From Pilot to Practice

This longitudinal study investigates the institutional scaling of the Centralized Synchronous Learning (CSL) Model from initial pilot courses to a required component of the general education curriculum within a fully online university. Drawing on multi-year data encompassing more than 105,000 representative data points across thirteen courses, the study examines how systematically integrating live faculty-led sessions within asynchronous courses affects student achievement, retention, and equity outcomes. Results demonstrate that students who participated in live sessions achieved substantially higher pass rates (95.6%) and next-course persistence (86%) compared to non-participants (77.8% pass, 71% persistence). The model yielded particularly significant gains for academically at-risk populations, including students with entering GPAs below 3.0 or limited transfer credit, who exhibited 20 to 25 percentage-point increases in course success. Beyond quantitative outcomes, the CSL model enhanced instructor presence, student engagement, and equitable access through both synchronous participation and recorded alternatives. Institutional strategies supporting implementation included centralized coordination, faculty development, and sustainable resource allocation. Collectively, the findings identify the CSL model as a scalable, high-impact practice that strengthens educational equity, belonging, and student success in fully online higher education.