WHAT REALLY WORKS IN PROMOTING STUDENT SUCCESS IN AN ONLINE COURSE? A PREDICTIVE ANALYSIS OF ENGAGEMENT TOOLS: DISCUSSION BOARD, GROUP ACTIVITY AND TEGRITY

This paper assesses the salient factors that contribute to students’ success in an online course: Health and Medical Information. Developed as part of a mini grant opportunity for faculty development, the outcomes of this course was assessed using Quality Matters and trends in students’ engagement were analyzed. In addition to a boost in enrollment numbers, both qualitative and quantitative analysis indicate that active engagement in all aspects of the course, specifically discussion board, group activity and listening to Tegrity recordings resulted in better outcomes for students (those students who received an A for the course). The length and frequency of engagement are positively correlated with successful outcomes. The utilization of more than one engagement tool may be a better predictor of student success rather than one particular variable. The importance of utilizing several diverse teaching strategies to promote student engagement in an online course is underscored.