Social and Cognitive Presence as Factors in Learning and Student Retention: An Investigation of the Cohort Model

Social and Cognitive Presence as Factors in Learning and Student Retention: An Investigation of the Cohort Model

Your Name and Title:

Susan W. Alman, San Jose State University

Co-Presenter Name(s):

Christinger Tomer, University of Pittsburgh

Barbara Frey, University of Pittsburgh

Area of the World from Which You Will Present:

USA

Language in Which You Will Present:

English

Target Audience(s):

Graduate School Faculty and Students

Short Session Description (one line):

Graduate students who were part of a formal learning cohort had greater perceived satisfaction with learning and peer interactions than those students who were not part of a cohort.

Full Session Description (as long as you would like):

Student learning is a key consideration for faculty as prospective students have an increasing number of educational options in both on-campus and online academic programs.   Numerous studies have focused on student satisfaction in an effort to understand how to tailor programs for maximum learning and retention.   The purpose of this investigation was to enhance an understanding of cohort-based education.   A modified version of the Community of Inquiry survey was used to gather data from two groups of students; one group was organized into a formal learning cohort and one group was not part of a cohort. The research focused specifically on the extent to which cohort-based learning influences the attitudes and perceived satisfaction of students as compared to students who were not part of a cohort. The findings of this research study point to the positive effects that a formally organized cohort of students have on learning attitudes and perceived satisfaction.