A great deal of research supports the notion that student engagement is correlated with student success. But it's not always easy to gauge an online learner's level of engagement because some students may be engaged in the course without posting much to the discussion board. A recent study by Angelique Hamane and Farzin Madjidi, both of Pepperdine University, indicates that the frequency of students' visits to the discussion board—not necessarily of their posting to it—is correlated with student success.