Running Head: PREVENTION OF HIGH ATTRITION RATES AT ONLINE COLLEGES

Prevention of High Attrition Rates at Online Colleges

Meghan Birdsey

Post University

2017
PREVENTION OF HIGH ATTRITION RATES AT ONLINE COLLEGES 2

Abstract

Online higher education is well known for its high attrition rates when compared to

traditional universities. While online education has provided many students with the ability to

pursue and further their education while maintaining their busy schedule, many students do not

complete their degrees. Through the review of literature the various causes of high attrition rates

among online students were determined as well as possible solutions to this problem. Among

these causes were lack of student support, lack of community feeling, lack of preparedness, and

unclear understanding of an online classroom environment. This research assisted in the creation

of the deliverable for this capstone project. In order to collect data on preparedness of students a

webinar and presentation were created to be administered during the admissions process. This

webinar process would determine whether clearly set expectations helped to lowers attrition rates

among online students at an online university.

PREVENTION OF HIGH ATTRITION RATES AT ONLINE COLLEGES 3

Problem Statement

Online education in the United States is no longer a trend; it is mainstream (Kentnor,

2015). With the growth and development of online education it is evident that there are many

challenges that still need to be addressed in order to lower attrition rates. Although many efforts

have been made to assist students in being successful in online programs, studies continue to

show that student attrition rates are between 3% and 5% higher than attrition rates at traditional

universities (Shaw et al, 2016). High attrition rates show that many students enroll in a degree

program but do not complete their degree. This causes students to accrue debt from a degree that

they did not finish and universities to have low graduation rates and a poor reputation from this

data. High attrition rates can be caused by lack of support offered to online students as well as

lack of preparedness.

High attrition rates can be caused by many factors in online education. According to

Boton & Gregory (2015) these factors include motivation, culture, and online pedagogies. Online

universities are working hard to lower their attrition rates based on data that has been collected.

The online student experience begins during the admissions process. Little focus has been placed

on the very beginning of a students experience but is rather pointed towards the support while

students are in classes. There is a strong relationship between the beginning of the process (i.e.

admissions) and the continuation of the college process (i.e. retention and advising). If all

departments within a university function cohesively to create a supportive student experience

than many positive changes can be made to this data. For example, if a week trial of a course is

implemented to better prepare students this could help lower student attrition rates. Throughout

this project, a focus will be placed on how the admissions and retention processes at online

universities can better prepare students and support students in order to lower attrition rates.
PREVENTION OF HIGH ATTRITION RATES AT ONLINE COLLEGES 4

Literature Review

Introduction

The world of higher education has taken a huge turn over the past twenty years. As

technology has advanced and changed, higher education has moved forward as well. Online

education or distance learning has grown in popularity during this time. Higher education has

become more accessible to all students because of this growth. Unfortunately, as online

education has become increasingly popular, it has also developed a bad reputation. Online

universities are well known for their high attrition rates. High attrition rates in these programs are

caused by many factors, some that can be controlled and others that cannot be controlled. The

question that comes to mind when talking about high attrition rates is how it relates to the

admissions and retention process and what can be done to change this trend among online

institutions. Those who work in the Admissions field in higher education take keen interest in

how to set students up for success and engage them so that they persist throughout their entire

degree. If students do not continue, they may not try a second time in earning their degree. There

are three main areas that have a direct correlation with high attrition rates: admissions, advising

and retention, and different methods for success. The admissions process is step one for all

students; this is where the tone is set for their entire time enrolled as students. Once enrolled in a

university, students should be working closely with advising to stay on track and most

importantly have a point-person that has their back. Students should also have access to different

services through Student Affairs to help create a cohesive and encouraging environment for

students. The literature that will be discussed details the causes of high attrition rates in each area

as well as what has been researched to help alter these rates.

PREVENTION OF HIGH ATTRITION RATES AT ONLINE COLLEGES 5

Admissions

When students decide they would like to pursue their education, the first step they take is

researching and applying to different institutions. The research process is the area in which

Admissions Counselors specialize in. When working with prospective students, Admissions

Counselors encounter students from all walks of life; this includes both traditional and non-

traditional students. These students have different educational, work, and personal backgrounds.

The job of a college admissions department is to ensure that each student is qualified before

admitting them to the program, this involves a throughout interview and examination of the

previous transcript.

Every university's admissions process is unique to its admissions standards. Each

university has a different enrollment process that a student must complete to be considered for

admissions into their desired degree program. Online colleges have lower expectations than what

is found at on campus institutions. This is due to the demographic of student that enrolls in an

online program. Admissions Counselors for online programs must take great care in assessing

each and every student's background and qualifications during this process to make sure they

will be a successful candidate. Studies have shown that evaluating a student's online readiness

utilizing a survey can help to enroll students who will persist (Doe et al, 2017). This type of

survey addresses retention factors such as can the student work individually, has the student

taken online courses before, how motivated is the student to earn their degree. According to Carr

(2014), online students are successful when they feel comfortable in an online environment. The

survey studied by Doe (2017) addressed questions that ensured students were comfortable in this

environment. Doe (2017) concluded that an online student's readiness is directly correlated to

their motivation and self-efficacy. A student that has not taken online courses compared to a
PREVENTION OF HIGH ATTRITION RATES AT ONLINE COLLEGES 6

student who has taken online courses before is much less prepared to be successful in their

chosen program (Doe et al, 2017). This is where setting expectations throughout the admissions

process becomes most necessary.

Once a student is admitted, Admissions Counselors must continue their relationship with

their students to make sure they are fully prepared for their classes. Preparing students for their

courses begin with setting the right expectations. Robichaud (2016) explains to readers that

students need to be guided to know exactly what will be expected of them. Robichaud (2016)

also suggests that these expectations need to be made clear in several different areas or locations

to get the point across. Regarding admissions, setting expectations includes explaining in detail

the course set up, deadlines, and time commitment associated with enrolling in online courses.

Online courses require students to be able to organize their time wisely, work on their own, and

stay motivated. According to Carr (2014) online students must be comfortable within the online

classroom environment. Carr (2014) also suggests that online training for students is essential to

preventing future problems and frustrations that may be encountered once the student is in class.

It is unrealistic to expect every student to automatically be able to navigate an online classroom

on their own. Proper preparation and training within the online classroom may make a significant

difference with many students. While setting expectations for students, Admissions Counselors

must also keep their students motivated while they wait to begin their classes. "The affective

dimension that affects motivation has been neglected in some eLearning developments, and

without it, it is difficult to create a good connection between learners and their online courses

(Boton, 2015, 64)." It is clear that a university's admissions department plays a clear role in

setting the tone for new students. This is where their journey begins, and they must have a full
PREVENTION OF HIGH ATTRITION RATES AT ONLINE COLLEGES 7

understanding of expectations to succeed in their courses. However, this is just the start, once

students enroll in and begin their classes they then work with faculty and staff.

Retention and Advising

Once students begin their classes, they are assigned an advisor to work with throughout

their entire time. Each university's advising department works in different ways but the main gist

of it is to provide students with support and direction during their degree program. Besides

advising, there are some different programs and services that are offered to students in order to

encourage persistence and success. With online degree programs, it is more of a challenge to

offer effective student support services because faculty and staff are not dealing with the students

in person. These areas directly affect students and their decision to continue with their courses.

Based on a study conducted by Wilging and Johnson (2009) there are several program-

related reasons for students who have dropped out of online degree programs. These reasons

include "too many low-level assignments, too difficult working on the group assignments, lack

of one-to-one interaction with the instructors and students, the academic program was too

difficult/demanding, and a lack of interested in the material or the program did not meet

expectations (Wilging and Johnson, 2009, 10)." Schroeder et al (2016) made similar conclusions

and stated that student retention rates are negatively affected by a lack of institutional support,

little to no connection made between the student, and their university, and the feeling of being

isolated. It is not only the onus of the faculty that are teaching students to maintain a connection

with students; it is also a responsibility of the student support services and advising to do so as

well. The admissions office makes a connection during the beginning of the process and this

connection must be maintained. Online students have little to no connection to their professors
PREVENTION OF HIGH ATTRITION RATES AT ONLINE COLLEGES 8

and peers because they present themselves through a computer rather than in a classroom. For

some students, this is a more inviting environment that allows more students to have a voice and

participate in class discussions, for others it is not as challenged as expected. Properly engaging

students "enables meaningful interactions between the student and internal and external factors

of learning, such as student participation, attention, and desire (Lee, 2015, 54)." Engagement also

allows students to be dependent on their studies. A student's autonomy is essential to the success

of an online student. (Lee, 2015) "Research has shown that students perceive autonomy in their

learning when the instructor supports their interests, preferences, values, and psychological needs

(Lee et al, 2015, 55)." Online students overall have a much different experience than on-campus

students would. Online students are often isolated from their peers and do not experience the

type of support that one would experience at your local university. Understanding and evaluating

this type of problem is essential to determining how to better serve online students and offer

more support. In this case, utilizing retention and advising to further engage students creates a

more welcoming and supportive environment for online students and rids them of the feeling of

isolation.

Methods for Success

The admissions and retention processes at online universities are constantly developing.

Studies are being conducted, and data is being examined to determine where online universities

are missing when it comes to preparing and supporting their students. Many universities have

implemented different programs and procedures in hopes of lowering attrition rates and setting

students up for success. Studies suggest that there are several methods that will help institutions

in lowering attrition rates. These methods include expanding support systems offered to students,

giving an outlet for students to acclimate to their program and join the community, and
PREVENTION OF HIGH ATTRITION RATES AT ONLINE COLLEGES 9

strengthening the quality of communication between students, faculty, and staff (Carr, 2014).

Within the admissions processes, Doe et al (2017) suggest the use of a student readiness survey

based on a study conducted. This study utilized an online assessment survey that evaluated the

readiness of students to take on the responsibility of an online degree program. Along with this

survey, a widely popular online university currently utilizes an online mock trial of a class to

prepare students for their actual courses. This is something that Carr (2014) refers to in their

research. "The orientation must be easy to use, must be offered at the right time, and must be

specific to the learning management system being used. Some important factors to include are a

clear communication of the expectations of the student, clear instructions on using the LMS, a

chance to work out technology barriers, and how the course and its material are organized (Lee,

2014, 61-62)." Moody (2004) also suggests that connecting with students and walking them

through the technology needed prior to beginning classes would prevent issues in the future

when they are in class. Mannay and Wilcock (2015) conducted a study on student success and

what online students want. Based on their findings, online students have a busy schedule outside

of their school responsibilities. In order to better support these students, the authors suggest

providing students with an introductory packet of information that details what to expect once

they begin classes. This packet details a breakdown of course setup, resources, and different

ways to reach out for assistance (i.e. social media groups with other students, tutoring, advisors,

etc) These types of methods for success during the admissions process ensures that students

are qualified and fully prepared for their courses before they begin.

Within the retention processes, there are also many suggestions for how to lower attrition

rates and best serve students. Moody (2004) suggests requiring students to work in small groups

to further encourage participation and a higher level of thinking. This would also create more of
PREVENTION OF HIGH ATTRITION RATES AT ONLINE COLLEGES 10

a community environment while ridding students of the feeling of being isolated. Thorngren et al

(2013) studied the success of a yearlong mentoring program for their students. They experienced

overall positive feedback from their students and mentors however the program did have some

limitations in collecting data to reflect the success of this program. Matching students with

mentors online can be done in a video chat, phone call, or email format. Simply having someone

to support students and bounce ideas off of creates a more engaging environment, and again gets

rid of that feeling of isolation. If students begin their time in a degree program with a positive

experience, and that experience is upheld throughout their time in the program, then they will

continue to be successful. With online programs, in particular, starting off by qualifying student

and preparing them properly makes major contributions to their success later on in the program.

Conclusion

With the growth of online education, more and more universities are rushing to meet the

demands. Online programs are evolving as time goes on and establishing themselves to compete

with traditional universities. In this evolution, they are working to lower the attrition rates that

have plagued online programs from the beginning. Enrollment management departments are

made up of admissions and retention. These departments need to work together to establish a

positive, engaging experience for all students. From the information collected, there is a vast

amount of room for improvement within both areas. Admissions need to focus on better

qualifying and preparing students while retention needs to focus on keeping students engaged

and motivated.
PREVENTION OF HIGH ATTRITION RATES AT ONLINE COLLEGES 11

Research Design and Methodology

This capstone project focused on how to better prepare students for their academic career

during the admissions process. The end goal of this project was to collect data that further

supported the notion that preparedness of students helps to lower attrition rates at online

universities. For this capstone project, the population sample tested consisted of a group of

Admissions Counselors from an online university. These Admissions Counselors created a panel

of experts that reviewed the provided material to determine whether it will assist online students

in being successful. For this project, a mixed method approach will be used; this means that both

qualitative and quantitative data will be collected and reviewed.

The first step in the development of this project was to determine the important points

that needed to be covered during the webinar. This webinar would be used to give prospective

students a brief walkthrough of the online classroom before their classes begin. The goal was to

create a ten minute long recorded video for Admissions Counselors to show their students. This

webinar was a walkthrough of the online classroom, examples of deadlines and assignments, and

resources available to students in the online classroom. The software used for this webinar was

Cisco Webex that is readily available to all Post University students. The focus of this program

was to introduce students to the online classroom before their first week of classes. This program

would allow students to see what they will experience on a week to week basis and also help to

set clear expectations from the beginning of the program to prevent drop outs and unearned

failures. In addition, students will also work with their Admissions Counselor during this process

even further to build a relationship and know that they have this additional type of support. As

evidenced below, students are shown resources such as Postone Portal, Office 365, Blackboard,

and much more during this ten minute long webinar.

PREVENTION OF HIGH ATTRITION RATES AT ONLINE COLLEGES 12
PREVENTION OF HIGH ATTRITION RATES AT ONLINE COLLEGES 13

Once the webinar was in development, it was determined that a presentation would

accompany the webinar as part of the admissions process. This presentation overviews important

points for prospective students, information about Post University, and the next steps once a

student is able to register for their courses. As shown below, this presentation walks students

through important points to consider when researching colleges/universities, the steps for

prospective Post University students, and how to move forward once a student is registered in

their course and has completed the webinar with their Admissions Counselor.
PREVENTION OF HIGH ATTRITION RATES AT ONLINE COLLEGES 14

When a prospective student shows interest in the university and begins speaking with an

Admissions Counselor they will view the presentation. This presentation is geared towards

reviewing important information covered in the students Professional College Advisory Session.

Once the student is registered for their courses they will participate in the online webinar. The

webinar will review the online classroom and the other online resources for Post University

students. Coupled together, the presentation and webinar will set online students up for success

in their program by setting clear expectations and strict deadlines from the beginning.
PREVENTION OF HIGH ATTRITION RATES AT ONLINE COLLEGES 15

Evaluation and Assessment

Introduction

While developing this capstone project, after some time it became clear that this is not

something I would be able to implement and use with my students. There are few reasons as to

why, but most importantly I would not be able to implement this project because of the many

factors that go into meeting compliance in higher education. For this reason, a self-assessment

rubric was created to help determine the effectiveness of this capstone project. Since the project

was not be implemented, it was be reviewed by a panel of experts from the higher education

field.

Self-Evaluation

Once this capstone project was completed, the researcher completed a grading rubric that

was based on the EDU 699 Capstone grading rubric. This allowed the researcher to determine if

their project met the requirements for this project including demonstrating the program learning

objectives, presenting the deliverable findings clearly, as well as ensuring that the contact of this

project was held to high standards.

Exemplary Superior Proficient Missing Notes

Deliverable
Demonstrates Met 3 or more Met 2 or more Met 1 program Does not
full program program objective in include any
understanding objectives objectives this project objectives
of three throughout this throughout this from M.
learning project project Ed.
objectives from program
the M. Ed.
program
Project is Contents of Contents of Contents of Does not
presented to an project are project are project are include
appropriate designed to be designed to be minimal and presentable
PREVENTION OF HIGH ATTRITION RATES AT ONLINE COLLEGES 16

audience utilized by utilized by are not project

students and higher effective for
professionals educational use by
in higher professionals students or
education but not higher
realistic for use education
of students or professional
vice versa
Project is Project is Project Project Is not
original and original in contains some contains few original
creative in design and original ideas original ideas and does
design. Project ideas. Content and a few and resources. not use
also displays is backed up by scholarly scholarly
research and scholarly sources source
concepts research.
developed over
the course of
the capstone
courses.
Final Report
and
Presentation
Problem Problem Problem Problem Problem
Statement Statement is Statement is statement is statement
clearly identified and identified and is not
identified and backed up by and backed up provided
backed up by some scholarly by one
multiple research scholarly
sources of source
scholarly
research
Objectives Met 3 or more Met 2 or more Met 1 program Does not
program program objective in include any
objectives objectives this project objectives
throughout this throughout this from M.
project project Ed.
program
APA Proper APA 3-6 APA errors 6+ APA errors APA
Formatting formatting and are present are present formatting
citations are and
used citations
throughout are not
entire project present

(Post University, 2016)

PREVENTION OF HIGH ATTRITION RATES AT ONLINE COLLEGES 17

Overall this project was well thought out and had a lot of effort put into it to ensure that it

was held to high standards of academic integrity. A strength of this project was the amount of

research found to support the initial problem statement. The high attrition rates among online

universities have been researched and written about by many scholars and will continue to be

researched in the future. Within the field of education there will always be progress and changes

that require academics to follow suit and adapt to meet the needs of their students. Another

strength of this project was the opportunity to have it reviewed by admissions professional in the

online education field. Their feedback allowed the researcher to hone in on the areas that needed

to be focused on in the webinar itself. Their feedback was also essential in determining the

effectiveness of this webinar on prospective online students.

It is believed by the researcher that a weakness of this project is that it could not be

implemented and studied on prospective students. While professional feedback has many

benefits, seeing the results of how this webinar could potentially help students would have

potentially further supported the problem statement. It also would have been beneficial to have a

larger group of experts participate in the panel for this project. This would have provided the

researcher with a larger, possibly more varied amount of feedback on the webinar itself. Another

weakness of this project was in the implementation of the deliverable. While recording, the

researcher faced many technology errors that caused setbacks in the finalization of the

deliverable. With technology there is always a risk for possible hiccups and this project had

many of them. Along with the technical issues there also became the issue of content. The

webinar came out to be a nine minute presentation on how to navigate through the online

classroom however the researcher determined that this was not enough to prepare prospective
PREVENTION OF HIGH ATTRITION RATES AT ONLINE COLLEGES 18

students. A powerpoint was then created to accompany the steps of the admissions process that

the prospective students would need to complete.

Panel of Experts

A panel of experts was used to determine the effectiveness of this capstone project. This

panel consisted of five professionals from the higher education field. These experts have worked

in the college admissions field for more than two years. Over this time they have enrolled many

non-traditional and traditional college students into online degree programs. With their high level

of experience it was expected that their feedback would help to strengthen this project and also

collect honest and constructive feedback. After viewing this project, the panel was asked to

complete a questionnaire with specific questions on the effectiveness of the project. They also

were asked to provide open feedback. The questionnaire and feedback from the panel is included

below:

Strongly Agree Disagree Strongly I do not Notes:

Agree Disagree wish to
reply
Do you feel
that the
current
admissions
process at
your
60% of 40% of
university
experts experts
effectively
prepares
students for
their degree
program?
Do you feel Students will be
that this able to not
100% of
webinar stress so much
experts
process is about the how
something that to of everything
PREVENTION OF HIGH ATTRITION RATES AT ONLINE COLLEGES 19

would benefit when they begin

prospective their courses.
students? A walkthrough
and a visual as
well as audio
will better guide
them through
their first
courses.
Do you feel Not all
that this Admissions
webinar Counselors have
process is hands on
something that experience with
would benefit the classroom.
admissions This webinar
counselors? gives them the
ability to
explain
expectations to
students.
Admissions
100% of
would be able to
experts
build a stronger
bond with
students and all
students would
be able to
participate in
class.
Counselors who
are not students
themselves do
not know what
the web page
looks like.
This webinar
clearly
presents the
Blackboard
100% of
classroom
experts
environment
to prospective
online
students
This webinar 80% of 20% of
PREVENTION OF HIGH ATTRITION RATES AT ONLINE COLLEGES 20

clearly experts experts

presents the
coursework
deadlines and
expectations
to prospective
online
students
This webinar Clear
allows instructions are
prospective given as to
students to which tab
learn to 80% of 20% of includes what
navigate experts experts information.
resources
available to
online
students
This webinar This
makes walkthrough
students feel will make
more students more
comfortable comfortable
with their 100% of with online
upcoming experts classroom and
courses feel more
supported by
their Post
university
support team.

The results of this questionnaire determined that this project would be successful in

assisting prospective online students in preparing for their courses to come. The Panel of Experts

agreed that this webinar and presentation would prepare students for their degree program, build

a stronger relationship between the student and the school, and set the correct expectations for

incoming students. Based on the open feedback from the experts it was also determined that this

webinar would also help to familiarize Admissions Counselors with the online classroom,

allowing them to better assist their students in the long run. Overall the panel of experts agreed
PREVENTION OF HIGH ATTRITION RATES AT ONLINE COLLEGES 21

that this webinar is the type of progress that needs to be made in the online university admissions

field in order to lower attrition rates.

PREVENTION OF HIGH ATTRITION RATES AT ONLINE COLLEGES 22

Discussion and Reflection

This project has helped the researcher to learn more about student success methods being

used in higher education to help lower attrition rates. Online education is unfortunately plagued

with high attrition rates often due to the fact that students are not prepared enough when they

begin their courses. The amount of literature supporting the causes of high attrition rates at

online universities was great, just as the amount of information on how to prevent high attrition

rates was even greater. When this project began, the researcher was a member of an online

admissions team at Post University. The researcher was passionate about helping students

achieve their academic success, but more often than not their students did not retain past their

second or third module of courses. This is how this project came to fruition. The researcher has

since left Post University for a traditional on campus university and it is very apparent the

differences between online admissions and on campus admissions. Speaking to students over the

phone puts a barrier between the connection of the university and its students, which in turn

makes it more difficult to feel a sense of community. This webinar process would further connect

the admissions counselor with their students to emphasize support and community within Post

University.

Throughout this Masters of Education program, the researcher learned a great deal about

higher education and how to effectively support adult learners. During this capstone project, the

researcher met many of the program outcomes as well as the higher education concentration

outcomes. This researcher was able to evaluate and implement and research based practice

within the higher education field. During the creation of this project the researcher demonstrated

a great deal of creativity and critical thinking in application to the higher education admissions

process. The higher education field of study proved to be interesting and helped to the
PREVENTION OF HIGH ATTRITION RATES AT ONLINE COLLEGES 23

researchers professional career. Throughout the program and this capstone project the researcher

was able to study the demographic and social trends to determine where problems may lie within

the online university admissions process. Overall, this researcher has learned a lot in the manner

of helping their students and setting their students up for success in their degree program.
PREVENTION OF HIGH ATTRITION RATES AT ONLINE COLLEGES 24

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Boton, E., Gregory, S. (2015) Minimizing Attrition in Online Degree Courses. Journal of

Educators Online, 12(1).

Capstone Project Instructions. Post University, 2016.

Carr, M. (2014). The Online University Classroom: One Perspective for Effective Student

Engagement and Teaching in an Online Environment. Journal of Effective Teaching,

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Doe, R., Castillo, M., Muskoya, M. (2017). Assessing Online Readiness of Students. Online

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Heyman, Errin. "Overcoming Student Retention Issues in Higher Education Online Programs".

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Mannay, D. & Wilcock, C. (2015). What Students Want? Exploring the Role of the Institution in

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Participation & Lifelong Learning, 17(1), 49-63.

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Moody, J. (2004). Distance Education: Why are the Attrition Rates so High? Quarterly Review

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Parker, Kelly. "A Study of Variables the Predict Dropout from Distance Education".

International Journal of Educational Technology 1.2 (2000): 1-10. Print.

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Program. Online Learning, 20(3), 244-263.

Shaw, M., Burrus, S., & Ferguson, K. (2016). Factors that Influence Student Attrition in Online

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Online Courses. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 13(3), 115-127.

PREVENTION OF HIGH ATTRITION RATES AT ONLINE COLLEGES 26

Appendix