Preventing Online Dropouts: Does Anything Work?

At St. John’s University, New York, I have found that students taking both online and face-to-face courses sometimes feel that falling behind on online course work will not be noticed as much as being unprepared for face-to-face sections. I harvest all their home, mobile, work, Skype etc. contact information and phone them to inquire. This does get their attention and gets them on track again, I find. Students greatly appreciate a caring instructor and thank me for the effort to help them.

I pose this question not rhetorically but in all seriousness: Why are dropouts a concern at all? I mean overall, at root, in the big picture, in the final analysis.The quote from Ms. Campbell in the article above says it all: “If someone was going to drop out of the class, they were going to drop out of the class.” And anyway, aren’t college students grown-ups whose right to make their own choices ought to be honored? Yes, certainly, of course, colleges can and should do all kinds of things to make sure the road in remains open and well-paved and well-advertised, and that various types of support are available to students once they’re enrolled. But after and aside from that, if a student wants or needs to drop, well, then, okay and God bless.Might the higher drop rate for online classes simply be part of the very nature of online classes? I mean, the primary benefit that’s touted for these classes is their ease of access. Doesn’t that necessarily mean that ease of egress will be built in too, as an inescapable symmetry?What’s the root motivation for focusing on retention strategies at all? The best one I can think of is that the student dropout rate might provide a nicely organic spur to institutional self-awareness, a handy gauge to help the institution reflect on where and how it needs to improve, as in the case of an impenetrable and off-putting bureaucracy, or faulty policies, or whatever. But again, if these are successfully addressed and a student still wants to leave, well, then, what’s the problem? I ask the question because I have the distinct feeling that student retention has become or is in danger of becoming its own end, its own ultimate, self-perpetuating rationale.

As an online instructor, I have see that the students drop out of the courses because they think the format of the classes will be totally customized to their needs.So they won’t have to many assignments or exams. They want to dedicate just the least amount of time as possible to the classes.But when they realize that taking an online class needs almost as much time as the face to face classes, they quit.

I believe students dropping out of any course, on-ground or online should be a concern to everyone. If the online program has a higher drop out rate, then there’s something wrong with that online program. Not online education in general. There is no magic bullet to reducing DFWs (drops, failures, withdrawals) in online. Reducing DFWs is a matter of quality program design, quality course design, and adequate preparation in online instruction. Just addressing one area is unlikely to show significant impact. Asynchronous online instruction requires a different pedagogy, and since the research is clear that teachers teach the way they’ve been taught, online instructors should have experienced online instruction as a student as part of their preparation to be an online instructor..

I would be curious if there is an academic maturity variable to this- do freshman more likely drop out than upperclassmen??

A lot of unanswered questions here:–How do dropout rates vary across institutions and disciplines?–What is the profile for online learners for any particular institution?–What kind of marketing of online education are the institutions doing? What promises do they seem to be making?–How broad is the reach of the online course? Out of state, out of country, out of time zone students may have more difficulty in keeping up.Of the 3 A’s driving higher ed policy these days–access, affordability, accountability–the last is starting to catch up with its inevitable clash with the first. Why pay attention to retention rates? Because students, parents, and taxpayers want to know what results their money will show–not just for individual students but for the institutions that they underwrite through tuition and taxes. We ignore retention and completion rates at our own peril!

Consumerism over pedagogy. Internet courses are touted for their convenience. Students who enroll want convenience with minimal interference with their routine. And often they have gotten what they want. But if you expect the same number of minutes per week as a regular class for online lectures and discussion, plus require reading, plus studying, plus projects, they think it is too much work. Dropouts are a simple side effect of having standards in courses where a significant portion of students are seeking a path of least interference. At the same time, students who stay rate these courses very highly. I think it is because there are things I can do better on the web than in a class. I am an old timer who is more concerned with pedagogy than consumerism, so I let administrators worry about retention.

Having spent the last 15 years learning, developing, directing, and teaching in online education at the entry and upper levels, I agree with all of you! :-) There isn’t a magic variable that changes retention in online courses. All of the points made are relevant: – Institutional respect/support for online education- Course pedagogy- Instructor attitude, willingness, preparedness to teach online- Student attitude, willingness, preparedness to learn online- Student support: faculty, peers, institution- Student choice! – Economics…etc.As an instructor, I have called online students to offer them encouragement and additional help, and some flourish and get back on track and others do not. Sometimes my call helps, sometimes it does not matter and they drop anyway. I’d prefer that we spend time designing and focusing on “best practices” in online education, AND assign a willing and prepared online instructor to the course! One of the biggest problems I have seen since entering this field is the way online instructors get assigned to courses. The college makes a decision to “go online” with a particular subject and then assigns a traditional faculty member to the course. This is never a good idea. We first need to look for someone experienced in the subject matter, yes, but more importantly we need to look for someone that has an ATTITUDE that students can learn online. I firmly believe we fail online students when we assign instructors/faculty based on tenure in the subject matter alone. Just because they are effective in the traditional f2f classroom does not mean they will transition well to online instruction. But again, the bottom line for me is MANY variables play into the topic of student retention–just like in all modalities. busybee

Thanks so much for the post and comments that reaffirm what I have seen as both an online prof and a parent of an online student — but the latter came first, and watching my college-age children encounter and succeed in online courses is what persuaded me to tackle online teaching, too. Fortunately, per dschummer’s comment, my campus still is at the stage of seeking only volunteers to do so and is providing good faculty training programs (from f2f brief workshops to extended f2f-and-online programs over weeks and months) and support. That’s re instructor characteristics. As for student characteristics, Dr. Campbell, I have thought from the first, from experience both parental and professional experience, that online learning seems good for some students — and in some subjects, some courses (a factor you do not list) — but not for all. So I appreciate your research that may help all of us best target and teach some of them, those best suited to this form of learning, best motivated to adapt and excel, etc.

Of all the things I read that were tried in order to improve retention, the one thing I noted that was not included was to make the class better, more engaging, more relevant. This may not have been obvious — it wasn’t for me for many years of fully online teaching.As instructors, I think we ignore the possibility that our courses might not be great. I started teaching fully online in 1994 using email, then switched to CMS systems in 1997. However, it was not until around 2005 that, after having taught about 3000 students (after attrition) fully online, it occurred to me that the courses themselves, might be the problem. I started rewriting them wholesale at that time, but I think it was not until about the third major revision that the numbers started actually sticking. In retrospect, the reason I suspect that my early efforts hadn’t worked was that I was focusing on making the courses easier, whether that meant more providing more TA/instructor support or modifying material to include more remedial content or more gradual gradients. One year, out of desperation, or probably just boredom, I tried something different: making the course HARDER. By harder, I really mean, more interesting. I forced myself to ignore the reality that to do so meant adding more challenging and technical material that was not in the course outline. If nothing else, I would enjoy the teaching of it.That quarter (in 2007-2008) I got amazing engagement in my forums and some increased retention. It was not a radical improvement, but the graph pointed up for the first time in many years. I started adding more non-required applications with advanced math in the courses and this, again, helped. The students apparently were more driven by the challenge. Even those that didn’t choose to do the extra credit/optional advanced material apparently read it, and this may have influenced them. I can’t be sure since I have not done a thorough study. Bottom line, the course material, not the delivery technique, helped my retention. And it was not a matter of making the courses easier or more support-intensive that did the trick, but rather just making it more interesting. Interesting translated to difficult/challenging/technical, but somehow that didn’t seem to matter to the students.

There are things you can do to increase retention (rather say it that way as its more positive than saying; ‘reducing drop outs’). Provide a collaborative platform by which all can communicate in a secure, private and trusted manner; while, implementing Mr. Schroeder’s suggestions.http://crmfyi.com/2010/05/17/the-higher-ed-cloud-studentforce-chatter-brilliant/

The obsession with retention coincided with the inauguration of USNWR college rankings. It’s a readily available quantitative measure on which colleges can be easily ranked. Once everybody started collecting these data and comparing institutions, the institutions started trying to up their numbers. Just another version of what gets measured is what matters.

At some point in time institutions of higher learning MUST re-examine how it teaches individual students and HOW differentiated instructions are in the classroom/lectures (I hate that word). Often, the whole lecturing type environment might of a dis-service to students of today. A new way of academic thinking MUST be able to bridge the theoretical world and the practical world. In other words, rather than showing me the picture of a frog in a book, take me to the environment where the frog lives and let me see how it interacts with nature.As an educator for over ten years, I always cringe when I see professors spend about two to three hours lecturing to students and then they wonder why students drop out? Because they are bored out of their minds? Who wants to listen to some sage discuss The Classics for three hours? You are better off going outside and observing the grass grow.We as educators need to look at HOW we are teaching and what methodologies we are using to engage students. The students of today are witty, and way ahead of us. Their level of acuity is beyond articulation; however, it is up to us to determine how best to reach them. Based on my read, it appears that the study used the student as the focus of the “problem.” Why not see HOW the instructors were teaching and whether they even KNOW how to deliver subject matter in that mode?Of course many octogenarian instructors are so attracted to the “sage on stage” effect that my statements would come across as vitriol, as opposed to a word of caution. A time has come for us to really ask ourselves as educators and determine whether our strategies for instructing students are archaic and essentially offensive to the mind? May of my past students come and tell me about some of their professors and how the in essence use notes from eons ago, and I simply just shake my head in disbelief because they are basically taking the easy way out? We all know that it is always easy to “recycle” your lectures as opposed to digging deep and determining exciting lectures that would be meaningful and relevant to your incoming students.Of course the administrative emperors would be so opposed to this because they believe that the status quo can never be disturbed. You will hear silly remarks such as: “This is how, we’d always done it; When I was an adjunct, I did it this way..” yadda yadda, yadda…To that I say to them, get with the times and stop sailing away on your egos. Part of the problem in education at all levels is we are focusing on a system that no longer takes into conisderation the needs of the student (we call this student centered teaching in educational circles).Colleges are so direct centered teaching (instructor led) that the ability to be critical thinkers is non-existent. How can you be a thinker and learn WITH the instructor when you are always being lectured to and made to actually behave like an automaton? Why is a professor’s tenure solely based on publishing and very RARELY teaching strategies? Yes, I am all for making student engagement in lectures part of granting tenures to professors. Is it draconian and would the advocacy groups fight it tooth and nail? Of course, but at least there would be a cadre of people who at least have the temerity to say that enough is enough..Thus to my chronicle colleagues, the issue is NEVER the students who are dropping out, but WHAT the institution is doing to engage its students whether face to face or online. After all, I have been in education long enough to know that many educators espouse all of these teachings when many of them cannot CLEARLY articulate what the objective of education should be? If you don’t believe me, put it to a test, ask any educator you know WHAT the objective of education should be, and LISTEN to his/her answer. Once finshed follow up with this question: HOW does your teaching reflect that? Then observe the stuttering responses that equates the lines from “Ralph Kramden” of “The Honeymooners.”Thus, the challenges are great and the expectations very awesome, but never should we be so quick to point the fingers at these students without holding their professors and so called academicians accountable as well. Once we do that, we would have fulfilled one of the objectives of education (which is to educate students so that they could be mature enough to question the same academic institution that nurtured them).EN VINO VERITAS

I have been teaching online regularly in graduate and professional programs since I was a doctoral student–since the late ’90s. As a full-time faculty member at a Research I, I still teach f2f also and in the same programs. I’m in complete agreement with optimysticynic, who writes that “students opt for online because ‘something’ interferes with f2f.” In my experience with graduate and/or older students, two factors account for this. 1: Life circumstances–family, job, chronic illness, etc. 2: Expectations that an online class is easier than a f2f class and that therefore #1 does not matter. Even students without significant life challenges have difficulty getting over expectation #2. When they discover that a good online course is, in fact, more work in that it requires a great deal more self-organization on the part of the student, the students who are truly motivated to stay do stay and have a great time (based on the feedback they receive).

It would appear one motivating factor for the high drop out rate is quite simply—human isolation. No face-to-face social interaction makes for a lonely on-line enterprise. The online experience before the warm glow and hum of a computer screen will never equal the spark and engagement of a traditional class. . .

Hello,I am an online student currently. My opinion is that many students taking online classes are also working more than 20 hours per week. Studies have shown (see: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/06/08/work) that full-time students who work more than 20 hours and go to full time school have a much higher drop-out rate than students who do not work or who work less than 20 hours per week. I can relate to this statistic becuase I experienced it. When I was working 40 hours per week and going to school, I personally couldn’t handle it and sadly ended up dropping out. That was in 2005. I was not taking online classes. That part didn’t matter. What mattered was that I was exhusted, overwhelmed and in over my head at the time. How does one focus on school when work is demanding all attention? Presently, I am an online student at Oregon State University. I am doing wonderfully. The past two terms, I have recived all A’s. Last term, I took 18 credits and recieved a 4.00. I LOVE school and am confident that I will finally be able to complete my degree in about a year. The difference to me is not whether I am taking classes online or at the campus. The difference is that I am not working. I am able to completely focus on school and it’s paying off.Therefore, my question is this: How many online students are also working more than part-time, compared with traditional students who attend class at a physical campus? Thanks,Kristin :)

Texas State Technical College offers one of their programs in three formats: face-to-face, online using a CMS, and online using SecondLife. Their retention was highest in the SecondLife sections.

The two sides of “student drop-out versus retention rates” are “student success” and “institutional success”. When more students succeed, the institution is more successful. Perhaps there is no “the student” to evaluate … instead students are individuals who face various challenges regarding completing the class. For some, extrinsic factors, like family emergencies or job issues may be the factor, whereas for others their readiness, expectations, or the interest-value of the course may be factors, and of course a given student may have multiple factors. It seems like the online schools need to have a series of strategies to help students deal with the various possible challenges, acknowledging that there are going to be some students who will slide thru the cracks no matter what you do. Perhaps if the school gets to know their student population’s challenge profile, does analysis of how much the school has to gain by retaining more students, and studies the efficacy of possible solutions, the value of implementing various solutions may become obvious. Bernard SchusterArrive2.net

I did a survey/study for MOL (MarylandOnline)with respondents from 43 colleges in Maryland and California. We had 3300 respondents who had withdrawn from an online course. Among other questions, we asked from a list of 19 possible reasons “What was the single most important reason” for withdrawal? 49% clustered around four reasons (1) Personal and Family circumstances; (2) I could not handle employment and study; (3) I signed up for too many courses; (4) I got behind. The study correlates reasons for withdrawal with the reasons for why the student took the course online in the first place. The is a significant overlap between the two. Jurgen Hilke (jhilke@frederick.edu)

Dropout/failure rates for traditional, online, and web hybrid courses are nearly equal at my institution. I have found, however, the more online contact I have with my students, the more students stay in and succeed in the classes. The online and hybrid courses have chat rooms, email, discussion areas, and blogs that allow students to communicate. Research by Tinto in the 20th Century and by Mitchell more recently suggests students who become part of an academic community are more likely to stay in college.

Marc,I noticed a key phrase in the article, “look not at the structure of the class, but at the students themselves…retention puzzle might boil down to pinpointing particular traits that are tied to success in online classes, such as time-management skills and motivation”…I couldn’t agree more! I wanted to make you aware of an assessment that actually measures these traits as well as other key areas in eLearning available called SmarterMeasure (formerly known as READI). It measures whether a student will be a good fit for online learning or technology rich courses in 6 areas including 1)Individual Attributes 2)Learning Styles 3)Life Factors 4)Technology Skills 5)On-Screen Reading Rate & Recall and 6)Typing Speed & Accuracy. It seems many of these items are covered within the comments. Sounds like these folks need to learn more about SmarterMeasure and how it can assist their students. It also includes rich textual and graphical feedback for the student to improve along with remedial resources for support. You may also find it interesting to know that over 600,000 students from over 300 schools have taken it. I’d be happy to share with you the 2010 Student Readiness Report that is soon to be released. It is full of rich data about the students who took SmarterMeasure in the last year. Good stuff!