The Covid 19 pandemic prompted a rapid expansion of online emergency education, which in turn created new opportunities in higher education. This practitioner paper shares the experiences of the Online Engagement Advisor for the fully online Higher Diploma in Computer Science programme in SETU Waterford for the period stretching from Jan 2020 to today. Online learners often face unique challenges, such as isolation and time management, however, this paper also addresses other aspects, such as supporting the learner mindset and perspective.

In addition to these challenges, the paper delves into the strategies employed to foster a sense of community among online learners, highlighting the importance of peer interaction and collaborative learning environments. The role of suitable technology is obviously crucial in this environment to facilitate these interactions and encourage active participation.

Importantly, this paper explores whether coaching in areas such as time management can increase learner outcomes. This paper also focuses on the Digital Toolbox used to support online student engagement as well as, how having a dedicated role such as the Online Engagement Advisor has helped improved retention in a fully online programme. Finally, it outlines current steps being taken to expand these supports to reach more learners.

Keywords: Coaching, Online, Building community, Engagement, Development, Support, Digital toolbox, Retention.