Factors Influencing Students' Enrollment and Completion of Online General Education Courses: A Pilot Study

• In Event: Fostering Persistence and Self-Regulatory Processes in Online Courses

Abstract

With online education is changing the landscape of higher education provision, a pilot study was conducted to 1) examine possible attributes that differentiate students’ selection of online and face-to-face general education (GE) courses, when both forms offer same credits at the same tuition fee, and 2) identify influencing factors which contribute to students’ completion of online GE courses. It involved a total of 419 undergraduate students in a university in China. Discriminant analyses indicated that study year, age, relative autonomy, and time management best accounted for the differences in undergraduates’ course format preference. Logistic regression suggested that gender, study year, study field, and identified regulation were significantly associated with the likelihood of completing an online GE course.

Authors

• Xiaohua Zhou, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

• Morris Siu-Yung Jong, Chinese University of Hong Kong

• Ching Sing Chai, Chinese University of Hong Kong

• Yun Dai, Chinese University of Hong Kong

• Thomas K.F. Chiu, The Chinese University of Hong Kong