The Impact of Guided Learning on Student Achievement and Retention in an Online Course Environment: A Reflection on Introductory MIS Courses

With the rise in popularity of online education, there is also a growing concern regarding the disparity between student achievement and retention in online courses versus those in the traditional classroom. Advances in the capabilities of Learning Management Systems (LMSs) have made it possible to facilitate more interaction and engagement with students through the technology which has shown to reduce the disparity further. This paper discusses how the application of guided learning via adaptive release has impacted students and faculty in the online sections of an introductory Management Information Systems 1000 (MIS 1000) course. Our initial experience indicates that when applied to the online course, it further forces some self-regulation, engages the student in the course, serves as an early warning system to allow faculty intervention, and increases student achievement and overall retention