Virtual Advising: A Tool for Retention, Engagement, and Success for the Graduate Distance Learner

Ahypothetical student, Mary J., is a graduate distance learner at a private not-for-profit university. She works full time, has family obligations, and has decided to go back to school to pursue a graduate degree. She has the support of her family and employer. Although Mary J. was very excited and motivated to start her coursework, after a month into the program, she feels overwhelmed and is ready to give up. Based on what she had learned at the new student orientation, her university offers e-advising services, which may assist her with the situation she is encountering.

Online education is a vital part of the digitized realm of higher education. Quality online education is normally encouraged. However, quality online student support services, such as academic advising, has lagged. Even though online enrollments tend to rise annually, student attrition rates in distance education have a tendency to be greater than that of traditional programs due to feelings of isolation.

The number of nontraditional students in distance education programs has increased in the past years. The majority of these students experience feelings of isolation and anxiety. As a result, they drop out from their program of study without being able to graduate. Studies indicate that student attrition rates in online higher education programs tend to be 3% to 5% higher compared to those in traditional programs (U.S. News and World Report, 2015). Student retention in online courses is an ongoing concern for higher education institutions. This apprehension remains as online enrollment continues to increase. As a result, the guidance of an academic advisor, especially the virtual advisor, plays a crucial role in extending a “lifeline” to the diverse needs of online students, by providing a supportive relationship (Ludwig-Hardman & Dunlap, 2003).

The use of effective technologies is critical to virtual advising, and employing these tools is paramount. When using virtual advising tools, current advisors “flip” the way on-campus advisement is delivered (Steele, 2016). Virtual academic advisors enhance their interactions with the distance learner by using online advising tools and resources, such as e-mails, web chats, video conferencing, blogs, podcasts/ vodcasts, virtual learning environments (e.g., Canvas), and social networking sites. Consequently, academic advisors, administrators, faculty, and staff in higher education institutions will be able to build a bridge that will encourage, support, and ensure that the distance learner remains engaged, succeeds, and graduates.

The challenge of virtual advising is to apply the vast array of online advising technologies, in order to improve the quality of academic advising for distance learners. Virtual advising is a way to supplement, rather than displace, face-to-face advising (Waldner, McDaniel, & Widener, 2011). As the online student population is growing, virtual advising services must also increase in order to provide students with a viable connection to the university. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how virtual advisors and the tools they employ can enhance and confirm the success of students registered in online programs at institutions of higher learning. This article presents critical reasons for implementing a virtual academic advising model to reduce attrition rates in online programs, as well as explores solutions to boost retention, success, and graduation rates. Furthermore, it provides the strategies necessary for a successful virtual advising program. Examining these issues is vital to contemporary learning environments.

Online course enrollment has seen an increase in the past years, but student perseverance and retention is lower in online programs than in traditional ones (Cochran, Campbell, Baker, & Leads, 2014). As a result, it is important to understand the characteristics of the students who choose online learning. Students who participate in distance education courses are adults working full-time jobs, raising a family, taking care of their parents, and having an active lifestyle. These nontraditional students make up a large percentage of the student population in colleges. Furthermore, they may be reluctant and afraid of returning to college, and are not engaged in face-to-face interactions with any advisor, faculty, or staff at the university. Additionally, they may encounter other challenges, such as lack of study habits, technology skills, goal setting abilities, work–life balance, and stress management. As evidenced, they have many responsibilities beyond their current graduate programs.

Distance learners usually feel a sense of disconnection and anxiety, which the academic advisor mitigates with support and a positive relationship. The traditional 18– 22-year-old student who attends face-to-face classes has the opportunity to just walk up to the advising office and meet with a counselor, but the online student lacks this physical accessibility. Pursuing online courses requires learners to be dedicated, motivated, proactive, prepared, and focused. In addition, they need the following characteristics to be successful in a distance education class: initiative, persistence, organization, engagement, and aspiration (Central Michigan University, n.d.). This is where the role of the virtual academic advisor comes into play and offers a lifeline that will assist in meeting these challenges, and thus improve student retention and success.

In order to address these issues experienced by the distance learners, the way we think of academic advising needs to evolve and adapt. Academic advising offers a path to promote student retention and persistence to graduation (Kulls, 2016). According to Schlosser, Knox, Moskovitz, and Hill (2003), graduate advising is key in student satisfaction, success, and retention. Furthermore, these authors defined the advisor as the individual who “has the greatest responsibility for helping guide the advisee through the graduate program” (p. 179). In a national survey of 27 universities, conducted by Zhao, Golde, and McCormick (2007), graduate students reported the greatest satisfaction when they received constant and productive feedback, and availability of the advisor when needed. As evidenced, advisees require and value accessible and timely support from their advisors. Due to the characteristics of the online learner (time constraints, family and professional obligations), virtual advisors need to avail themselves of the technology tools necessary to bring the on-demand “advising session” to the student. Therefore, implementing a virtual advising model will help provide solutions to boost retention, success, and graduation rates among distance learners.

Virtual advising or e-advising is a way to provide a minimum set of essential sensitive, flexible, and creative services, relating to academic advising, which supports online students in recognizing and achieving their determined educational goals (Polson, 2003; Varney, 2009). It is relevant that academic advisors strive to recognize and meet students’ needs proactively, making necessary adjustments to the established structures. Starks (2011) pointed out that by building and maintaining effective communication skills, the virtual advisor could overcome the challenge of creating relationships in the absence of direct contact.

Online students can seek assistance from their virtual advisor in a myriad of ways, with e-mail messages and phone calls being the most common methods. Distinct from traditional advising, where the advisor can see the students’ visual cues and cultivate a positive advising relationship, the virtual advisor is restricted to the strategic use of words and the proper tone of voice to create a trusting and proactive advising relationship (Ohrablo, 2016). Virtual advisors need to keep this in mind when using other technology tools.

Implementing effective technology tools into academic advising is vital for student success. Online tools hold the promise of delivering advising services in financially difficult times. Proper design is a key to unlocking this challenge. Higher education institutions have made efforts to update the way advisors communicate with students according to the current technology trends. Incorporating technology to achieve efficiency in virtual advising can provide better student services and improve student interaction (Multari, 2004).

Technology cannot replace the interaction between the virtual advisor and the advisee. It needs to go hand-in-hand as a tool to enhance engagement. Nevertheless, technology breaks down the existing barriers of time and place faced by online learners, as they may reside in different time zones, and due to other professional and personal obligations, do not have access to an advisor. Students feel isolated and disconnected without the personal connection that a virtual advisor provides. Advisors encourage students to develop intellectually, physically, and personally. Additionally, they help address the causes of poor retention, misunderstanding of the difficulty of online courses, poor study habits, tendency to procrastinate, and lack of connection to peers. Advisors must use technology as a bridge between the students’ virtual scene and the higher education institution.

We recommend that virtual advisors use the following tools to retain, engage, and promote success among graduate distance learners:

The main purpose of the mandatory online orientation is to provide an overview of topics critical to ensuring students’ success in their program of study. Topics may include:

• classmate introductions/networking;

• course schedule of assignments;

• course technology, support, and accessibility;

• grading policy;

• helpful web links;

• online discussions;

• student handbook;

• student resources (library, student disability services, financial aid, bursars office, registrar’s office, etc.);

• university policies; and

• writing resources (avoiding plagiarism, APA, grammar, etc.)

Higher education institutions can adopt an online degree audit system, which will allow students to review degree requirements. Online degree audit systems are an easy to use tool to help students track progress toward degree completion. This is an unofficial tool, unlike the official transcript. Therefore, constant communication between the academic advisor and the advisee is required to ensure the information on the degree audit is accurate and complete.

Electronic communication is one of the most common ways of advising traditional and distance education students. Virtual advisors should take the necessary time to respond to e-mails as if they were advising face to face. Furthermore, it is important to keep in mind that this type of communication creates a “paper trail.” Best practices encourage advisors to respond to e-mails in a timely fashion (24- to 48-business hours), and to anticipate students’ needs, options, and resolutions to concerns (Ohrablo, 2010). In order to understand the needs of the online student, advisors need to be proactive and send targeted e-mails as reminders of upcoming registration deadlines, workshops, and other relevant information. Advisor created templates may be useful in preparing these types of e-mails.

The use of videoconferencing tools, such as GoToMeeting, Skype, or Zoom, provide real-time support services to distance learners. Videoconferencing replicates an in-person advising session. Virtual advisors and students have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with each other and review documents more efficiently with the use of this tool (Ohrablo, 2016). Implementing videoconferencing sessions helps virtual learners feel connected and engaged with their program of study and university. Consequently, another benefit is the ability to record the session for future reference.

Early alert systems are tools used to improve student retention and boost academic success. This instrument helps identify at-risk students and assist with interventions (Hanover Research, 2014). These systems provide assistance and early feedback to students at the exact time of academic need. Moreover, an early alert system is a way of sharing responsibility among the faculty, advisor, and student. Early alert systems can direct students to suitable resources at the precise time of need. Higher education institutions that have these programs demonstrate to students that advisors and faculty care about their academic progress and general well-being (Arkansas State University, 2010).

Distance learners are using social network sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram to seek academic advising help and obtain information about academic matters. Social media is a way of connecting the student with the higher education institution. According to a study done by Amador and Amador (2014), participants considered the use of social media beneficial for seeking help and were open to interacting with advisors and other higher education personnel.

As previously mentioned, the use of effective technologies is critical to distance advising. Therefore, in order to provide distance learners with the 24/7 service they are accustomed to, advisors need to provide students with rich multimedia resources with on-demand access. A VLE hub will flip the advising model and fulfill this need. In order to mitigate the learning curve, the “hub” will use the same learning management system used by the institution (e.g., Canvas, Blackboard, etc.). This flipped model puts more of the responsibility for obtaining basic information on the students, which is similar to how they seek information in their daily lives.

The hub or VLE will offer a “one-stop shop” of relevant information, links, and myriad other academic and advising resources. This hub will provide high-quality advising services to online students, who have other conflicting responsibilities that interfere with regular office hours. The advising team develops, monitors, and updates the essential elements of the hub. As indicated, students should be familiar with the layout of the hub, as it resembles the format of their online courses. All students, upon admission, will acquire access to the VLE. This hub will remain available to the student until degree completion. Virtual learning environments provide on-demand access and personalized advising. This timely responsiveness and connection with an advisor promotes a successful college experience and caring attitude, making it a powerful retention tool.

The hub should include the following information:

• Links to advising forms and related university resources, such as:

  • * academic advisors;

  • * academic calendar;

  • * academic records;

  • * bookstore;

  • * bursar’s office;

  • * career services;

  • * commencement;

  • * course catalog;

  • * course schedule;

  • * course syllabi;

  • * dissertation services;

  • * financial aid;

  • * forms and documents;

  • * library;

  • * office of disability services;

  • * office of judicial affairs;

  • * registrar’s office;

  • * student organizations; and

  • * writing center;

• Synchronous office hours schedule;

• Asynchronous appointment requests, where advisees may request an individual appointment to connect with the advisor to discuss issues that are more complicated. Advisors will provide specific guidance through phone calls, instant chat, or videoconferencing;

• Archived podcasts regarding advising topics, such as time management, stress reductions, and work–life balance;

• Section on Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), where students get immediate answers to many common/frequently asked questions;

• Tutorials (archived presentations) or YouTube video links/uploads;

• Blogs;

• Online groups or café by concentration or areas of interest; and

• E-portfolios.

A virtual learning environment addresses the four components of a quality-advising model: centralized communication, problem solving, relationship management, and administrative processing (Simpson, 2018). The hub not only benefits the virtual student, but also the traditional student. Although there may be a minimal cost to set up the hub (VLE shell), ultimately, it is more efficient. If additional funds are available, the hub should host an artificial intelligence chat-bot to assist with general questions and provide a warm touch to the distance learner.

As the presence of distance learners continues to increase in higher education institutions, it is imperative that virtual advisors wisely use various technology tools to engage, support, and retain students. Online academic advisors need to provide “concierge service” on one hand, and a virtual learning environment, on the other, for the countless university processes and bureaucracy. These services are not only expected by the student, who experiences the current online retail market, but also it provides the immediate response that helps maintain a transparent relationship, and assists with engaging the student. By using these tools, e-advisors are able to assist students with academic planning, decision making, and problem solving without neglecting other key elements of advising.

We recommend virtual advisors use proactive advising communication techniques, such as targeted e-mails, supportive phone calls, virtual office hours, instant chat, social network sites, early alert systems, new student online orientations, videoconferencing, and a virtual learning environment. The e-advisor uses these measures to frequently monitor student progress and provide problem-solving solutions. By using positive active listening, the advisor demonstrates constructive advising techniques to open the lines of communication to support student success and the attainment of goals. These strategies lead to increased student satisfaction and decreased attrition. Ultimately, the aforementioned tools will help build a virtual community that engages and retains the online graduate student.