the conceptual framework for OHT instruction and programming as well as provide OHT strategies and supporting data.