Course Provider Pain Point #5: Improving engagement and learner retention rates

Many learners struggle to absorb and retain the information they are taught. This is a difficult situation for the students who in time start failing exams and also a difficult situation for trainers who get a bad reputation or have to bear the cost of course drop outs.

Learner retention is incredibly important - but it’s often overlooked by schools, colleges and course providers. Learner retention is not a one-time thing, it’s all about keeping the learners engaged right from the beginning to the end of their studies.

In this article, we look at how trainers and course providers can provide a better and more dynamic course experience... so that their learners can retain more information. Technology can be a great starting point in increasing learner retention and engagement.

With our CourseCo product you can help your learners retain more information by implementing or using the below technologies and ideas.

Get active on social media:

By creating and encouraging the creation of social media groups for individual classes and course groups you are encouraging the sharing of information. Social platforms are perfect for helping students to form connections and friendships outside of the classroom. The aim here is to encourage each and every student to share their perspectives and ideas on topics. If this can be achieved then more learners are engaged and exposed to the topics being discussed in the classroom and in the course notes.

Social media also gives course providers the chance to reach out to learners before they even start a course. It also enables learners to meet online before the actual course kicks off and establishing good working relationships from the  start means that ;earners are more engaged and less anxious when starting the course.

Surveying learners

If you really want to find out why learners are not engaged or struggling to retain information then all you have to do is ask them!  Student feedback is a huge factor to consider when building a successful course business. By using a survey tool (CourseCo has a built in survey tool) course providers can gather a list of issues which may prevent their students from absorbing and retaining information.

With CourseCo it’s easy to ask your learners what they think about the course and more importantly what is making them consider their place on the course. 

Use Reporting Tools

By choosing a learning management system with an in-built reporting system you can identify signs of disengagement or drop in retention of information before it becomes really  obvious. Imagine a system which can tell you which students are missing classes and constantly submitting late submissions? CourseCo allows you to identify real problems which might lead to drop outs and poor information absorption before it’s too late. 

Get an App!

Everyone has a smartphone these days and they offer a great opportunity to boost engagement and retention.

With CourseCo you can creating your very own branded mobile apps for iOS or android which helps your learners plan their study time, schedules and download course notes direct to their phones so that they can study after class on the move or on the bus home.