Allison Overdorf

Dr. Betsy Orr

Google Scholar
September 6, 2016
3 articles:
1. Title: Factors That Influence Students Decisions to Dropout of Online
Courses
Author: Pedro A. Willging and Scott D. Johnson
Year Published: October 2009
URL: http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ862360.pdf
2. Title: Psychometric Properties of Student Ratings of Instruction in Online and
On-Campus Courses
Author: Debbie E. McGhee and Nana Lowell
Year Published: December 2003
URL: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/tl.121/abstract
3. Title: Students' Learning Styles in Two Classes: Online Distance Learning
and Equivalent On-Campus
Author: David P. Diaz and Ryan B. Cartnal
Year Published: March 2010
URL: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/87567559909595802?
journalCode=vcol20

Summary of Article #1: Factors That Influence Students Decisions to

Dropout of Online Courses
I read Factors That Influence Students Decisions to Dropout of
Online Courses by Willging and Johnson. It was published in the year 2009.
The URL of this article is http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ862360.pdf. The
article begins by discussing the ways in which online classes and traditional
classes compare and contrast. The completion rate of online classes is much

lower than the completion rate of traditional classes. The researchers looked at
data in 15 graduate business courses taught by the same professors for both
the online and traditional class setting. They used an electronic survey to
conduct the research. 10 out of the 28 dropout students completed the survey
and therefore, the results are off of those responses. Because of the small
number of participants, the results may be skewed.
The researchers analyzed different criteria that caused students to be
more likely to drop out. These criteria include applying to college late, having
a hard time making friends, good or bad relationships with teachers, having
reduced or waived fees, etc. The researchers conclude that there is typically
more than one reason for why students choose to drop a course or leave
college completely. The data collected involved students who had previously
dropped out of a Masters Degree program. The course taken was an online
course that did not require students to ever come to campus. Multiple attempts
were made to students to get them to complete the electronic survey in order
to gather data.
The data found enabled the researchers to understand that the
majority of students who drop out of online programs, do so before
completely the first courses. The participants answered that reasons for
enrolling in online courses was for flexibility, convenience, professional
development, etc. Reasons for leaving the program fell under four main
categories: Personal reasons, job-related reasons, program-related reasons, and
technology-related reasons. About half of the dropouts reported not having
study time set aside. Four of the ten students said they began to fall behind on

assignments, and three of the students said the course was too much
information for them. In summary, the researchers found that males are more
likely to dropout than females, minorities are more likely to dropout than nonminorities, and dropouts typically have a higher GPA than non-dropouts.
Again, because of the small number of participants, these results are limited.