Attrition in Online Versus Face-to-Face Courses: Why Are They Leaving?

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 77
  In Roundtable Session: Continuous Improvement of Students’ Online Learning Experiences

Abstract

High online attrition is both a concern and a mystery; little data exists on why students so often do not complete online courses. Using a sample of 780 students who dropped fully online courses (or the same course face-to-face) from a large university system in the Northeast, students were asked about their specific reasons for dropping. Results indicate distinct differences in the patterns of reasons given by online and face-to-face students. While the quality of instruction/instructor was the most common reason cited by students in both mediums, face-to-face students cited this much more often than online students. In contrast, online students were much more likely to cite issues of time and workload as a reason for course dropout.

Authors

• Alyse C. Hachey, Teachers College, Columbia University

• Claire Wladis, Borough of Manhattan Community College - CUNY

• Katherine Mary Conway, Borough of Manhattan Community College - CUNY