User retention is a major goal for higher education institutions running their teaching and learning programmes online. This is the first investigation into how the senses of presence and flow, together with perceptions about two central elements of the virtual education environment (didactic resource quality and instructor attitude), facilitate the user’s intention to continue e-learning. The authors (Inma Rodriguez-Ardura and Antoni Meseguer-Artola) use data collected from a large sample survey of current users in a pure e-learning environment along with objective data about their performance. The presentation offers practical suggestions for institutions and instructors who aim to provide effective e-learning experiences.