How Does Distance Education Course-Taking Impact Time to Degree Completion? Evidence From a National Sample

• In Event: 16.061 - Roundtable Session 4
  In Roundtable Session: 16.061-14 - Promising Practices That Address Diverse Learning Styles

Abstract

While studies have consistently demonstrated that community college students are less likely to complete and succeed in distance education courses, other studies have reported increased odds of degree completion. This discrepancy in the literature has led to the “online paradox,” where proximal academic outcomes associated with DE coursetaking are negative, but the distal academic outcomes are positive. Importantly, no previous research has examined the relationship between DE enrollment and the time community college students take to complete their degrees or transfer. This gap in is problematic because understanding the relationship between DE and time-to-completion may shed light on the online paradox. Hence, the current study seeks to explore the relationship between DE enrollment and time-to-completion among community college students.

Author

• Cameron Sublett, University of California - Santa Barbara