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Challenges
of Distance Education
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Student services challenge (continued)
This site also includes resources on student services and guidelines for creating student services online. It is critical to provide these web-based student support systems to distance students who are unable to visit the traditional brick and mortar student services on campus.
Retention
challenge
Anecdotal evidence and research indicate that online courses have higher
dropout rates compared to traditional, campus-based courses. Several administrators
concur that completion rates for distance education courses are generally
10 to 20 percent lower than in traditional face-to-face courses.
There are many theories about why drop out rates are higher for distance education courses. Some distance educators attribute higher attrition rates in online courses to demographics, distance education students are often non-traditional students who have family and work obligations that detract from their courses.
Experts speculate that first-time distance education students drop out due to the unexpected rigor of an online course. Other common reasons cited for higher drop out rates in online courses are technology problems, lack of support, poor instructional design, lack of interaction, lack of personal ties to others students and the instructor, poor use of media, and inexperienced instructors.
Gibson reported
three categories of factors that may explain and predict attrition in
distance courses:
- Student factors: educational preparation, motivational and persistence attributes, student academic self-concept;
- Situational
factors: family and employer support, changes in life circumstances;
and
- Educational system factors: quality and difficulty of instructional materials, provision of tutorial support
© Copyright 2003 by Kathy
Keairns