What are the Reasons Students Dropout of Online Courses?
Participation in online education continues to grow globally.
However, online student retention and factors for student persistence
can be alarming. Studies in the new millennium have confirmed that
students often fail to complete online courses and as many as 50-70%
drop out of their online courses. Reasons for student dropout include
feelings of isolation, frustration, and disconnection; technology
disruption; lack of contact with instructors; lack of student and
technology support; lack
of instructor participation during class discussion; lack of clarity in
instructional direction or expectation; and lack of social
interaction.
Why is it Important to Understand Student Persistence in Online Courses?
Understanding
student persistence can help us identify external and internal factors
involved in retaining students and reducing online learner dropout
rates. Students face many barriers when taking online courses, including
lack of preparation and skills plus external factors such as financial
or child care needs. Also, internal factors, such as self-esteem,
feeling of belonging to the course, social interaction, or access to
support services, can be instrumental to retaining online students.
There are a number of ways that instructors can find out who their
students are and what factors could impact their learning and ability to
complete an online course so that instructors can utilize strategies
and provide the resources and support they need to be successful.
Focus of the Workshop
This workshop focuses on strategies for motivating and retaining students in online courses.
In this workshop, participants will:
- Explore design strategies for retaining students in an online course.
- Discover student strategies for staying motivated and engaged during an online course.
- Identify support strategies for helping online students persist by managing their time and tasks.
- Adopt strategies to promote student success by helping them manage their workload.
