People are less likely to abandon a course or feel overwhelmed when they feel that they have a community. They have that support of either assistance or assurance that they can rely on.

Intervention, praise or correction or assistance, must be given within a close timeframe to an incident. Otherwise, it might not be helpful.

People often write of Stress like it's a bad thing. It just means a situation that forces a person to adapt and change. Sometimes that stress is good, sometimes bad. I think that Stress can be useful because it gives the student something to overcome and improve. Granted, stress like a broken vehicle, no childcare, or similar are not something that we can assist with and would be more negative in their lives. We just have to know that sometimes we can do something to help, sometimes we can't. 

There are a multitude of reasons for student retention issues. It might be something that we cannot control or plan for. There are times when a student just needs time off, but that can be dangerous because an abandoned task is easy to ignore the longer you are away from it.

I am certain that it would help some students, it seems like it would only benefit those who already have a drive to learn. For students who have little or no self-improvement drive, I am not sure that this would provide much of an increase. They might appreciate the time spent on practical projects, but the issue is that they might not perform the external work.

I am already familiar with gamification, and I have used may different aspects of it. Badges, Boss Battles, and Rankings can be useful tools.

Motivation has to come from both the student and the instructor. We have to show them the passion that we have for a topic and the ways that it will be useful to them. They have to come with a desire to learn and expand their understanding. Without this interaction, the learning will be more difficult. 

Each student needs a different level and type of environment. Some perform better with more supervision. Others like to be left alone to succeed or fail, with feedback to follow after. Be flexible in dealing with each type of student.

I have found that if you simply try a rigid instruction method, students will tune out. However, if you can turn the instruction into smaller goals where they understand why they are important, they are more receptive. Also, add some humor and interactivity to the lesson. It can diffuse nervousness and increate their ownership of a lesson because they are actively performing it. Yes, I know this is difficult in some courses, but it can still be done.

People are able to tell when you're being fake. We all have good days, bad days, and just average days. We all can't be joyful every time and people understand that. However, you should do all you can to be cordial, listen to issues, and then provide any assistance that you're able to provide.