PEDAGOGICAL LEADERSHIP FOR ONLINE TEACHING: INSIGHTS TO HOW THE PEDAGOGICAL VARIATION MODEL MAY REDUCE ATTRITION RATES AND THEREBY INCREASE RETENTION RATES IN ONLINE LEARNING

This paper explores how Rogers' (2013) Pedagogical Variation Model (PVM) gives an in-depth insight to e-moderator pedagogical leadership that is seen to be paramount to successful e-learning, be it in constructivist or instructivist learning environments. At the time, when the preliminary research was carried out by Rogers (2004, 2011) there was great concern about the increase in attrition rates together with the fall in retention rates in online learning programs, that also came to light by researchers Packham, Jones, Miller, and Thomas. (2004, p. 336). These researchers emphatically urged for ".the need to improve current levels of retention before e-learning can be considered viable by most HE Institutions." These researchers incidentally were also at the same HEI as the author of the current Research Paper. Diaz (2002) observes that the attrition rate from online universities is often cited as 20% to 50%, while other studies reveal that attrition from online programs can be as high as 70% to 80% (Flood, 2002; Dagger, Wade & Conlan, 2004). One of the causes given is that students' non-participation in the learning process plays an important role in high dropout rates in online learning (Dagger and Wade, 2004). Furthermore, researchers Berge and Haung (2004, p.3) state that " . . . The lack of retention, or dropout, has historically challenged educational systems and seems to be especially acute in distance learning". Rogers' PVM (2013) provides guidance in reducing attrition rates whereby differing student learning capabilities i.e. collaborative abilities together with knowledge construction can be matched to preferences in eTeacher pedagogical strategies in terms of transactional and transformational leadership. These insights are supported by Tyler- Smith (2006) who claims that "Cognitive overload is a likely contributor to high dropout rates, particularly where those withdrawing do so within the first few weeks of the start of a course". Interestingly, the eLearning framework by Garrison (2011, p. 70), notes that "the teacher's scholarly leadership, a legitimate and important authoritative, essential teaching responsibility has been either ignored or downgraded, in online learning environments." A collaborative project with the University of Kuwait (Rogers and Aldhafeeri, 2014) provides an evaluation of the PVM by a research sample of eLearners. Rogers' (2013) PVM recognises various learning and teaching strategies for both eLearners and eTeachers in creating online learning environments whether constructivist or instructivist, that are conducive in unleashing innovative ideas for problem-solving in the 21st Century.