When developing online classrooms it is necessary to ensure that all learners will be successful in the course. This paper outlines the dilemmas faced by one university in its struggle to improve retention rates in their distance education courses.

The case study will also serve as a justification for instructor certification for online courses at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. While these courses span multiple facets of higher education such as technology, criminology, mathematics, business, and general studies, the core competencies to develop a structurally sound online learning environment remain unchanged.

The need to have faculty who are trained both in the pedagogy of an online learning environment and the tools to deliver content will improve student success. The intent of this paper is to identify the need for such a certification by looking at recent trends in both online and face to face education at both the graduate and undergraduate levels.

Data gathered for online courses compared to the same course that is offered in a face to face setting. Incorporating strategies of instruction in an online course to mirror those of a traditional course are essential to maintain consistency and satisfy all students. More