ERIC Number: EJ880786
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010-May
Pages: 21
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0158-7919
EISSN: N/A
Student Perceptions of Support Services and the Influence of Targeted Interventions on Retention in Distance Education
Nichols, Mark
Distance Education, v31 n1 p93-113 May 2010
To improve student retention in distance education, Simpson suggested in 2003 that institutions analyse their own retention characteristics and "spot the leaks." In 2008 the Centre for Distance Learning at Laidlaw College, New Zealand, employed two part-time academic support coordinators in an effort to improve student retention and success. This study compares the retention statistics for first-time student outcomes across two semesters, one without and one with specific course retention interventions. Results are benchmarked across national data. Interviews with students who were retained revealed that students frequently attribute their success to their own efforts. Student support services in distance education might therefore be perceived by its beneficiaries as a "hygiene" factor (Herzberg, 1968, 2008) in that their presence is not generally appreciated by students. However, their absence is noticed. The similarity of this finding with Shin's institutional transactional presence (2002, 2003) is also explored. (Contains 2 tables, 1 figure, and 4 notes.)
Descriptors: School Holding Power, Academic Persistence, Intervention, Academic Support Services, Student Personnel Workers, Student Personnel Services, Benchmarking, Foreign Countries, Distance Education, Electronic Learning, Blended Learning, Online Courses, Computer Mediated Communication, College Students, Student Attitudes, Student Surveys, Comparative Analysis, Interviews, Program Descriptions, Program Effectiveness, Instructional Effectiveness
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: New Zealand
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A