ENG2601 Supplementary exam Answers
Applied English Language Studies: Further Explorations
100 Marks
Duration 72 Hours (3 days)
Essay Topic: Overcoming Challenges in Online Learning: Retention Factors
and Prime Persistence Practices.
All the best!!!
, In her article, Overcoming Challenges in Online Learning: Retention Factors and
Prime Persistence Practices, Amy Winger highlights the growing popularity of online
learning while addressing the struggles that many learners face in staying engaged
and completing their courses. Drawing on a combination of research, practical tools,
and evidence-based strategies, Winger emphasises the role that educators,
programs, and even students themselves can play in improving retention. Through
her use of clear structure, accessible language, and a supportive tone, Winger
effectively informs and persuades her readers about ways to overcome the
challenges of online education. This essay will analyse the textual cohesion, genre,
register, tone, and audience of Winger’s article to demonstrate how she achieves her
purpose.
One of the strengths of Winger’s article is its textual cohesion—how well ideas are
tied together to create a smooth and logical argument. Winger uses transitional
phrases like “in fact,” “likewise,” and “importantly” to guide readers from one point to
the next. For instance, after discussing the pressures adult learners face in balancing
work, family, and education, she writes, “Likewise, the need to support students in
this balancing act is every bit as real.” This transition connects the challenge of
balancing multiple roles to the broader theme of needing better support systems for
students.
In addition to transitional phrases, Winger uses repetition to reinforce her main ideas.
The word “persistence” appears repeatedly throughout the article, in phrases such
as “online persistence” and “persistence problems.” This repetition ensures readers
remain focused on the core issue: why some students struggle to persist in online
learning. Similarly, phrases like “time-management” and “motivation problems” are
repeated across sections to highlight the key challenges learners face and to frame
the solutions she proposes. This consistent emphasis on core themes makes the
article coherent and engaging.
Winger’s article can be classified as an academic and practical analysis. While it is
based on research and references several scholarly sources, it also provides
actionable advice for educators and students. For instance, Winger includes
statistics like, “18,580,026 adult learners participated in distance education” to show
the scope of online learning and its significance in modern education. She also cites