Retention Resources for Individuals & Educational Institutions

Distance Education Retention

Distance education has become another avenue for colleges to reach out to students. It has also become a lucrative endeavor for many colleges. In addition to providing additional income and widening name recognition world-wide, more options are provided a student who is enrolled as a residential student. That is, many colleges who subscribe to the one college concept allow a student to take courses anyway he/she wants to. For example, if a student is enrolled full-time he/she may take a course during the time that the college offers them on campus (8am to 10pm), off campus or through distance education, any combination.

Distance education is relatively new to the educational community. Not much has been written on the retention rates of students who take distance education courses. Indeed, distance education courses are offered through a variety of options. It seems hard to compare the best form of delivering distance education courses or compare a course with one on campus since the student mix in the classes may be different.

All types of colleges are providing distance education courses.

National Distance-Education Programs by Type of Institution, 2000-1

Status

All

Public 2-year

Public 4-year

Private 4-year

Offered distance-education courses

56%

90%

89%

40%

Number of institutions offering distance education

2,320

960

550

710

 Number of different courses offered

127,400

55,900

43,100

26,500

 Course enrollments

3,077,000

1,472,000

945,000

589,000

Not offered, but plans to offer it in next three years

12%

5%

3%

16%

Not offered, and no plans to offer it in next three years

31%

5%

8%

44%

Status

All

Public 2-year

Public 4-year

Private 4-year

Source: The Chronicle of Higher Education, Section: The 2003-4 Almanac, Volume 50, Issue 1, Page A15

The table below demonstrates the proportion of distance education providers who offer programs that can be completed totally through distance education.

Proportion of providers with programs designed to be completed totally through distance education

Status
All
Public 2-year
Public 4-year
Private
 4-year
 
Undergraduate-degree program
21%
20%
28%
19%
Graduate- or professional-degree program
35%
n/a
43%
28%
Undergraduate certificate program
12%
15%
13%
10%
Graduate- or professional-certificate program
13%
n/a
18%
10%
         

Source: The Chronicle of Higher Education, Section: The 2003-4 Almanac, Volume 50, Issue 1, Page A14

There is a variety of technology used for distance education instruction as illustrated below.

Primary technology used for distance-education instruction

Status

All

Public 2-year

Public 4-year

Private 4-year

 

Two-way video with two-way audio

51%

60%

80%

22%

One-way video with two-way audio

11%

13%

15%

6%

One-way live video

8%

9%

13%

4%

One-way prerecorded video

41%

57%

40%

24%

Two-way audio transmission

9%

7%

11%

11%

One-way audio transmission

11%

11%

10%

12%

Internet, with live-interaction instruction

43%

40%

55%

35%

Internet, without live-interaction instruction

90%

95%

87%

86%

CD-ROM

29%

30%

29%

23%

Multiple technologies

19%

21%

29%

11%

Source: The Chronicle of Higher Education, Section: The 2003-4 Almanac, Volume 50, Issue 1, Page A14

As educational institutions what are we going to do to insure that all students, regardless of the form of education they pursue (on campus, off campus or through cyber space), are receiving an adequate educational experience? How are we assessing the distance education student who may never step foot on our campus to be sure that he/she is academically prepared to take the course? How can we establish a sense of community with these students who may never step foot in a classroom? How can we insure the integrity of our degree when we never actually see a student to know that he/she is the one actually taking the course and devoting the time necessary to gain from it?

I hope these questions will begin to stimulate discussion and stimulate research on this area of higher education delivery of courses and programs.