Abstract
Online learning has continued to grow in recent years. However, retaining students in online courses and programs has posed a challenge. Whether the university is public, private, offers both face-to-face and online programs, or is 100% online, retaining students in online programs can be an issue. This study reflects the widespread desire at a large online for-profit university to improve student retention rates. The goal of the research was to provide further insight into why students may decide to drop out of online programs. Participants consisted of former undergraduate students at the university in the College of Education who dropped out without providing a specific reason for doing so. The study used a non-experimental mixed methods approach collecting data from university databases, an online survey, interviews, and classroom walk-throughs. Data analysis employed techniques such as frequency calculations, a MANOVA, and qualitative content analysis. Results from the MANOVA revealed statistically significant results when examining student GPA and last course grade. Furthermore, data collected from the online survey, interviews, and classroom walk-throughs revealed common reasons for why students may drop out of online programs.
Highlights
Over the years, online learning has become a widely accepted and sought out modality by students
This study focuses on an online university within the for-profit sector
The undergraduate student population in the College of Education (COE) at the university in question consists of 70% female and 30% male students
Summary
Online learning has become a widely accepted and sought out modality by students. We have seen an increase in the number of online universities available as well as more online options for students at traditional universities. Despite the popularity and growing demand for online programs, retaining students in such programs has been problematic. Online universities are scrutinized for having lower retention rates as compared to their more traditional counterparts. This study focuses on an online university within the for-profit sector. The average retention rate for for-profit undergraduate programs is 46.2% (National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, 2014). Online programs in traditional public and private universities have retention rates of 68.2% (public) and 72.9% (private) (National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, 2014)
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