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This is to certify that the
thesis entitled

THE PERSISTENCE OF ONLINE DISTANCE EDUCATION
LEARNERS

presented by

BERNARD GWEKWERERE

has been accepted towards fulfillment
of the requirements for the

Master of degree in Agriculture and Natural
Science Resources Education and
Communication Systems

 

 

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THE PERSISTENCE OF ONLINE DISTANCE EDUCATION LEARNERS
By

Bernard Gwekwerere

A THESIS

Submitted to
Michigan State University
In partial fulfillment of the requirements
For the degree of

MASTER OF SCIENCE

Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources
Education and Communication Systems

2003

ABSTRACT
THE PERSISTENCE OF ONLINE DISTANCE EDUCATION LEARNERS
By

Bernard Gwekwerere

This research was motivated by the concern for reported high dropout rates of
distance education learners during the period when enrollments in distance education
were increasing and distance education was gaining momentum. The study was designed
to explore the nature and complexity of learner persistence in online distance education.
The purpose was to identify factors that influenced learner persistence in online distance
education and understand the phenomenon of learner persistence from the viewpoint of
the non-traditional learner.

The study used a phenomenological research methodology to obtain and analyze
data about persistence. The research was carried out with 7 women online learners at
Athabasca University using surveys and telephone interviews as research instruments.
The context in which the women studied for their online programs and the circumstance
in which they carried out their studies were an integral part of the data.

The research found that family, peer learners and work influenced the
involvement of online learners in distance education. It was found that work, family and
learning were integrated in ways that brought meaning and identity to online learners. As
such distance-learning institutions needed to take cognizance of these aspects of learners‘

lives that were considered important by the online learner.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I am proud of this piece of work. I feel very obliged to recognize those persons
and institutions that came together to support me in various ways that culminated in
successful completion of my thesis.

Professor Joseph S. Levine, my advisor and committee chairperson guided me
relentlessly throughout my study for the Master’s degree program and thesis research. I
cannot thank him enough for ‘walking with me’ all the way. My committee members
Professor Emeritus, George Axinn and Professor Luke Reese provided guidance in
focusing my research. In this research my subjects were from Athabasca University. I
would like to thank the Athabasca University Research Ethics Board for allowing me to
proceed with this research and gain access to their students. Janice Green of Athabasca
University passed me through all the hoops of Athabasca University and forwarded all
my research instruments to my research subjects.

Encouragement from my wife Yovita made all the difference for me as I struggled
through the research process. I want to acknowledge my kids, Kundai, Ruva and Zviko
who encouraged me even as I could not spend enough time with them.

I would not have got to do my research had it not been for the departments of
ANRECS, International Agriculture and Urban affairs who provided me with

assistantships during my study for my Master’s degree program.

iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

List Of Figures ................................................................................................................. vii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY
Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 1
Statement of the problem ................................................................................................. 3
Theoretical framework ..................................................................................................... 4
Tinto's attrition model ................................................................................................ 5
Kember's modifications to Tinto's model of attrition ................................................ 6
Purpose of the study ......................................................................................................... 7
Significance of study ........................................................................................................ 8
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 10
The essence of distance education ................................................................................... 10
Balancing work family and education ............................................................................. 1]
Commitment to distance education .......................................................... ' ........................ 13
Research on dropout in distance education ...................................................................... 14
Problems of adults contemplating distance education ..................................................... 17
Interaction in distance education ..................................................................................... 18
Attrition and student/faculty interaction .......................................................................... 19
Attrition and student/ student interaction .......................................................................... 20
Attrition and student/content interaction ......................................................................... 20
Influence of learner/interface contact on dropout in distance education ......................... 21

CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH DESIGN

Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 22
Research Methodology .................................................................................................... 24
Conducting the Research ........................................................................................... 25
Instrumentation and data collection ................................................................................. 28
Procedure of data collection ....................................................................................... 29
Listening .................................................................................................................. 30
Data Analysis ................................................................................................................... 31
Validity and reliability ..................................................................................................... 31
Limitations of study ......................................................................................................... 33
CHAPTER FOUR: FINDINGS
Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 3 5
Athabasca University ....................................................................................................... 36
The Learners .................................................................................................................... 38
Profiles of the persistent online learners .................................................................... 38
Profiles of the non-persistent online learners ............................................................. 39
Experiences of the persistent online Learners ................................................................. 40
The effect of family on online learners decisions concerning persistence ................ 40

iv

The effect of work on online learners’ decisions concerning persistence ................. 42

The effect of peers on online learner’s decisions concerning persistence ................. 45
The effect of the institution on online learners’ decisions concerning persistence ...46
Change of commitment to online leaming over time ................................................ 48
Experiences of the non-persistent learners ...................................................................... 51
The effect of family on online leamers’ decisions concerning persistence ............... 51
The effect of work on online learners" decisions concerning persistence ................. 52
The effect of peers on online learners’ decisions concerning persistence ................. 54
The effect of institution on online learners’ decisions concerning persistence ......... 55
Change of commitment to online learning over time ...................................................... 5 7

CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION

Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 60
The effect of family on online learners’ decisions about persistence .............................. 61
Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 61
Recommendations ...................................................................................................... 63
The effect of work on online learners’ decisions concerning persistence ....................... 65
Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 66
Recommendation ....................................................................................................... 66
The effect of peers on online learners’ decisions concerning persistence ....................... 67
Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 67
Recommendation ....................................................................................................... 67
The effect of institution on online learners’ decisions concerning persistence ............... 68
Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 69
Recommendations ...................................................................................................... 70
Change of commitment to online learning ....................................................................... 70
Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 71
Recommendation ....................................................................................................... 72
Conclusion ....................................................................................................................... 74
Appendix .......................................................................................................................... 75
Appendix A: Request letter for Athabasca University permission to conduct research..76
Appendix B: Memorandum ............................................................................................ 78
Appendix C: Reminder ................................................................................................... 79
Appendix D: Consent Form ............................................................................................ 80
Appendix E: Contact Form ............................................................................................. 81
Appendix F: Questions for the interview ........................................................................ 82
Appendix G: Pre-Interview Questions ............................................................................ 84
Appendix 1: Approval of study by Athabasca University Research Ethics Board ......... 91
Bibliography .................................................................................................................... 93

List Of Figures

Figure l Tinto's Model of Student Dropout ....................................................................... 6
Figure 2 Kember's Model of Student Dropout in Distance Education Institutions ........... 7

vi

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY
“Despite the very extensive literature on dropout from higher education, much remains

unknown about the nature of the dropout process” (Tinto. 1975. p.89)

Introduction

This is a thesis report about persistence of online learners at Athabasca
University, which was carried out from May 2003 to December 2003. The research
involved seven online learners who were engaged in a qualitative research to further the
understanding of the phenomenon of persistence and dropout from online distance
education.

The field of distance education is rapidly growing in support of the growing
numbers of returning learners who choose not to travel to the institutions for their lifelong
education. Parker (2003) stated that in America 78 percent of all adult students in 2002
received education in some distance fomiat. The lifelong learners are increasing in
numbers because of the rapid change of technology in today’s world and the complexity
of modern life (Parker, 1999. 2003; Kember er a], 1994). According to Banathy (1995),
Over the last four to five decades. we have been faced with increasingly more complex
and pressing problem situations, embedded in interconnected systems that operate in
dynamically changing and turbulent environments” (p.53). People have to continue to
learn throughout their lives in order to keep up with the demands of a changing world.
Cross, (1981) states "It would be difficult to think of some way to live in a society

changing as rapidly as ours without constantly learning new things" (p. 201).

Parker (2003) says. "While society calls for lifelong learning, employment and
family responsibilities call for adults to seek forms of education other than traditional,
face-to-face instruction" (p. 1). Family and work are important social institutions that are
integral to the identity of the adult learner. This situation compels adult learners to
engage in lifelong learning in order to keep up with the technologically complex and
rapidly changing world. Work, family and other social responsibilities compel the adult
learner to seek for flexible learning formats. Sweet (1986) corroborated this view when
he said. "Most distance learners are adults who are unable or unwilling to enroll in full
time. on-campus programs; and most have family and job responsibilities that compete
for time required for study" (p. 201).

While there is a rapid increase in the numbers of people joining distance
education, there is a high rate of drop out (Parker, 1999,2003; Morgan, 1999). This raises
questions about why learners enroll in distance education only to drop out before
achieving their goal. It may be possible that some adult learners may not have the goal of
completing a program. However this is not known. Adult learners are said to be very
motivated to learn and most of their learning is voluntary. Why then do they drop out at
very high rates? What triggers the need to drop out? How does the process unfold?
How do persistent learners differ from dropouts? These are some of the questions that
were investigated in this study.

Educational organizations enroll learners whom they expect to complete their
programs of study. However they are puzzled by the high rates of drop out in distance
education. This has led to a considerable effort to study dropping out in distance

education. (Garrison. 1987) says. “There is no area of research in distance education that

has received more attention than the study of dropout" (p. 95). Resources have been and
continue to be committed to the study of dropouts in distance education. The problem
seems to continue unperturbed (Tinto, 1993).

The fact that dropout rates have not gone down even after retention programs
have been implemented following research means that the phenomenon has not yet been
understood. Tinto (1987) says, "Successful retention efforts are difficult to mount, if
only because of our continuing inability to make sense of the variable character of student
leaving" (p. 3). The concept of dropping out has still not been adequately defined yet.
The term dropout has been used to refer to all forms of leaving educational institutions
that include voluntary and involuntary, leaving an institution and withdrawing from
learning completely (Tinto, 1987).

A lot of past research that has been descriptive has not helped to provide pointers
to the complexity of the processes involved in persistence or dropout, and how retention
programs can be developed. This research used a phenomenological research approach

to investigate drop out behavior as seen and experienced by the learners.

Statement of the problem

Distance education is increasing in importance as an alternative avenue for
furthering one’s educational qualifications. This is important more so for returning adult,
non-traditional, learners who have other responsibilities besides learning (Parker, 1999).
They typically have a family and a full time job, but they voluntarily enlist for distance

education. In this sense they are fundamentally different from conventional learners.

Conventional learners tend to be in their teens and learning is their main focus in life
(Edwards, 1993).

It is puzzling that learners who voluntarily return to higher education have a
higher rate of dropout than conventional learners. The higher learner dropout rate in
distance education institutions is a cause for concern in an environment where there is
high competition for students and resources (Towles and Spencer, 1993). The problem
that this study set out to investigate was the lack of understanding of the phenomenon of
learner dropout in online distance education. This lack of understanding cost distance
education institutions that invested in ineffective retention programs. The study was
designed to further the understanding of the dropout phenomenon in order to identify the
variables that related to learner dropout in online distance education. Online distance
education was chosen for the study because it was a rapidly expanding mode of distance

education that seemed to suit the flexibility requirements of returning learners.

Theoretical framework

This study was guided by Kember’s theoretical model for studying persistence
and withdrawal in distance education. Kember’s theoretical model is a modification of
Tinto’s theoretical model for studying persistence and withdrawal of learners from
conventional higher education institutions. Tinto’s model, figure] , postulates that
persistence of learners in conventional higher education programs is a function of the fit
between the student and the institution. “He theorized that the primary determinants of
successful persistence can be broken down into: (a) factors that are drawn from

experiences prior to college individual student characteristics and (b) factors that are

drawn from experiences at college,” (Rovai, 2003, p. 4). Tinto's model has been widely

tested and accepted with slight modifications in conventional education systems (Sweet,

1986)

Tinto's attrition model

In 1975 Tinto put forward a theory of attrition to try and guide research in
conventional educational institutions. In this theory Tinto (1975) postulated that
dropping out was a complex phenomena that took place as a longitudinal process. The
process of persisting or dropping out according to Tinto starts at pre-enrollment. This
means that the learner's pre-enrollment characteristics will influence the goal and
institutional commitment. The pre-enrollment characteristics include family background,
sex, individual attributes and academic ability. These background characteristics lead to
a goal and institution commitment. Pascarella and Terenzinini (1980) state that "The
background characteristics and goal commitments influence not only how the student will
perform in college, but also how he or she will interact with, and subsequently become
integrated into an institution's social and academic systems" (p. 61). The model further
postulates that social and academic integration leads to a second level of goal and
institution commitment. This second level of goal and institutional commitment will
influence the decision to persist or drop out of the learning institution.

Tinto's (1975) model is unidirectional, longitudinal and is based on a face-to-face
mode of education (Kember. 1994). The model cannot be used to study distance
education as it is. It misses a lot of variables that pertain to distance education learners.
Distance education research, according to Garrison (1987) ". . .must begin with an

appreciation of the unique and crucial aspects of distance education" (p.95).

Commitments Academic system Commitments

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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d Goal Acade
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. _ l’ development integr "’ commit Drop
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attributes —> ou or
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Peer-group _ commit
Pre— a: . . Interaction Social _,
InStltutlonal Faculty —> lntegr ment
college commitment I . ation
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Figure 1 Tinto’s Model of Student Dropout

This study used Kember’s (1989) theoretical model of learner persistence and
dropout. In this model, which is a modification of Tinto’s theoretical model, the
circumstances of the distance education learner take center stage in determining decisions
on persistence. The degree to which a distance education learner is able to integrate the
demands of part time study with continuing commitments to work, family and social life
weigh heavily in the distance education model. In the conventional model it is the
socialization of the learner into the social organizations of the education institution that

has greater weight.

Kember's modifications to Tinto's model of attrition

Kember’s model. figure 2, retains the longitudinal nature of Tinto's model but
instead of the unidirectional relationship of the variables, Kember's model has a loop to
.allow the events to influence each other as the persistence/dropping out process

progresses.

In Kember’s (1989) model, figure 2, the background characteristics include
family,home, work, and individual. These background characteristics influence goal
commitment, which in this case encompasses internal and external motivation. Goal
commitment influences participation in the academic and social environments.
Participation in academic and social environments in turn influences academic integration
and social and work integration. Social and academic integration influence each other
reciprocally. The academic, social and work integration influences the learner to carry
out a cost/benefit analysis to decide whether it is worthwhile to continue learning. The

decision then leads to dropping out or persisting in distance'education programs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Characteristics Academic Academic
Ind1v1dual integration # integration \ COSt/ DIOPOUt
I benefit
. analysis
Goal commrtment v
Intl'IIISlC. Social & Social & /
Motivation work * work . Course
environment integration Completion

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 2 Kember's Model of Student Dropout in Distance Education Institutions

Purpose of the study

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to investigate the process of
dropping out and persisting in distance education within a specific context and setting.
An understanding of these processes would contribute to the development of beneficial
retention programs. This study investigated the factors that influenced online learners’

decisions to persist or drop out of distance education and how the decisions were

progressively arrived at. The intention was to unravel the complexity of withdrawal and
persistence in distance education by elucidating the factors that influenced decision-
making for the online learners.

The study was conducted to identify the antecedents/factors that triggered the
need for learners to dropout of distance education and how these built up over time. The
study described and explained how the learners’ commitment changed, the factors that

influenced this change and how withdrawal or persistence was ultimately arrived at.

Significance of study

There is need to use qualitative research methods to investigate the qualitatively
complex dropout phenomena in distance education. The qualitative methods may help to
elucidate the phenomenon and identify the important variables. which are amenable to
investigation by quantitative methods. This is supported by Garland (1993) who stated
that, “Elucidating the declarative and tacit understandings (the “realities”) of withdrawal
and persisting students may suggest ways to minimize dropout” (p. 6).

This study is significant in that it provided an in depth understanding of the
persistence decision-making process of online learners in distance education. It brought
out the important factors that triggered withdrawal and/or persistence in online distance
education. These factors can be used to guide future quantitative research in learner
dropout from online distance education.

This study holds important policy implications as it points to effective retention
programs in distance education institutions. Distance education institutions are grappling

with the problem of high rates of dropout and investing large amounts of resources in

ineffective retention programs (Towles and Spence, 1993). Research that helps to
elucidate the phenomenon of dropout in distance education and subsequently identify
important factors that influence learners’ dropout decisions is significant in this field. It
leads to a better understanding of distance education learners and the decision making
process that eventually leads them to drop out or persist in distance education. Such
knowledge will drive the formulation and implementation of effective distance education

learner retention programs.

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

Introduction

Increased complexity of the contemporary world coupled with changing
technology calls for lifelong learning for adults to cope with the dynamic world of today
(Parker, 2003). Family and work responsibilities, that are characteristic of this category
of learners, require that these non-traditional learners seek for flexible forms of education
that allows them to carry on with their other responsibilities. Distance education is
providing this flexibility that is sought by the non-traditional leaner (Parker, 2003).
Distance education is therefore gaining prominence as an alternative route for furthering
educational credentials for non-traditional learners. This literature review addresses the
issues that relate to distance education and persistence of online distance education

learners.

The essence of distance education

Distance education is an alternative route of study that has risen to satisfy the
need of the returning learner in a complex, changing contemporary world. The features
of distance education are that it is characterized by separation of the learner from the
instructor, learning takes place anytime and anywhere (Keegan, 1990). Such separation
necessitates the use of mediated communication facilities in distance education. There is
a physical separation of learner from instructor, which makes it important to use
technological means to facilitate communication between the learner and instructor

Keegan(l990).

10

Distance education is defined as a field of education where there is quasi-
separation of learner and instructor and there is a dependency on technically mediated
media to effect two-way communication between learner and instructor (Keegan, 1990).
This technical mediation of communication provides distance education with the
characteristic flexibility that makes it appealing to non-traditional students.

Flexibility in terms of place and time at which learning can take place is a
hallmark of distance education. This flexibility in terms of place and time however is not
complete in and of itself. Flexibility extends to recognizing the unique nature of the

learner and designing programs that take cognizance of this uniqueness.

Balancing work, family and education

Work and family are important aspects of returning learners in distance education
because they are central to the self-identity of these learners. Returning learners in
distance education identify themselves in relation to their families and work (Bielby and
Bielby, 1984, 1989). Bilelby and Bielby (1989) state that, “As individuals allocate time
and energy to work and family roles, they come to identify with these roles. Labor force
and family behaviors build commitments to work and family identities. Those
commitments in turn provide the personal bases for attributing meaning to dual roles,
identifying conflict between them, and forming intentions regarding future roles” (p.
776). These identifying characteristics tend to be guarded tenaciously by returning
learners who are most likely to dropout or suspend education when it overly competes
with work and/or family. Bielby and Bielby (1984) supported this perspective when they

stated “. . .suspension of education activities is typically a response to the contingencies of

11

child rearing. The results Show definitively that the single most powerful deterrent to
work activity was having a young child at home” (p. 244).

Furthering educational credentials is indeed important to adults in their endeavor
to reach their ever-changing self—perception and identity. This is important for adult
women learners according to F lannery ( 2000) who says that, “just attending an adult
education program enhances self esteem because it gives them the socially acceptable
status of “student,” one that legitimizes them in the eyes of their children and the broader
society and reduces their feelings of inadequacy,” (p. 72).

Adult learners find themselves faced with the tremendous task of balancing the
competing demands of family life, work and education (Milkie and Pietolla, 1999). All
these roles are differentially important components of the self-identity of these learners.
The differential importance of each of the roles determines the progressive
disengagement from each role as competition for time and personal resources increases.

The competition from the work, family and education is experienced differentially
by different genders. Women tend to experience more competition fi'om familial
responsibilities than men. Bielby and Bielby (1984) stated that. “Familial responsibilities
are unchanging despite the women’s increased presence in the labor force” (p. 234). The
substantial competition from family and work demands does not deter women learners
from enlisting for distance education. Bird and Morgan (2003) said in support of this
view, “A substantial number of distance education students are women who often enter
higher education after long absence from any formal education and balance a variety of

complex commitments in their lives” (p. l).

12

Distance education institutions tend to ignore the other roles of the returning
learners, which they view as baggage in the way of successful completion of distance
education programs. Distance education institutions take the view of the “... 18 year
old. . .” student that characterizes conventional education students, as their student profile
(Edwards, 1993). Distance education programs are thus tide to semesters, cohort and
discipline focused, which evades the flexibility that non-traditional learners seek for in
alternative routes to conventional education. The disregard of the identity of the non-
traditional learner by distance educational institutions tends to contribute to withdrawal

from distance education by these voluntary learners (Edwards, 1993).

Commitment to distance education

Learner commitment to distance education is important to distance education
institutions in that it has a bearing on dropping out or persistence in an educational
program. Distance educational institutions tend to assess commitment by linking it with
consistent loyalty to a program or institution. As such distance education institutions
embark on learner support programs to build learner loyalty to the institutions and their
programs. These learner retention programs have not led to desired results as shown by
the persistent high rates of dropouts in distance education (Tinto, 1993). Learner
commitment may need to be re-examined to find out the underlying factors that evoke
learner commitment to distance education institutions.

Burke and Reitzes (1991) discuss a different perspective of commitment. In this
perspective commitment is seen as linking a person “. . .to a stable set of self-meanings”,

(Burke and Reitzes, 1991, p. 240). Burke and Reitzes (1991) further state that “These

13

stable self-meanings, in turn, produce consistent lines of activities,” (p. 239). Burke and
Reitzes (1991) refer to Foote (1951) as having introduced the term commitment to

“. . .examine how active individuals initiate and sustain lines of activity,” (p. 239). Foote
(1951) role playing without identity is empty behavior with no motive or incentive. He
went on to suggest that identity and one’s full commitment to one’s identity are necessary
for and active self. Foote suggested that “. . .active self is necessary to explain the
persistence of individual lines of behavior,” (Burke and Reitzes. 1991, p. 23 9).
Commitment from this perspective creates a link between an individual and society. The
commitment of an individual to a certain identity produces apparent consistent ties to
certain activities or organizations (Burke and Reitzes, 1991).

This is an important perspective in studying learner persistence in distance
education where the learner is embedded in society that ascribes roles and responsibilities
to the statuses that the learner holds. The leaner in distance education holds the multi-
statuses of learner, parent and employee. All these statuses come with roles and
responsibilities that require competing loyalties. Women learners have their loyalties torn

to a greater extend between their roles as they bear the main familial responsibilities.

Research on dropout in distance education

Garrison (1987) stated that, “There is no area of research in distance education
that has received more attention than the study of dropout,” p95. This is largely because
learner retention has not improved despite the learner retention programs that have been

developed and implemented in distance education.

14

The phenomenon of dropping out of distance education itself has not been
adequately defined. This makes it difficult for subsequent research to build on past
research. The phenomenon is defined in different ways by different researchers, making
it impossible to significantly further the understanding of the dropout problem, (Garrison,
1987). Garrison (1994) further stated that, “Good research practice necessitates building
upon previous research and an interpretation of previous findings within a coherent
theoretical framework” (p. 7).

Another problem in understanding the dropout phenomenon is that the term has
been borrowed from conventional education where dropping out is seen as a failure to
pass the conventional education system. Tinto (1993) says "As a consequence, we have
been given the mistaken view that student dropouts are different or deviant from the rest
of the student population. Such stereotypes are reinforced by a language, a way of
talking about student departure which labels individuals as failures for not having
completed their course of study in an institution of higher education” (p. 3). This is in an
environment where failure generally means that the dropout will labor social security
system and burden the taxpayer. This is not necessarily so in distance education where
the learners are employed. The non-traditional learner does not burden the taxpayer
when he or she drops out, but maybe likely to suffer a blow to self-identity. These
learners return to education voluntarily and for different reasons from the conventional
student (Britton and Baxter, 1999).

Theoretical models that have been borrowed from conventional education guide
research on learner dropout in distance education. Such theoretical models are not

suitable for distance education as they are designed for a different profile of student in a

15

different learning environment. Tinto’s (1975) theoretical model of student dropout is
such a borrowed model that has been used to investigate learner dropout in distance
education (Sweet, 1986).

Several examples show the alignment of Tinto’s (1975) theoretical model of
student dropout with the conventional educational environment. Accordingly Tinto states
that:

“Though employment is generally associated with lower rates of college persistence. full
time work is clearly more harmful than part time wor ” (p. 67).

“. . .students who stay at home expose themselves to a number of potential risks...” (p.
87).

Other researchers have realized the shortfall and developed theoretical
frameworks that recognize the non-traditional nature of the distance education-returning
learner. Kember (1981) is one such researcher whose student dropout theoretical model
includes the characteristics of the non-traditional learner in distance education. Kember’s
theoretical framework includes work and family as some of the characteristics of the
learner and proposes his theoretical framework. as a modification of Tinto’s model to suit
the environment of the distance education learner. This is in line with sentiments
expressed by Garrison (1987), “. . .research must begin with an appreciation of the unique
and crucial aspects of distance education” (p. 95).

Tinto and Kember’s student dropout theoretical models emphasize the
longitudinal nature of the dropout process. This perspective is premised on the
assumption that the decision to drop out progresses with time and is influenced by

different events that the learner meets as he or she participates in learning. Together with

16

the profile of the non-traditional learner, this is the hallmark of this perspective as it
points to theimportance of the findings of research in influencing learner retention

policies in distance education.

Problems of adults contemplating distance education

Learners in distance education are typically returning students who have been out
of the education system for some time. These learners deal with many problems as they
try to adjust to the additional roles brought about by the requirements of student life.
Such problems include conflicting work and family commitments, financial strain,
availability and timeliness of appropriate learning support, ability to comprehend and
deal with the assessment requirements (Bird and Morgan, 2003). Sweet (1986) concurs
by saying, “These pressures combine to make difficult the persistence and commitment
that is necessary for successful independent study” (p. 201).

These adult learners are nervous and unsure about what to expect as they weave
their way back into education. Bird and Morgan (2003) says, “A substantial proportion
of adult distance education students are women who often enter higher education after
long absences from any formal education and balance a variety of complex commitments
in their lives” (p. l.)

Britton (1999) says, “Women’s lived experience, which is more focused on care
and concern for others, is at odds with the individualistic self, and is more consistent with
a self in relation to others.” Britton (1999) goes on to quote Baxter and Britton (1997)
who say that, “They (women) are more likely to describe their action in terms of

selfishness, which implies guilt and a lack of entitlement to put their own needs first, than

17

in terms of self-fulfillment. In this way women are expressing themselves in ways that
are culturally appropriate for their gender. For women to prioritize their own needs is to
challenge both the cultural assumptions about women’s place and the patriarchal
domestic division of labor” (p 78.) Women are the majority in distance education but

they struggle with balancing the roles of learner, wife/, mother and employee.

Interaction in distance education

Interaction. according to Acker and McCain (1993) is central to the social
expectations of education in the broadest sense and is itself a primary goal of the
educational process. According to Baker (1995) interaction is important for a variety of
types of learning, learner satisfaction, and the persistence of learners in distance
education.

Interaction in a mediated environment needs to be done in new ways that may not
be familiar to both the leaner and the educator. This may then give rise to challenges for
learners as they attempt to interact and settle into distance education systems. Dropout
has been attributed to failure to integrate into the social and academic fabric of the
distance education systems.

It is important to note that distance education is reviewed here within the realms
of adult education. Darkenwald and Merriam (1982) defined adult education as, ". . .a
process whereby persons whose major social roles are characteristic of adult status
undertake systematic and sustained learning activities for the purpose of bringing about
change in knowledge, attitudes and values" (p. 9). Learning is a voluntary activity in

which the learners can withdraw and rejoin as and when they like.

18

Some factors that have been attributed to students leaving or continuing in
distance education include support family support systems, demographic factors,
educational background. and locus of control. Dille and Mezack (1991) have found that
student with external locus appear to have higher completion rates. These are students
who believe that it is within their power to study hard and attain their desired educational

qualifications.

Attrition and student/faculty interaction

Negotiation of the process of separation, transition and incorporation involves
various form of interaction with other students, faculty, course material and the
communication interface. When the process is successful, there is integration into social
and academic integration into the distance education system. Tinto (1975) defines
academic integration largely in terms of scholarly achievement, but includes involvement
in intellectual activities and services offered by the institution. According to Tinto, social
integration reflects the student's participation with peers in the extra-curricular activities.

The frequency and quality of contact with peers and faculty have been seen to
influence social integration ((Sweet, 1986). Sweet goes on to say "The extent to which
students acquire a sense of social involvement and achievement determines their
respective commitment to the institution attended and to the goal of college graduation"
(p. 202). Pascarella and Terenzini (1980) who said that frequency of informal contact
between students and faculty promoted positive attitude and commitment also noted the

influence of social contact. Interaction was seen to be most important in distance

19

education where one of the most frequently stated reasons for dropout was a sense of
isolation that brings discouragement to student studying at home (Harrington, 1979).
Studies however suggest that students' attrition rates are low where students
perceive the course presentation to be compatible with their situation and goals (Shin and
Kim, 1999). These researchers go on to say that for high completion rates learners need
to exert a high amount of independence while being involved. in interaction activities as

well.

Attrition and student/student interaction

Social interaction among peers has been found to have less effect on dropout
when compared to faculty interaction (Tinto, 1975). However peers interaction does
influence social integration. Sweet (1986) says social integration reflects the student's
participation with peers in extra-curricular life on campus. This means that when learners
interact outside of the academic activities, they cultivate a commitment to the process of
learning. Sweet (1986) goes on to say that the greater the level of commitment, the more

likely are students to persist in their learning.

Attrition and student/content interaction

In distance education the learners interact with content in various ways, which
may be via books and modules, or the web (Holmberg, 1983). Holmberg (1983) goes on
to say that in order to master the content, learners must engage in internal didactic

conversation. This allows the learner to interpret the content and assign meaning to it.

20

According to Tinto (1975) learners associate achievement with success in the
assignments that they write. In distance education, assignments constitute the main
source of interaction with the content. Feedback is thus important and is supposed to be
comprehensive (Sweet, 1986).

Interaction with content leads to academic integration. which is defined by Tinto
(1975) as scholarly achievement, but includes student's involvement with the intellectual
activities and services offered by the institution. Academic integration is important
according to Sweet (1986) because it leads to commitment to the institution and to the

goal of college graduation.

Influence of learner/interface contact on dropout in distance education

The majority of interaction in distance education happens via some medium,
which could be anything from books, audiotapes to computers and interactive television.
The general effect is the removal of instructor's ability to respond immediately to
students' body language or interests.

Different technologies allow different degrees of interaction, Bauer and Rezabeck
(1992). This is why a multi media approach is recommended in distance education
according to Perraton, (1988). Learners will learn from the different technologies and
benefit from the various combinations of interaction possibilities. Web based learning.
for example, has been seen to use various forms of interaction via Email, discussion

groups and other synchronous and synchronous communication possibilities.

21

CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH DESIGN

Introduction

This qualitative study was carried out to investigate the character and complexity
of the process of dropping out and persistence among online distance education learners
at Athabasca University. Two groups of learners were selected from those who enrolled
during fall of 2000 for online distance education at Athabasca University. Seven learners
participated in this study. Four learners were selected from those who persisted in the
online learning program, while three were selected from the learners who withdrew from
the online leaming program by the end of fall, 2001.

A phenomenological research approach was used to study persistence and non-
persistence among this group of learners at Athabasca University. According to Bird and
Morgan (2003) quoting Marton (1986) the phenomenological approach is used when
“mapping the qualitatively different ways in which people experience, conceptualize,
perceive, and understand various aspects of phenomena in the world around them. In a
phenomenological approach reality is socially constructed through individual or
collective definitions of a situation (Code, 1997). In this study dropping out and
persistence were assumed to be socially constructed phenomena and as such were
investigated using the phenomenological approach, which situates the study in the social
environment in which it happened.

There was no manipulation of the variables and no treatment was administered,
instead observations were made in retrospect, thus informing the study about what

happened in a natural environment (F leezanis, 2001). In a qualitative researcher it is

22

assumed that there is more than one reality in our understanding of a phenomena,
(Fleezanis, 2001). Dropping out and persisting in distance education was assumed to
have different realities depending on the individual, context and setting in which they
happen.

Two groups of learners were studied in this investigation, those who dropped out
and those who persisted in the online distance education programs. For both groups, the
study investigated the antecedents/factors that triggered the need for learners to drop out
or persist in distance education and how these factors built up over time.

Data were collected from the online learners using questionnaires and telephone
interviews. Generic questions were developed for use in the telephone interviews
(Appendix F). The questionnaires were used to collect data about the online learners for
the purpose of focusing the telephone interview to each learner.

The study investigated the nature of the two groups in order to find out:

o How families of the two groups influenced the decisions of the learners to persist
and/or withdraw from online learning

0 How work influenced the decisions of the learners to persist and/or withdraw
from online learning

0 How online peer learners influenced the decisions of the learners to persist and/or
withdraw from online learning?

0 How Athabsca University as an institution influenced the decisions made by the
learners to persist and/or withdraw from online learning?

0 The academic backgrounds of the learners at the start of the distance education

program?

23

o How their goals and commitment to achieving the goals changed with time?

Research methodology

The study used the qualitative research design to investigate the character and
nature of dropping out and persistence in online distance education as experienced by the
seven online learners. Qualitative research is used in such instances where there is a need
to increase understanding of a phenomenon, (Merriam and Cafarella, 1989). Merriam
and Cafarella (1989) statede that such research may increase the investigator's familiarity
with a phenomenon for the purpose of carrying out further highly structured
investigation.

According to Ary (2002) qualitative research argues that human behavior is
always bound to the context in which it occurs and that what is important in the social
disciplines is understanding and portraying the meaning that is constructed by the
participants involved in the social settings. The study thus included background
information about Athabasca University as a way of understanding the context in which
the learners made the decisions to persist or withdraw from the various online programs
that they were enrolled in. The background information of the seven online learners was
also investigated to help understand the observations made in the study.

The research also described the social context in which the learners operated. The
social context looked at such factors as the family, work and leisure as they related to the
learner. Learners in distance education programs have competing demands for their time

due to their family, work and leisure commitments. Qualitative research studies real-

24

world behavior, according to (Ary, 2000). In this sense this research investigated the
process of dropping out as it happened and uninfluenced by any experimental events.

Most research has studied dropping out from the standpoint of the institutions
whose intentions may be to increase persistence for the purpose of keeping in business
(Eisenberg and Dowsett, 1990). This study tried to understand the process of dropping
out as perceived by the learner in the particular socio-economic context of the learner.

The learners were invited to participate in the study through a letter (Appendix B)
forwarded to them from Athabsca University. The letter explained the purpose of the
interview and that the learners were selected by Athabasca University. It was made clear
that the researcher did not have the contact details of the potential respondents at the time
of invitation. This was done to build trust and confidence in the learners. This is
important in a qualitative study where the truthfulness and trustworthiness of the data
depended on the trust built between the respondent and the researcher.
Sample

The sample consisted of two groups of first time online learners at Athabasca
University who enrolled for the online learning program during fall 2000. One group
enrolled for fall 2000 and was still enrolled at the end of fall 2001. The other group
enrolled in fall 2000 but had withdrawn by fall 2001.
Conducting the research

The study used the phenomenology methodology to study the concept of dropping
out in distance education. Creswell (1998) says phenomenology describes the meaning
of the lived experiences for several individuals about a concept or phenomena.

Phenomenology is used to ". .. determine what an experience means for the persons who

25

have an experience and are able to provide a comprehensive description of it. From the
individual descriptions, general or universal meanings are derived, in other words, the
essence of structures of the experience", (Creswell, 1998).

Athabasca University was purposefully chosen for this study because it offered
degree programs that have been running for a considerable period of time and had
sizeable numbers of learners who persisted and/or dropped out of distance learning.

A letter of introduction was sent to Athabasca University (see appendix A) on
May 22, 2003. The purpose and process of the study was described to Athabasca
University and a request made to use their online learners as subjects for the study.
Athabasca University agreed that their online learners would participate in the study
dependent upon the outcomes of an application made to the Athabasca University
Research Ethics Board. An application had been made to the Michigan State
University’s University Committee on Research Involving Human Subjects and approval
was granted to the researcher to conduct the research.

The approval from Michigan State University was only used as a supporting
document to the application made to Athabasca University review board. On June 20 the
review board of Athabasca University approved the application to conduct the research
using their online learners as subjects of the study (Appendix J). However Athabasca
University could not release the names of potential respondents to the researcher before
they had agreed to participate in the study.

The researcher therefore sent 40 copies of the research instruments and invitation
letter to Athabasca University for forwarding to the learners. The research package that

was sent to Athabasca University had the following contents:

26

i. Invitation letter for the potential respondent to participate in the research
(Appendix B)
ii. Reminder to forward to the potential respondent two weeks after sending the
invitation letter (Appendix C).
iii. Consent Form in which the respondent agreed to participate in the study and
was assured of confidentiality (Appendix D).
iv. Contact Form where the respondent provided contact details and possible
dates for the telephone interview (Appendix E).
v. Questions that would be used during the telephone interview (Appendix F).
vi. Pre-Interview questionnaire (Appendix G)
vii. Background information form (Appendix I)
On August 5, 2003 Athabasca University forwarded the invitation letters and the
complete research package, except the reminder, to the potential participants. Forty
copies of the research packages were sent to the online learners of the fall 2001 cohort at
Athabasca University. Twenty copies were sent to the group who persisted in online
learning by being enrolled at the end of fall 2000. Another twenty copies were sent to
those learners from the same cohort but had withdrawn from online learning before the
end of fall 2001. On August 13, 2003 Athabasca University forwarded reminders to all
the potential respondents for the study. This was done to improve the response rate of the
online learners.
The learners who agreed to participate in the study replied directly to the
researcher using the self-addressed envelopes that were enclosed. The responses were

received between August 15 and August 30, 2003. In the responses the learners returned

27

the signed consent forms (see appendix D). the completed questionnaires (see appendix
G), their contact details (see appendix E) and the times when they could be contacted for
the telephone interviews. The questionnaire provided background information about the
online learners that was useful in familiarizing the researcher with the learners. This
familiarity was important in that it helped to focus the telephone interviews to each

learner.

Instrumentation and data collection

Data was collected using questionnaires (see appendix G) and telephone
interviews (see appendix F). Questionnaires were used to gather data on the background
information of the learners. In this questionnaire learners were asked about interaction
with peers and faculty and how the interaction changed progressively. The
questionnaires also included a section for demographic data where the respondents
supplied information about their background. In addition, the questionnaire was used to
ask those respondents who would be willing to take part in the telephone interview.

The returned questionnaire data were used to guide the interview questions that
were asked to the respondents in a telephone interview. A telephone interview protocol
(see appendix F) was used to explore how the learner's commitment changed
progressively from the time of deciding to enroll to the time of dropping out or achieving
the intended goal. A basic interview protocol was prepared in advance but the questions

asked depended on the data obtained from the questionnaire.

28

Procedure of data collection

The process of data collection started with gaining trust with the respondents.
This was achieved by gaining access to the respondents via the administration offices of
the distance education institution.

The researcher set up interview dates with the respondents. The interviews were
conducted between August 18 and September 03, 2003. The interviews took between 30
and forty-five minutes to conduct. In the interview, the researcher explained to the
respondents why he was interested in this study. The researcher encouraged the
respondents to ask questions about the study as well as about the researcher in order to
gain trust before going on to interview the respondents (Bogdan, 1998). The respondents
were strangers in this study, as such a good part of the interview involved building
relationships (Bogdan, 1998). It was important to get to know each other and put the
respondent at ease in order to get reliable data. The researcher reaffirmed the purpose of
the study and assured the respondents that responses would be treated confidentially.

The interviews were intended to produce rich data that revealed the perspective of
the respondents (Bogdan, 1998) on persistence and withdrawal from online distance
education at Athabasca University. The researcher sought for clarifications and specifies
and examples of points made by the respondent. The respondents were treated as experts
in persistence and dropping out of distance education.

The researcher explained to the respondent the larger goal of the interview, which
was to try and describe the various forms of drop out behavior and understand the

complexity of persistence and dropping out in distance education. This approach tells the

29

respondent that his/her ideas are respected and that the respondent is the one who knows
while the researcher is there to learn.

Since the interview was about the past, the questions were phrased so that they
probed the respondent to think back from when he or she decided to enroll for distance
education and then reflect progressively on how he or she persisted or dropped out over
time. This was important in that the theoretical framework used in this study emphasizes
that the process of withdrawal or persistence is longitudinal. According to this theoretical
framework, the decision to persist or withdraw changes over time as it is influenced by
such factors as social and academic integration, leamers' background characteristics and
goal commitment.

Listening

Listening is an important skill in the process of data collection using the telephone
interview. The researcher listened carefully to what the respondents said and asked
questions to understand but not to challenge what the respondent said (Bogdan, 1998).
Every word was treated as having potential to unlock the mystery of the subject's point of
view about distance education and dropping out. The researcher took notes as the
interview was done, but the interviews were also tape-recorded and transcribed. This was
done to have a correct record of what was said in the interview.

The interview listened carefully for any leads to potentially useful data and kept
the interview flexible. According to Bogdan (1998) being flexible means responding to
the immediate situation that sits before you not to some predetermined set of procedures
and stereotypes. When there were instances of value conflicts, the research upheld the

feelings of the respondents because the intention of the study was to learn the views of

30

the respondent and why they were that way. It was not the intention of the study to

change the views of the respondent.

Data analysis

The telephone interview was the main method of data collection. The interviews
were taped and transcribed. The transcriptions were carefully read to find out trends in
the way the two groups of online learners persisted or discontinued from online learning
at Athabasca University. Significant statements were extracted from the transcription.
The significant statements were analyzed to find out the inner meanings of the
statements. Reading and re-reading the statements and reflecting upon them helped the
researcher to obtain the deeper meaning of the statements. The meanings were then put
together and organized into clusters according to some emerging groupings. The clusters
of meanings were referred back to the original transcripts in order to validate them. Each
description in the transcript was read to see if anything had been omitted in the cluster
themes and any corrections made.

Cluster themes that emerged from the aggregate meaning were used to come up
with exhaustive description of the various forms of dropping out and persistence. The
descriptions formulated the essential structures of the various forms of dropping out and

persisting in distance education.

Validity and reliability

“Questions about validity historically arose in the context of experimentalist research

and, accordingly, so did their answers. The emergence of non-experimentalist, so-called

31

"qualitative" methods in educational research over the past two decades, however, poses
new questions” ( Eisemhart, M. A. and Howe, K. R. 1992, p. 644).

Questions of validity and reliability originated from experimental science but this
mode of assessing the truthfulness of data is not suitable for qualitative research.
Eisemhart and Howe (1992) developed standards for testing reliability and validity of
qualitative research.

The first standard postulated by Eisemhart and Howe (1992) "The Fit Between
research Questions, Data Collection Procedures, and Analysis Techniques" (p. 657). The
rationale to this standard is that the data collection methods techniques must be
appropriate to the answering the research question (Garrison, 1994). Eisemhart and Howe
(1992) state that "Research studies qua arguments have questionable validity when
methodological preferences or matters of convenience, rather than research questions,
drive the study design". (p. 657). In other words they are saying that in a valid study
research question should drive data collection techniques and analysis and not vice versa.

The second standard they call "The effective application of specific Data
Collection and analysis Techniques" (Eisemhart and Howe, 1992, p. 659). This standard
according to Garrison (1994) is a requirement that data collection and analysis techniques
have been applied competently and are grounded in the traditional context in which
methods used have been developed.

The third standard is "Alertness to and Coherence of Prior Knowledge"
(Eisemhart and Howe, 1992, p. 659). This standard refers to grounding the study against
the background of existing theoretical, substantive, or explicitly practical knowledge,

Eisemhart and Howe (1992). Garrison (1 994a) support this view by saying that "In this

32

way, the results of the new studies may also be appropriately integrated into the field of
study to which they pertain and our knowledge in the filed is advanced accordingly."

The fourth standard is "Value constraints" (Eisemhart and Howe. 1992, p. 660)).
This standard refers to the usefulness of research. They differentiate between external
value constraints (the value of research in terms of informing and advancing educational
research) and internal value constraints, which pertain to the ethics in regard to the way
research is, conducted vis a vis research subjects (Garrison, 1994).

The last standard is "Comprehensiveness" (Eisemhart and Howe, 1992, 662) and
". . .encompasses responding in a holistic way to and balancing the first four standards as
well as going beyond them." As such this standard demands a judgment about the overall
theoretical and technical quality, a balancing of the value and importance of the study and
the risks involved. in the study, Eisemhart and Howe (1992).

The research conformed to these requirements for validity and reliability. The
research questions influenced the choice of the phenomenological methodology that was
used in the study. Trust was gained from the learners by gaining access to them through
their institution, sending them the interview questions in advance and giving them the
choice to agree to participate by sending own contact details to the researcher. The
questions for the telephone interview were derived from a thorough search of literature

on persistence in distance education.

Limitations of study

The study would have been better carried out using a longitudinal methodology
whereby learners would be interviewed about events as they occurred to them. The

learners would be followed over a period of time and data collected in real time. This

33

was not possible in this study as there was insufficient time for the researcher to carry out
a longitudinal study. A retrospective study was conducted whereby questions were
designed to prompt learners to recall the events and decisions that they made concerning
persistence. This means that the accuracy of the data was subject to the ability of the
learner to recall the information that was required for the study.

Responses could also have been influenced by the final enrollment status of the
learner. A learner who dropped out could have developed a negative attitude about the
online distance education program that might not have been present when the learner
began the program.

A final limitation was that the interviews were carried out with the learners at
their homes. which could have made it difficult for the learner to provide any responses

that may have been negative about their families.

34

CHAPTER FOUR: FINDINGS

Introduction

This chapter presents the findings of the research on persistence and non-
persistence of online learners at Athabsca University. All the online learners who
responded to this research were women. Data were collected in retrospect about the
participation of the online learners as they progressed in their study programs at
Athabasca University and how they made decisions about their studies. This was an
important aspect of this research, which sought to investigate the longitudinal nature of
decision making pertaining to persistence and non-persistence in online learning at
Athabasca University.

Athabasca University was a major part of the context in which the learners
decided to persist or discontinue from online learning. As such data about this university
are presented in some depth as an integral part of the environment that influenced
learners to make decisions concerning continuation with their programs. The context of
the learners is important in a qualitative study as it plays an important role in helping the
researcher understand what is observed. In this case where persistence and non-
persistence of online learners were investigated, it was assumed that learners made
decisions to persist or not in response to demands of their specific environments.

Further, data about the persistent and non-persistent learners in this study are
presented and analyzed as they relate to the respondents’ families, work, and peer

learners effect on Iearners’ involvement in online learning at Athabasca University. Data

35

were also presented about leamers’ change of commitment and influence of the
institution on leamers’ persistence in online learning.

In this chapter no attempt is made to draw specific meaning from the data. The
intention is to allow the reader to get a clear insight of the participants’ involvement in
online learning at Athabasca University, how family, work, peers and institution
influenced their involvement in learning, and how their commitment changed
progressively in the environment that they studied for their programs, eventually leading
to persistence and/or withdrawal. The data are presented specifically as they affected the
particular learners at Athabasca University and are presented in depth in order to allow
the reader to make a personal comparison with different learning contexts of interest to
him/her.

The data were drawn from seven online learners who were interviewed by
telephone using an open-ended questionnaire as presented in the Chapter 3. These seven
online learners described how they experienced learning and made decisions to continue
or discontinue with their learning at Athabasca University. The first part of the data

presentation introduces Athabasca University and the seven online learners.

Athabasca University

Athabsaca University was established in 1970 in response to a rapid growth of
university enrollments in Canada. Soon after its establishment there was a decrease in
university enrollments giving questions about the establishment of another “campus
based” university in Alberta province. A pilot project was initiated to “. . .study new

teaching and learning strategies for post-secondary students” (History of AU) that would

36

allow students to attend school while they continued to attend to their families and jobs.
This project resulted in the birth of Athabasca University. In 1984 Athabsca University
moved from Edmonton, Alberta, to its current location in Athabasca town. It now has
satellite campuses in Edmonton, Calgary, and St Alberta.

According to Athabasca University (History of AU), “Athabasca University’s
programs are predominantly available through individualized study, in which materials
and a collect call link with a tutor are included in the fees.” A growing number of
courses are offered online, particularly at the graduate level. As a distance education
institution Athabasca University was set up to minimize the barriers to learning that
characterize conventional colleges.

The university has individualized courses, which allow learners to learn at their
own pace. The undergraduate individualized courses allow learners to enroll year-round,
and classes can be taken anywhere, anytime through the use of individualized learning
materials such as student manuals, CD-Rom, audiocassettes and the Internet. Further to
this, any person 18 years and older residing in Canada, the United States of America or
Mexico is eligible for admission to the University.

There were 24,136 students in the 2001-2002 academic year, which is the year
when the subject of this study enrolled (Annual Report 2001-2002: Contents). This
represented a growth rate of 76% in five years (Annual Report 2001-2002: Contents).
The demographics of the university show that at the undergraduate level 66% were
females and the majority of students were under 25 years of age (Athabasca University,
2002). At the graduate level the age range of the majority of students was about 25-43

years (about 78%) and women are about 52% of the graduate student population (Annual

37

Report 2001-2002: Contents). The majority of women are in the traditionally women
dominated programs such as health studies (93% women) and Integrated Studies (73%
women) (Annual Report 2001-2002: Contents). “Female participation in established
programs has nevertheless seen a progressive increase: the proportion of women in the
MDE, for instance, rose from 56.8% in 1996-97 to 63.9% in 2001-02, and in the MBA,
from 25.5% to 31.2% (Statistical information about AU).

The next section describes the participants and how they experienced online

learning in the context of Athabasca University.

The Learners

This section presents the profiles of the seven online learners, their similarities
and differences that were a part of their overall decision-making process. The section
separates the two groups of online learners into persistent and non-persistent learners.
The reader will get a clear insight of each group as they progressed with their online
learning programs and decided to continue or discontinue. This clear understanding
provides the reader with a basis for a comparative distinction of the two groups and helps
to find out if there are any characteristic trends for further in depth investigation.

Profiles of the persistent online learners

This subsection presents data about the four persistent online learners who
participated in this study. Fictitious names were used in this report to protect the identity
and privacy of the learners.

Samantha is a 35 year old married woman who had her first baby after she had

been in the adult online learning program for a couple of semesters. She is employed as a

38

Health Care Administrator. She works 40 hours a week and had a bachelor‘s degree
when she enrolled at Athabasca University for a Master’s degree program.

Katie is 52 years old and works as a Psycho-geriatric consultant. She was a
baccalaureate when she enrolled at Athabasca University. She works 40 hours a week.
She is married and has 5 children of ages 13, 17, 24, 30 and 32. At home she lives with
her husband and two children, 13 and 17 years old.

Hilary is a 46 years old woman and works as a Community Health Nurse. She is
married and has a 17-year-old son. She had a Bachelor of Nursing degree when she
enrolled at Athabasca University. She works 35 hours a week.

Rose is a single woman with no children, 43 years old and works as a Clinical
Manager. She works 40 hours a week and had a Bachelor of Nursing degree before
enrolling for the Master’s program at Athabasca University.

Profiles of the non-persistent online learners

This subsection presents data about the three non-persistent online learners who
participated in this study. The profile of the non-persistent learners viewed together with
the background data about Athabasca University provide the reader with the context that
influenced the non-persistent learners to discontinue from online learning at this
university.

Getrude is 46 years old and married. She has two children who are 15 and 16
years old. She works 40 hours a week and she had a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing when
she enrolled at Athabasca University. She was employed as a Registered Nurse.

Stembeni is a 23-year-old woman who is single and has no children. She works

40 to 60 hours a week as a Corrections Officer. She had a diploma in nursing when she

39

enrolled for a Bachelor of Professional Arts at Athabasca University. She wanted to
major in criminal justice.

Pam is a 57 years old married woman with no children. She works 28 hours a
week as a Registered Nurse. She had a Bachelor’s degree in nursing when she enrolled at

Athabasca University.

Experiences of the persistent online Learners

This section presents the data about the four persistent learners who participated
in this study. The data about the four persistent online learners is presented according to
the following themes; the effect of family, work, peers and the institution on persistence

of online learners and. change in commitment to online learning at Athabasca University.

The effect of family on online leamers’ decisions concerning persistence

Family concerns were an important part of the context of the persistent online
learners at Athabasca University that influenced the participants’ involvement in online
learning. Some learners had their involvement in online learning aided by their families
whilst others found families to be disruptive.

Husbands were mentioned as having been supportive to the persistent women
online learners who participated in this study. Hilary said, “My husband was far more
pleased with me sitting on the computer than worrying about me being on the road
driving. So as far as safety concerns, I was here with the family rather than being away
in the evening and for menopausal women it is great that you can wake up in the middle

of the night and work. It is quite a helpful tool.”

40

Samantha was encouraged by her husband to enroll for online learning at
Athabasca University. At the time that she enrolled she wasomarried but she did not have
a child. She had time to study at home where her husband allowed her quiet time to do
her studies. Katie’s husband was supportive too, she said, “My husband was very
supportive, he encouraged me to enroll at Athabasca University.”

When there was pressure arising from family commitments, the persistent online
learners chose to suspend school while they allowed the pressure to subside and then re-
enrolled once they felt that the pressure was under control. Samantha had a baby after
two semesters of her studies. She dropped the class that she had enrolled in during the
spring semester. This is the time when the baby was new and needed a lot of attention.
She had enrolled because she was committed to her studies and thought that she would
manage the tasks of caring for the baby and studying for her program. She, however,
dropped the courses after two weeks. She said, “I signed up for a class in the spring
session and that’s when the baby was new. I dropped the class afier two weeks. The
baby was a month old and I just found that it was too much. This is my first course now
since my break after having the baby and he is 6 months old now.”

In a different form of family pressure Hilary missed two semesters because her
husband got sick. Hilary said, “After a year I kind of took a downslide because my
husband got sick. I missed two semesters, but that’s it. I am back on board. Its
something that I really want to do.” Hilary re-enrolled even though her husband was not
fully recovered, but she thought at that time she could manage.

These learners succumbed to the pressure of family demands but this was only for

a short period of time. They had a strong personal commitment to their studies and saw

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the interruptions/breaks in their continuation of studies as “stop outs” rather than “drop
out”. They picked up their classes as soon as they could handle the pressure again. In the
case of Hilary, she went back to studying even before her husband was firlly recovered.
She missed two semesters and she thought that was all she could sacrifice.

Rose was single and so she found that she progressed smoothly in her studies with
no one getting the way. She said, “I am a single person so I probably have a bit more free
time than some folks with family and children.”

One persistent learner reported that as time went by, her family got eager to see
her complete the online program. Katie said, “My dog has got used to seeing me sitting
at the computer. My kids try to drag me away so that I do not spend a lot of time at the
computer. They kind of say ‘Mom, when are you gonna have a break?’ They have been
trying to drag mom off the computer instead of the other way around. Kind of a reversal
you know.”

Samantha said that the support that she got did not change. It remained the same
throughout her study. She said, “They (family) were very supportive throughout my

study period. I had a baby and this made organizing my day more important.”

The effect of work on online Iearners’ decisions concerning persistence

Work is another factor that influenced leamers’ decisions about persistence in
online learners at Athabasca University. Some learners found work to be supportive of
their learning experiences while others found work to be disruptive of their efforts.

Katie said she got a lot of encouragement from work. She said, “My work place
is a very proactive education-driven facility that really supports people in their education.

Frankly, they have been very supportive. Well, I am in mental health. Personally I have

42

a bias because I think that mental health people are very in tune with other mental health
people. To be honest with you the Mental Health Center is fantastic for that. They
encourage fact sharing and the people that I work with are interesting. They wanna know
what course I am doing this time, they have been very, very supportive.” In this
statement Hilary seems to express a clear support from her work place, which made her
enjoy her online learning at Athabasca University. Even one year after she enrolled,
Hilary found that though the people at her work wanted her to be done with her learning
endeavor, they continued to be supportive.

Hilary said her employer was supportive in that she was allowed to do some of
her studies at work. She could use the computers at work and Internet to access her
courses. She said, “I have changed jobs, so I am now with a different employer from
when I enrolled for my online learning. They are very supportive, like I can go online
while I am at work. I have computer access here. Although I don’t think they would
want me to do an entire day online, but I can check messages and do some of my
homework. This job is less stressful than my last job. My last job was extremely busy,
like sometimes on weekends I had to do work at home. I no longer have to do that now.
In my last job I didn’t study at work.” Clearly this is another case of a learner who
enjoyed her online learning at Athabasca University because her work was supportive to
her studies.

Samantha said her work was supportive in that they encouraged her to do her
studies, but they did not allow her time at work to do her studies. She said, “I had to

make sure that I was not putting in more than the usual nine hours a day so that I could

43

come home and do my school work. At work they are encouraging me to do it, but they
are not supportive financially or time wise.”

Rose had good support from work as well, she said, “I certainly got support from
peers and my boss. I suspect the amount of work I took home diminished compared to
what I would have normally done prior to starting. Now I spend more time reading
things related to school wor .”

The number of hours that a person worked seemed to compete with the time
available to study. These persistent learners tried to balance the number of classes they
took with the number of hours that they worked per week. It is not possible to say that
there was a ratio of the number of hours worked to the number of classes taken. It all
depended on the individual and her perception of the amount of work that she could
handle.

Katie said, “When I started I was working three days a week, I have dropped back
to one course per semester in the fall because I will be working five days a week.” Hilary
made decisions according to her perception of how much she could do in order to balance
school and work.

Hilary enrolled for one course at a time and she worked 35 hours a week. She
said, “I only do one course at a time. This is to allow time for my family and work. I
would love to do more but I can’t. I can only handle what I can handle. I always did one
course at time. I was realistic from the beginning. I know my limitations.” Hilary said
that her work was not stressful. She felt that she worked for fewer hours than what she
was paid for, but still she perceived that she could not handle more than one course if she

was to give enough attention to her work and family.

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Samantha worked 40 hours a week and she enrolled for one class per semester.
She could not do her studies at work and at the time of the interview she had a 6 months
old baby. This made it difficult for her to study during the day as well. She could only
study when the baby had gone to sleep. Her work took the full daytime away from study
and when she was at home, the baby needed attention. So she could only study at night
but this did not deter her from persisting in her online learning program.

Rose on worked 40 hours but she found that she could easily handle her
schoolwork. She said, “I had only taken one course per term. After two semesters of
taking one course per term I realized that I might even be able to cope with two. The
amount of reading is very reasonable, you are not overwhelmed with it.”

The effect of peers on online leamers’ decisions concerning persistence

Peer learners influenced other learners to enjoy the process of online learning
and/or had no influence on other online learners. The learners in online learning did not
get to see their peers who they interacted with, but they were engaged in written
communication through discussion boards and email. The written communication helped
the online learners to create mental images of their peer learners and develop
relationships with these peers. These relationships seemed to enhance learner
commitment to online learning.

Katie said, “I found that I started to build relationships with other students and
with the teacher. I found that in actual fact my commitment went up a great deal because
I found myself more interested in the courses. I found that to be very intriguing because

it was like going online and saying ‘Okay so what did you think about what I said last

45

night?’ I found myself going online more and being committed more to the courses than
I would have been going to classrooms.”

Samantha said, “The instructor and the students were very helpful”. She enjoyed
the support that she got from other students even though she did not get to meet them
personally.

Katie did not worry about not having to meet face to face with her peers. She
said, “For me that didn’t bother me. To be honest with you I sort of formed mental
images. The mental images are probably way off what the person actually looks like. I
never found out, but that doesn’t bother me. I found that through their words I got to
know them. Their personality came through their supportiveness, there were so many
different types of personalities within each class and I got to know some of those people
again and again in different classes. So I guess you get a strong sense of camaraderie and
helping one another because you all feel in the same boat than you would ever in a
classroom.”

The effect of the institution on online leamers’ decisions concerning persistence

The institution influenced the online Iearners’ persistence decisions through the
provision of a learning environment that was perceived to be conducive for learning.
This environment was portrayed through the instructors, technical staff and requirements
for eligibility of continued studying.

Katie said, “I find that the staff and the university are far more prompt to get back
to you than it was with regular phone calls to other universities when I did my

undergraduate work.”

46

“I found that it was great getting the books ahead of time which was suddenly
something that I wasn’t used to. In fact for some courses in my undergraduate courses it
took a few weeks into the course before I could get the textbooks. This is a real luxury to
get your books a few weeks ahead of time and start reading. I also find that you don’t
have to go hunting for different reference articles, they give you more than enough
material to read and to be able to explore different web sites.

“I like sharing my thoughts on the computer system itself, it is much better than
the classroom. I find that I would say more and take more risk on the online learning
than I would in a classroom.”

Hilary also found out that Athabasca University provided a great learning
environment that helped her to enjoy learning. She said, “ In the beginning I was quite
(computer) illiterate. I got all kinds of support from Athabasca, I could email or phone if
there was anything that I could not get online. They were phenomenal.

“I am in Nova Scotia, so we are 3 or 4 hours behind Athabasca. So most of the
time I needed to ask questions it was office hours in Athabasca. Whenever I needed to
call they were supportive for me.”

Hilary went on to say that, “ I did my bachelor’s degree at a different distance
education college from Athabasca. I moved to Athabasca because at the other university
they did not have Masters’ degree programs online. If they had the program I would
carefully look at the courses before enrolling. When I did my degree we had to go to the
university for our labs and science courses. There is nothing like that at Athabasca.

“I am happy with Atahbasca, its extremely expensive. It’s the most expensive university,

but I am happy with the courses.”

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The instructors provided a favorable learning environment that helped the online
learners to build a good relationship with Athabasca University, leading to a commitment
to completing their programs at the university.

Katie said, “The teachers, definitely the teachers were phenomenal. I had one
teacher phone me from Alberta to help me make some decisions about the courses that I
was taking and the stream that I was in. She helped me make some very good decisions
around changing streams and as a result of the discussions and thinking about things, I
got into a better course for myself. Now I am moving into better employment because of
taking the courses.”

“I even found that I formed relationships with support staff that in actual fact if I
had been going to regular class, you don’t get to see them. Cheryl Backle, she was
fantastic. Cheryl is an absolute gem. If you have any questions, this lady comes through
and she answers them for you right on the nose. I am very, very impressed.”

In one case a learner did not seek support fiom the university even though it was
available. Samantha said, “In the beginning I was moderate with computers. I did not
get support from Athabasca. I just learned computers on my own. This is how I wanted
it. The instructors and students were very helpful, but I preferred to do things on my
own.”

Change of commitment to online learning over time

Commitment to completing the program tended to shift with time generally

starting high and then falling down just after enrolling and then rising up one year after

enrolling. Just before enrolling the learner was eager to obtain the Master’s degree and

advance career chances. After enrolling, the program seemed overwhelming and the time

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to completion seemed to be far. However, after one year, with a few courses behind them
the online learners began to see light at the end of the tunnel. For some learners the
program felt easier than in the beginning and they even considered increasing the number
of classes they took per semester.

Katie said, “In terms of my commitment I would say that I was definitely
intrigued, I definitely wanted to turn around and get my Master’s. In terms of my
commitment to online learning, when I first began I was nervous and I didn’t know what
to expect. I had some ethnological problems related to the computer and how things
worked, which was very frustrating. Once I got the hang of it, it was really terrific.

“Immediately after enrolling I got more committed. Once I got in and found that
it was not as scary as I thought it was going to be and I found that we started to build
relationships with other students and with the teachers, I found that in actual fact my
commitment went up a great deal because I found myself more interested in the courses.

“I think after about a semester it was like, ‘Oh my goodness this is gonna take a
lot more years’ and it seemed very heavy into work. It wasn’t until I was halfway that I
felt, ‘Oh my goodness I can see the light at the end of the tunnel’. Now that I am only
three courses away from finishing my program, it’s like oh! My goodness the light is
there. It feels like it’s going to be a long haul when you start, after about half a year you
start to get a little discouraged. You kind of get a hold and say Oh! What did I get
myself into?

“Once you get half way there is encouragement from other students too, when
they are saying they are two courses or one away, ‘I felt like that when I was there’.

There is sort of that encouragement to keep going you know, and as people are finishing

49

its like ‘Oh! Wow you made it, way to go.’ You sort of get each other along and the fact
that you have seen new people come on board and all of a sudden you can help them
through some of their technological problems that you had. You start supporting and
mentoring them. You sort of feel a little bit more confident about the computer usage.
You start getting braver about saying ‘Well why don’t you try such and such, it may
help.’ It kind of helps how you feel about the steps that you have gone.”

For Hilary commitment did not change over time. She had wanted to get the
Master’s degree for a long time, so once she enrolled she was committed throughout.
She said, “It (commitment) did not change. Once I make up my mind to do something, I
stay committed and focused. Once I made up my mind to enroll and I did it, there was no
tuming back.”

Samantha also said that her commitment did not change much throughout her
study for the Master’s program. She said, “My commitment remained the same, I was
steadfast the whole time. After some time I became more eager to finish studying for my
program.”

Rose said her commitment improved with time as she realized. that the program
was not as scary as she thought. She said, “I think my commitment improved because I
realized that it is quite manageable.”

These online learners did not have to substantially change their ways of life in
order to accommodate their studies. They continued with most of their lifestyle.
Samantha said, “I did not drop any of the activities that I did before I took classes. I

continued with the same activities and same friends.”

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Experiences of the non-persistent learners

This section presents the data about the three non-persistent learners who
participated in this study. The data about the three non-persistent online learners is
presented according to the effect of family, work, peers and the institution on persistence

of online learners and change in commitment to online learning at Athabasca University.

The effect of family on online learners’ decisions concerning persistence

The families of the non-persistent learners had an important role in the
involvement of the learners in online learning at Athabasca University. The family gave
support for persistence of the learners in distance education. Family in the group that was
non-persistent referred to siblings and parents for the learners who were single. For the
married learners family meant the husband and children. Family seemed to have a
positive influence towards learners’ involvement in online learning.

Rose said, “It (family) probably did not affect it (involvement in online learning)
a great deal. I am a single person so probably I have a bit more free time than some folks
with family and children.

Pam said, “My husband is very encouraging. I could have gone on if I wanted
to.” She found her husband encouraging her to continue with her studies but she felt that
she was not getting any fulfillment from participating in the program.

Getrude only said that her husband helped her in making the decision to enroll at
Athabasca University. There was no further mention of support from the husband after

enrolling.

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Sharing the resources for learning at home was a challenge for Getrude. She had
to share the computer with her two children. She said, “I needed to have the computer.
The children were monopolizing the computer. So most of the time I studied at night.”

Getrude had her participation in online learning negatively influenced by her
feeling that she was not spending enough time with her children. She said, “ The reason
that I withdrew from the program was that I wasn’t spending enough time with my
children. I could see that in their behavior, I wasn’t spending enough time with them.
That caused me a lot of stress. “It (discontinuing) had nothing to do with the course. It
had to do with my life style. I completed the course that I had enrolled in, and then
decided not to continue.”

Stembeni who was 23 and single found that her parents and siblings encouraged
her to enroll at Athabasca University. She said, “I live by myself. They (family) were
really supportive and happy that I was going back to school. They wanted me to continue
after my two years at the community college, but I wanted to start working. They were
really happy when l was decided to return to school. That contributed to my motivation.”

At her point of dropping out, Stembeni felt that if she dropped out, she would
disappoint her family who she had promised that she would complete her studies this
time. She said, “I was getting hard on myself and I didn’t want to disappoint my family
because they were so happy for me and I became kind of negative about it.”

The effect of work on online learners’ decisions concerning persistence

Learning was influenced in different ways by the type of employment and

workplace that the learner was in. In general though, work commitment seemed to

compete for time with the study commitments. When there was stiff competition for time

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between work and study, it was work that prevailed. The learner seemed to find it a
better option to drop out of studies than to lose a job. For other learners work positively
influenced the learner’s participation in online learning.

Getrude said, “Coworkers appreciate what I am doing.” She felt encouraged by
her coworkers who gave her morale support to continue with her studies. She felt that
obtaining the master’s degree from Athabasca University would better her career
advancement opportunities in the organization that she worked for. She said, “Career
opportunities motivated me to back to school. I wanted to get my Master’s degree so that
I could further my career opportunities in the organization that I work for.”

Stembeni found that work was a major disruptive factor in her studies. She said,
“Well I think my work was a primary barrier because I work shift work on call. I work at
a prison. At that time we had a major disturbance, a riot. So it was very, very stressful,
there was a lot of over time at work. I was working 16 to 18 hours everyday for two
weeks at a time. At that time I was taking two of the distance education courses, and felt
so far behind. I would say pressure at my work made me to discontinue.

“My people at my workplace knew that I was having problems at school. They
knew because sometimes I would bring my homework to work if I was working night
shift. They kind of just asked, ‘Aren’t you in school any more?’ Everybody was sort of
very sorry that I had dropped out.”

There was a little bit of inconsistence in the way Pam expressed how her work
influenced her involvement in online learning. She said, “Ah, well yeah work was a
hindrance. It took a lot of my time, no I think as far as that goes the amount of work that

I had, I could have handled.

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She said she had encouragement from her supervisor and not from her co-
workers. She said, “I got encouragement from my supervisor, well some encouragement.
It seems like a lot of the other nurses that I work with, they just kind of see you like you
are showing off or you. are trying to be smart, which is a disgrace actually. It doesn’t
really bother me, if I decide to do something I do it. I don’t care what people think. but

you know its kind of disappointing.

The effect of peers on online learners’ decisions concerning persistence

The peers seemed to provide an environment that was conducive to learning in
one case while in the other case peers were not seen as part of the learning resource in the
online learning program.

Pam said this about learner interaction and involvement, “It was better than I had
expected actually. One of the learners that I was working with on a project, we got
together because we live about an hour’s drive from each other. The others I talked to on
the phone. But I don’t think they are people I would keep in touch with you know.”

She enjoyed interacting with her peers and the instructor. She said, “I found that
Master’s degree courses are definitely a step up from Bachelor’s degree courses. I learnt
a lot, and I really like email, the Internet way of learning of doing things because the
interactions that we had with other learners and my professors were really good. I like
the interaction, you feel like you get to know your classmates.”

Getrude had problems with the computer technology but she did not share this
with other learners. She said, “They did not know that I had problems. I did not want to

embarrass myself.” She shared her technology problems with the instructor and thought

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that all other leamers were not having problems. So thought that by sharing her problems
other learners would think lowly of her.

Getrude did not talk a lot about the relationships with other peers. She seemed to
want to learn on her own and only shared her learning problems with the instructor. She
therefore did not enjoy the support and interaction from other learners. Getrude did not
build strong relationships with her peer learners.

Stembeni struggled a lot with balancing school and work, but she did not mention
Sharing her problems with other learners. She only mentioned her work mates as the
people who got to know that she was having problems. She does not seem to have
developed any relationships with her peers. She therefore did not benefit from peer

support.

The effect of institution on online leamers’ decisions concerning persistence

The institution influenced the learners’ decisions about persistence through the
provision of a learning environment that was perceived not to be conducive for learning.
This environment was portrayed through the instructors, technical staff and requirements
for eligibility of continued studying.

Learners can enroll for no more than two courses without registering for a
program. This became a barrier to the learner who was not sure whether she wanted to
do the whole program or not. After completing two courses she was still unsure whether
or not she wanted to do the program. Pam said, “I just enrolled and did two courses. I
would have taken more, but you can’t take more than two courses without entering into a

program. Well I don’t know. I still could change my mind and go for it next year. It’s

55

awfirl; it’s a real commitment of work. At this point in my life I like to do some
volunteer work and that kind of thing.”

Clearly she was not sure of what she wanted, she seemed like she was in the
middle of a self-searching process. At one point she thought she would enroll in the
following year, and at the other she thought she was at the point in her life when she
should be doing volunteer work. Athabasca compounded her problem by setting a limit
to the number of courses that she could take before she enrolled for the full program. Her
next statement though shows that she was deciding to leave Athabasca for a different
institution that offered the course that she desired.

She said, “I am enrolled in a different course by distance education, in a different
institution. I am starting in fall. It is more on interpersonal relationship, you know. I
guess right now I just want to study that kind of thing rather than career building. I am
happy with where I am now in my career.

“Well I have a Bachelor’s degree. I just wanted to pick up a couple of Master’s
courses to see whether or not I wanted do my Master’s. I decided not to. I would rather
take courses for interest at this point. At this point in my life I am more interested in
applying what I have learnt and taking things of interest. I like my work as a Public
Health Nurse and I don’t want to go into administration. So I just didn’t think getting a
Master’s now is a good use of my time.” Even though Athabasca University categorizes
Pam as a drop out, she seems to be one person that knows what she wants and Athabasca
could not offer her that.

Stembeni had been assigned an advisor whom she contacted once when she was

beginning to have problems. As her problems intensified she did not contact the advisor.

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She said “There was a tutor available, she gave us a toll free number and email address. I
made an initial contact, but I did not make any more when l was starting to have some
difficulties. I don’t know why I did not make any further contacts.” Her advisor did not
make any attempts to contact her and find out why she had dropped out. As an institute
Athabasca does not seem to have been providing learner support to Stembeni who
struggled alone with her difficult situation.

She had to make decisions without guidance. She said, “I was getting so tired and
I looked on the Athbasca registration web site and noticed there is a counter set up for
different courses. On this counter they said that coming up in two weeks was the final
day to drop classes without getting a fail on your transcript. This is when I made the
decision to withdraw.”

However at the time of the interview she had re-enrolled at Athabsca University
in a different program. She said, “Actually I am taking an Athabasca course. I enrolled
this September. It is a half correspondence and half classroom course. They just brought
it last year. It’s a correspondence course, but you meet twice in a semester with other
students that are also taking it. This is a better arrangement for me.” Stembeni was 23
years old at the time of the interview. She had just been out of formal school, about two
years. She thus seemed to enjoy the school environment that she had been used to.
Athabasca University seemed to realize that there were learners like her, who wanted

some amount of face-to-face in their distance education programs.

Change of commitment to online learning over time
The commitment to online learning varied amongst the learners in this group of

online learners. One learner was very committed to online learning even at the time that

57

she discontinued. On the other hand the other learner was not very committed right from
the beginning. It seemed that for some learners they enrolled just on a trial basis to see if
they could enjoy the experience and become committed to online learning.

Stembeni was committed throughout her studies to the point of dropping out. She
said, “Just before enrolling, she was very committed to obtaining her degree from
Athabasca University”. She said, “I would say my commitment was very high. I was
really excited about it, I was pretty focused because I love school and I enjoyed it so
much. I guess I have the drive and ambition to go to school. But I need a constant static
schedule to follow, encouragement from teachers and students and the social aspect of
it.”

Even with the professed high level of commitment, Stembeni also said that when
she started she wanted to get the feel of learning online and then decide on completing
her course. She said, “I guess at the start I just wanted to initially start with a couple of
courses, see how well it worked out weave my way back into school, and then by the end
to finish the two years entirely by correspondence and get my degree.” Stembeni
expresses her uncertainty as she rettuned to education. She wanted to get the feel, to find
some encouragement and affirmation that she would survive the distance education
system

She went on to say, “I guess I realized how hard I had to push myself to get things
done, and to sit down and focus on it as opposed to finding other things to do when
everybody else was doing other things. I guess that would be it, I really had to push

myself hard.”

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She said her work was a major contributor to her decision to discontinue from
online learning at Athabasca University. She said, “I guess it was a month into it and I
was bringing two sets of books everyday to work with a big backpack and I wasn’t even
getting a chance to touch them. Everyday I came home so exhausted and had to be up 6
hours later to go back to work. I realized that for weeks I was carrying these books, but I
hadn’t even touched them.

“I kind of started drinking about it, that I was so behind. I mean I was so upset
about it, about like myself and about the money, that I wasn’t going to be able to do it
and I had told everybody that I was gonna do it.

“I figured that I wanted to get my situation at work under control first, that I
would drop out, keep my books, so that would be an incentive for me to begin when I
was able to. So that’s what I did.” It is evident in this situation that Stembeni was
determined to return to learning after she had dealt with her disruptive situation at work.
She was merely stopping out in order to take care of a situation at work and then re-
enroll. She was 23 years old and so had a career ahead of her that she needed to worry
about

Getrude also said that she was very committed when she enrolled at Athabasca.
She said, “I was very committed. I wanted to get my Master’s so that I could further my

career opportunities in the organization that I work for.”

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CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION

Introduction

This chapter discusses the lessons learned from this study and advances
recommendations for distance educational institutions to address the problem of high
dropout rates. The study was designed to investigate the phenomena of persistence and
withdrawal among online distance education learners at Athabasca University. A
phenomenological approach was used to gather data in order to identify the underlying
factors that online learners at Athabsaca University associated with their decisions to
persist or withdraw from online learning. It was the intention of this research to pull out
the factors that related to the decisions made by online distance education learners.

These factors will need to be further investigated using quantitative research methods to
establish the strength of their correlation with persistence and/or withdrawal.

The study was guided by Kember’s theory of persistence, which states that the
phenomenon of dropping out is a longitudinal process that is influenced by various
factors in a learner’s life. The study investigated the influence of family, work, peers and
institution on persistence and withdrawal from online distance education. The discussion
goes further to sift out the underlying lessons derived from the study and makes
recommendations that may be useful to address high rates of dropout in distance

education institutions.

60

The effect of family on online leamers’ decisions concerning persistence

Most of the women online learners in the study were married. They prioritized
their families ahead of all their responsibilities. They suspended or cancelled their
participation in learning when there was competition for time between family and
education. They retumed to learning only when they were sure that the family concerns
were under control.

Most of the women online learners studied at night when they had satisfied the
needs of their families. Family and work responsibilities demanded excessive time from
these women learners. The time demands due to family and learning responsibilities
were defined by the size of the tasks and were not guided by the clock. The women
therefore worked relentlessly into the night when they could study for their online
programs. The roles and responsibilities that the women fulfilled are ascribed by society.
Carrying out these roles and responsibilities is seen as defining the women as mother or
wife. A failure to carry out the responsibilities would impinge on the identity of the
women. The roles and responsibilities have not kept pace with the change of society.
The women tried to be good both as students and wives/mothers. These multiple roles of
mother, employee and student demanded the attention of the online women learners
somewhat exclusively. Some of the women were determined to succeed in all the roles.
Those who decided otherwise suspended or withdrew from their role as student.
Conclusion

It can be concluded that the online leamers’ had a composite identity, composed
of parent, learner and employee roles. These composite roles constitute the self. Within

this composite identity, the family was indeed a powerful aspect of the conglomerate

61

learner’s identity, and it seemed to carry most of the weight when it came to persistence
decisions. This differentiates the adult online learner from the conventional learner. The
main focus of the “...18-year-old boy...” conventional learner in life is learning for the
future. The adult online learner is learning to satisfy current needs and desires of her or
his life. Learning is one of the many roles that the online learner engages in to build a
consistent perception of the self.

These women online learners were bound by the gendered expectations from
society in which they were seen as responsible for the family. Being a mother or a wife
was not simply seen as a role ascribed by society, but as core identities that the women
learners guarded tenaciously. They suspended learning when it threatened their ability to
carry out their responsibilities as wives/mothers.

The women online learners referred to themselves in relation to their families.
They built their identity around their families. As such they were determined to fulfill
their roles in the family and remain as hardworking students. This shows that the
women, who return to education, do so with a lot of motivation and determination as
supported by Pam who said, “Its something (learning) that I really want to do.”

Married women learners have a diminished control over personal time and space
available to them (Edwards, 1993b). This was evident in this study where the learners
studied mostly at night after having met the demands of all family members. Time in
these online leamers’ lives was constructed in relation to the time requirements of other
family members. Women do this in response to the social expectations and value/beliefs
of the roles of wife/mother as ascribed by society. These value beliefs have remained the

same in the face of a changing society. It can be concluded that women require more

62

than time management skills in order to have sufficient time to study. They require
combined effort and support from home and from the educational institution in order to
have sufficient time to study and have some personal time. This is well elaborated by
Hayes (2000) in her statement that, “ Women’s stories suggest, however, that their
organizational abilities are not the crux of the problem; rather, their difficulties are in the
social organization of family and education and in the extent to which women’s time is
controlled by the demands of others” (p. 48).

Recommendations

When adult learners decide to withdraw from learning, the educational institution
should take this decision seriously, from the learner’s standpoint and take measures that
are supportive to the learner’s needs. Distance educational institutions should consider
taking strong measures that help the institution to understand its learners as different from
the usual “...18-year-old bachelor boy student,” (Edwards, 1993). The leamers’ other
responsibilities should not be seen as baggage that they bring to the learning institution
but as their core identity that constitute the self. just as the conventional education has an
identity of the bachelor 18-year-old student.

Instructors of distance online learners need to be exposed to the nature and needs
of the adult learners. This is achieved by engaging the instructors in professional
development programs about online learners. Understanding the online learners helps the
instructors to become responsible for supporting the adult learners as they progress
through their convoluted educational journey. The support should be provided without
slighting the public image and value of distance education. The instructors and the

educational institution need to reflect on the underlying values and essence of education

63

for mature learners. Questions need to be asked about what the learners are searching for
and provide relevant experiences. This requires the instructors to shift from approaching
the curriculum as a discipline, but as learning experiences that are focused specifically
towards the requirements of particular learners. Approaching the course curriculum as a
discipline is good for conventional education where the student is not sure of where she
or he may end up employed.

Higher education institutions are viewed as “. . . generally more concerned with
increasing student mnnbers than with what students experienced once they were within
the institutions,” (Edwards, 1993). Distance education institutions can dissociate
themselves from that view by providing fora for learners to learn and discuss the family
institution as it affects and influences their educational journey. This helps the online
learner to identify and seek for the requirements that she or he will need in order to
negotiate online distance learning.

Distance educational institutions should provide online learners opportunities to
share the challenges that they meet during their participation in the study programs, as
well as encourage them to discuss strategies for coping. Opportunities should be
provided for senior distance online learners to share their experiences with the new
learners and assist the new distance online learners as they acclimatize to their additional
responsibilities.

Distance education institutions should view the family institution as a part of the
influences on learner persistence in which the educational institution can play a positive
role. The learners need to learn, through the educational institution, about the gendered

nature of their roles as wife or mother and time available to them for study and all of their

responsibilities. Such learning helps the women learners to develop a vocabulary for
their experiences. According to Edwards (1993b), once you develop a vocabulary for
something, that thing exists for you and you can decide what to do about it. This
understanding will help the learner not to feel guilty when they are lagging behind with
their work, but to realistically analyze their time requirements. The learners can then
seek support from family and other sources in order to better negotiate the journey of
distance learning.

Distance education institutions can assist the learners by conducting conferences
for their spouses on how they can support online learners to succeed in attaining their
goals. This can help spouses to recognize and understand the social construction of time
available to married women and how families can rearrange task/time requirements from
family members. Distance education institutions can follow up this initiative by
circulating a newsletter that discusses the experiences of the online learners and the

various forms of support benefiting learners in the programs.

The effect of work on online leamers’ decisions concerning persistence

All the women who participated in this study were employed in fulltime jobs.
Most of them were over 35 years old and were aspiring to move to managerial positions.
Contemporary society requires that women participate in employment in their individual
right. This has not necessarily reduced their responsibilities in the family. Getrude who
said, “Because of family responsibilities I could only study through distance education”,

supports this perspective. Merriam and Cafarella (1991), stated that, “Economic

65

necessity and the freeing of occupations traditionally assigned to men have contributed to
this change.

“Cross observes that, “the revolution in women’s lives is the result of two
contemporary forces. On the one hand, social and technological changes push women
out of the home; on the other hand, new opportunities in education and the labor market
pull women into the new worlds of work and education.”

Again, as with the family influence on persistence, work took precedence over
learning, when there was competition for time. Some of the learners returned to their
learning programs after stopping out as a result of pressure from work. Some learners
changed programs while others withdrew completely.

Conclusion

It can be concluded that as with family, work is a part of the identity of the
women online learners. They spent considerable time of their lives at work.

According to Bielby (1992) “Women’s educational attainment and the expansion of job
opportunities and rewards are associated with their increased attachment to the work
sphere” p. 290.

Recommendation

Distance educational institutions can assist the online learners by forming
alliances with employers and through these alliances influence employers to be
supportive of online learners. Online learners can be encouraged to focus their learning
towards their specific professions. This is achieved by engendering research in the

courses of the online learners in which they are directed to learn about their professions.

66

The effect of peers on online leamers’ decisions concerning persistence

The online learners did not meet their peer learners but they interacted via email
and discussion board. The learners developed relationships with each other through
online interaction. Through these relationships they were able to encourage each other to
persist in the learning program. The relationships integrated the learners into the study
program by getting them to enjoy online learning. This is supported by Katie who said,
“You get a lot of work done, but it is done in a fim way.” She said this in reference to
the way she interacted with peer learners through the online discussions.

The online learners who did not participate actively in the online interaction did
not bond with the peer learners and so did not enjoy the online learning experience. This
could have weakened their commitment to online learning. Stembeni who withdrew
from the online program and re-enrolled in a program that had some face-to-face
interaction during the learning program gives evidence to this perspective.

Conclusion

It can be concluded that positive interaction among peer learners helped the online
learners to enjoy the learning experience and thus contribute to persistence. Learners got
fulfillment from helping each other out. Learners become confident from assisting each
other and affirrning that they have indeed gained the knowledge that they sought from the
program.

Recommendation

Instructors of online learning need to emphasize and consolidate student-student

interaction so that the online learners bond with the learning community, develop trust

with each other and enjoy the learning process. There is a challenge in that the learners

67

are physically separated from each other, and as they alluded to, they may not develop
long lasting relationships. That they are separated from each other should not stop them
from developing learning communities in which they associate with each other. This is
achieved by viewing a learning community as consisting of what learners do with each
other rather than the physical distances separating them.

Instructors of online learners can achieve the feeling of a community among the
learners by fostering a sense bonding through using interactive learning activities that
encourage building of trust, acquaintance and feelings of friendship. Dialogue should be
encouraged among the learners. Cooperation too should be encouraged over competition.
The majority of online learners are women, and research shows that women learn better

through cooperation, (Belenky etal, 1986).

The effect of institution on online learners’ decisions concerning persistence

Distance educational institutions have put in place infrastructure that supports
learners who are physically separated from the learning institution. Athabasca had a self-
administered questionnaire that helped prospective students to assess their preparedness
for distance education.

The structure of the undergraduate programs was personalized to fit with the
diverse situations of adult distance education learners. Learners could register any time
during the year, students set their own schedule for completion of each course and course
materials that were sent to the learner included CD-ROM, videotapes, audiocassettes,

study guides and textbooks.

68

The graduate program was different in that it followed a regular semester
schedule as with conventional educational institutions. Graduate students interacted
through the lntemet and participation in online activities was central to graduate learning.
All students had access to tutors who they could access by phone.

The online program that the learners studied for was offered by the grouped study
method wherein learners studied as a group and followed a predetermined time schedule.
Students interacted with their instructors, participated in learning activities, did
assignments and wrote exams according to the course schedule. Students who were not
admitted to a particular program could enroll for a maximum of two courses.

The learners who studied through the online learning program were expected to
have a Pentium class computer, an Internet service provider with graphic interface, an
email account and address, and computer software. In addition the learners had to be
able to interact with peer learners using computer conferencing, submit assignments
online, use email and send attachments, set up projects online, download files, participate
in bulletin boards, receive and respond to instructors’ feedback.

Conclusion

In can be concluded that distance education institutions design online programs
for a defined audience and have set standards and values in close relation to the
conventional universities. This is done to establish and maintain a favorable public
image of the institution and the programs it offers. The learners are expected to use their
wisdom to rearrange their lives so that they can avail time required for their studies.
Work, family and the other responsibilities of the learner are seen as complications in the

learner’s life. The implication is that the learners only need to skillfully deal with their

69

multiple roles of learner, employee and wife or mother in order to succeed in online
learning. The social structural circumstances of the women learners’ lives and how they
cause intense role conflict seem to be ignored.
Recommendations

Conventional educational institutions set their values and standards for a learner
whose focus in life is largely learning and so this type of leaner has time and resources
for that purpose. The non-traditional learner on the other hand has a different focus in
life and does not have a lot of time. This does not imply that the values for non-
traditional education institutions like Athabasca need to be lowered but re-determined in
relation to their particular audience. As observed to earlier, the mature learners may be
ready to do their degrees by dissertation much sooner than the conventional student
(Edwards, 1993). This is so as the mature learner does not necessarily need to learn
about a complete discipline of study but focus on their interests in life.

Distance education institutions have an obligation to educate learners about the
gendered nature of their lives and how these cause intense role conflict in the leamers’
lives. The learners can then be equipped with the vocabulary and skills that are needed to

negotiate online distance education.

Change of commitment to online learning

There were many obstacles and disruptions that intervened as these learners
pursued their distance education programs. The disruptions for the married women
learners came mainly from the family, for example Getrude said “The reason that I

withdrew from the program was that I wasn’t spending enough time with my children.”

70

Such interventions seemed to progressively reduce the inclination. to persist in online
learning at this educational institution. The disruptions influenced some learners to drop
out or stop-out depending on how the learner viewed her or his conglomerate situation.
The learners either withdrew after completing a course or in the middle of a course.

There were also factors that weighted onto the inclination of the online learners to
persist in their programs. Such factors included online interaction with peer learners,
support from work and family. Progressive mastering of the skills required for successful
online learning also weighted onto the inclination to persistence. The learners who had
mastered the required skills for online learning found satisfaction in helping the new
online learners to acquire these skills as well. Assisting new peer learners gave the senior
learners confidence that they had acquired the skills required to succeed in the online
learning program.

The commitment to online learning fluctuated for some learners at different
periods during their study programs. The learners started with high commitment at the
beginning of the programs. This commitment decreased after a while as the program
seemed too long. Commitment rose again when the learner was left with a few courses to
complete her program.

Conclusion

It can be concluded that that leamers’ commitment to online distance education is
longitudinal in nature, meaning that it fluctuates during the learner’s study period. The
fluctuation is a result of the disruption to learning, the supportive factors and a perception
of the social costs of persistence in the online program. There is need to understand these

factors in order to influence fluctuation of commitment along a continuum that benefits

71

the learner. Persistence is thus better understood from the learner’s perspective as a
conglomerate process in which decisions are made as a result of very encompassing
judgments. The judgments are a result of considerations of all the aspects of a learner’s
life. Adult distance education learners have many other responsibilities that demand their
time and attention. All of these responsibilities have different rewards for the online
learner. The learner’s commitment according to Bielby (1992), “. . .is a function of the
net rewards from the activity, the costs of leaving the activity, and the net rewards
available for alternative activities” (p. 285)

Commitment to online line learning as seen from these learners is a strong
personal continued involvement in online learning in the face of fluctuating
circumstances. Commitment came through as an expression of strongly held values and
beliefs that gave identity to the learners. Identity and protection of values of identity are
important in commitment decisions of online learners. Persistence is thus adhered to, to
the extent that it enhanced the central identities of the learners. The central identities are
wife or mother, learner and employee. Bielby (1992) says, “Commitment is seen as an
attachment that is initiated and sustained by the extent to which an individual’s
identification with a role, behavior, value, or institution is considered to be central among
altematives as a source of identity” (p. 284). The roles of learner, employee and mother
together contribute meaning and identity to the online women learners.

Recommendation

Commitment fluctuated in response to how the online learners viewed persistence

as enhancing or threatening their core identities, values and roles. Commitment is seen as

the “. . .ties that link individuals to social structure through the roles, organizations,

72

individuals values with which they affiliate,” (Bielby, 1992, p. 282). These women
learners had their attention torn among the demands of paid work, family expectations
and learning. These three pieces were a conglomerate part of the leamers’ life, with each
aspect carrying different weight. This is the situation that educational institutions need to
be aware of and consider when they design online distance education programs. This
consideration should show through the nature of requirements set for the learners by the
institutions as well as the concern demonstrated by the instructors for the other aspects of
the learner’s life.

Distance education institutions should consider streamlining their guidance and
counseling programs so that there is more support for'beginning learners. New learners
need more support to equip then with the knowledge and skills that they require to be
able to learn comfortably online. Time should therefore be spent on the subject of
learning at a distance, the requirements and expectations.

Online distance education learners need to come together periodically, with their
counselor/advisor to assess progress and reaffirm their goals. This provides opportunities
for the learner to reflect on the process and any arising situations. The advisor/counselor
gets opportunitieS to advise before situations get out of hand. As said earlier, these
counseling conferences would be more frequent for new learners and less frequent for
older learners.

The older learners should be given recognition that they have mastered relevant
skills that they can share with other learners. This is done to build their self-esteem and

pride in their achievements.

73

Conclusion

The study emphasized the assertion that persistence of mature students in online
learning is indeed a complex phenomenon that is an outcome of rational decisions made
by learners from time to time in response to fluctuating learner’s circumstances. This is
contrary to the traditional view of expressing withdrawal as irrational dropout behavior
that educational institutions need to straighten out in online learners. Persistence is an
expression of values and behavior that a learner identifies with. Online learners have a
hierarchy of identities with which they have weighted commitment to. Distance
education institutions need to study and understand these identities in order to fully

understand persistence and develop programs that retain online learners.

74

APPENDIX

75

Appendix A

Request letter for Athabasca University permission to conduct research

Dear Sir/Madam

Re: Request for your cooperation in a research project about online adult distance
education learners

I am writing to request your cooperation in a research project involving learners who
enrolled at Athabasca University for your online adult distance education programs in
Fall 2001. The objective of the research is to investigate the decision-making that goes
into participation in online distance education by adult learners. I am conducting this
research as part of the requirements for my Master’s degree program at Michigan State
University, USA. I have enclosed my research proposal for your ease of reference.

I chose your institution for my study on the basis of it being one of the most consistent
and well-established universities with online degree programs that have been offered for

a long time. I also know that studies of learner participation in distance education
programs have been conducted at your institution. I hope I will contribute to the wealth of
knowledge that your institution has generated already.

Should you allow this research to proceed, I will ask you to randomly select twenty
learners who registered in fall 2001 and persisted with their studies beyond fall 2002. To
these respondents you will send a research package that includes Consent Form,
Contact Form and Pre-Interview Questionnaire. Again I will request that you select
another list of twenty learners who registered in fall 2001 and discontinued at any time
during the 2001 to 2002 academic year. You will send to this group of respondents, a
Consent Form, Contact Form and Pre-Interview Questionnaire

Those who choose to participate will complete the enclosed Consent Form and Pre-
Interview Questionnaire, and return them to me. I will then follow up with a telephone
interview. This way I will only have contact information for those adult online learners
who volunteer to participate.

I greatly appreciate your cooperation in this research. I am available to answer any
questions that you may have concerning this research. My phone number is (517) 355
8156. You can also contact my major Professor, Joseph Levine on the telephone number
(517) 355 6580.

Sincerely

Bernard Gwekwerere
Graduate Student

76

Michigan State University

77

Appendix B

Memorandum

From: Bernard Gwekwerere

Subject: Your Participation in a Research Project

I am writing to request your cooperation in participating in a research project that I am
conducting as part of my graduate studies at Michigan State University (USA). This is a study of
adult online learners who enrolled at Athabasca University in 2001 and persisted or discontinued
from the online distance education program. The objective of the research is to investigate the
decision making process that goes into online learning. Participation in this study will involve
completing a pre-interview questionnaire followed by a telephone interview, which will last for
30-60 minutes.

Many people enroll for distance education in order to keep up with the requirements of a fast
changing world that we live in today. Substantial proportions of these people who enroll in the
distance education programs discontinue before completing their study programs. This research is
an effort to try and uncover the decision-making that goes into participation in online distance
education. The study is expected to generate information that may be important in improving
adult online distance education programs.

This research package has been forwarded to you by the administration at Athabasca University
where names were randomly selected from the list of all learners who enrolled in 2001. If you
would like to participate in this study please reply to me by completing the Consent form that I
have enclosed. Once you complete the Consent Form please complete the Pre—interview
Questionnaire and the Contact Form, and return all three documents to me. When I receive
your response, I will contact you to confirm a time for a telephone interview. The interview will
last 30 - 60 minutes. I have enclosed the major interview questions so that you know what we will
talk about.

Your participation in this research is voluntary, so you are at liberty to discontinue fi'om the
research at anytime. All information from this research will be kept in confidence and the results
will be reported such that your identity will be protected to the maximum allowable extent by
law.

If you choose to participate, please complete the enclosed Consent form, a Pre-Interview
Questionnaire and a Contact Form. Please return these three documents to me by June 10,
2003.

I greatly appreciate your participation in this study. If you have any questions please contact me
at the following phone number, (517) 355 8156 or Professor Joseph Levine at (517) 355 6580.

78

Appendix C

Reminder

 

 

Dear Participant

Recently you received a Pre-Interview Questionnaire that was forwarded to you
from Athabasca University. This card is just a reminder.

If you have already completed and returned the questionnaire please accept my
sincere gratitude. If not yet, but would like to participate, please complete and
return the Consent Form, Pre-interview Questionnaire and Contact Form. I am
especially grateful for your help, as I believe that your response will contribute to
the knowledge on participation in online distance education.

Bernard Gwekwerere
Graduate Student

 

79

 

Appendix D

Consent Form

Mr. Bernard Gwekwerere

Dept of Agriculture, Natural Resources Education and Communication Systems
408 Agriculture Hall 0

Michigan State University 0 East Lansing 0 MI 48824-1039 0 USA 0

Phone (517) 355-6580 0 fax (517) 353-4981

Dear Mr. Gwekwerere

I have read the letter in which you invite me to participate in your research on decision-
making in online adult distance education. I have a reasonable understanding of your
research and I agree to participate.

I understand that participation in this research is voluntary and that I am free to
discontinue at any time during your research. It is also my understanding that my name
and any information that will reveal my identity will not be reported and that every
safeguard will be taken to ensure confidentiality. You have assured me that any data
collected from me will be used for the purposes of your research only and will be
destroyed once your research is completed.

 

 

Signature of participant Date

Name (Please print):

 

Address:

 

City/State/Zip:

 

 

80

Appendix E

Contact Form

Dear Bernard

The best times to contact me are :(please indicate 3 or 4 alternative times when I can call
you for the telephone interviews).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Date Times

June 1, 2003 . ,
June 2, 2003 , 9
June 3, 2003 ,

June 4,2003 , ,
June 5, 2003 . ,
June 7, 2003 ; ,
June 8, 2003 ,

June 9, 2003 , ,
June 10, 2003 , ,
Name Date

Phone number

 

Email

 

Return to:

Bernard Gwekwerere
Dept. of ANR

408 Agriculture Hall
Michigan State University
East Lansing, 48824-1039
USA

81

Appendix F

Questions for the telephone interview

Interview protocol

In this interview I will be exploring your reflections about distance education over a

period in time starting form just before you enrolled to the end of the second semester. I

ask you to reflect back to the period immediately following your enrollment. I would like

to walk you through this period so that I may be able to understand the decisions that you

made and the experiences you had in the distance education program.

Just Before Enrolling

What prompted you to enroll in a distance education course?
How committed were you to achieve your goal at that time?
What factors contributed to your commitment/desire to achieve your goal?

What did you want to achieve when you enrolled in the distance education program?

Mid-way through the semester

In what ways did your commitments change in the first half of the semester?

In what ways did family concerns influence your involvement in the distance
education program?

How did your work responsibilities influence your involvement in the distance
education program?

What other responsibilities influenced your involvement in the distance education

program?

One year after enrollment

In what ways did your commitment change one year after the distance education
program?

In what ways did family commitments influence your involvement in the distance
education program?

How did work commitments influence your involvement in the distance education

program?

82

- In what ways did other social responsibilities influence involvement in the distance
education program?

You do not need to return this to me...

83

Appendix G

Pre-Interview Questions

Dear Participant

This is a Pre-Interview Questionnaire that you are asked to complete in order to
provide some background information about your experience in adult online distance
education at Athabasca University. The questionnaire is divided into three parts. Each
part of the questionnaire addresses a different period of time beginning just prior to your
enrollment in 2001. The questions are basically the same for the three different phases
but they are phrased so that information obtained pertains to a specific period during your
enrollment.

The time periods are (1) the period just before enrolling in 2001 (2) midway through
the semester in 2001 and (3) one-year after enrollment. Please try to complete each
section before going to the next. The information will be analyzed to find out the themes
and trends in your experience of online distance education.

Thank you for participating and completing this Pre-Interview Questionnaire. Once you
have completed the questionnaire please return it to me in the enclosed envelope together
with the Consent Form and Contact Form.

Sincerely

Bernard Gwekwerere

Email: Gwekwerl @msu.edu
Graduate Student

Michigan State University

84

My Perceptions Before Enrolling in the Online Distance Education Program

Please read each of the statements below. For each statement, circle the number that best
represents the extent to which you agree/disagree with that statement.

*****
Key
Strongly agree = 1 Agree =2 Neutral = 4 Disagree = 3 Strongly disagree = 5

Just before enrolling in the distance education
program, I felt that...

 

...I would develop close personal relationships with
other students at the Institution

 

...I would develop personally satisfying friendships
with students at this institution

 

...that my interpersonal relationships with other
students would have a positive influence on my 5 4 3 2 1
personal growth, attitudes and values

 

...that my interpersonal relationships with other students
would have a positive influence on my intellectual 5 4 3 2 1
growth and interest in ideas

 

...it would be difficult for me to meet and make friends
with other students

 

...a few of the students I would know would be willing
to listen to me and help me if I had a personal problem

 

...that most students at this university would have values
and attitudes different from my own

 

...my interactions with faculty would have a positive
influence on my intellectual growth and interest in ideas 5 4 3 2 1

 

...my interaction with faculty would have a positive
influence on my personal growth, values and attitudes 5 4 3 2 1

 

...that my interactions with faculty would have a positive
influence on my career goals and aspirations

 

...I would develop close, personal relationships with at
least one faculty member

 

...I would be satisfied with the opportunities to meet and
interact informally with faculty members 5 4 3 2 1

 

...a few of the faculty members I would have contact
with would generally be interested in students 5 4 3 2 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please turn Over:>:>::>:>:>:>:>

85

Just before enrolling in the distance education
program, I felt that...

...a few of the faculty members I would have contact
with would generally be outstanding or superior teachers

...a few of the faculty members I would have contact
with would be willing to spend time outside of class to
discuss issues of interest and importance to students

...most of the faculty I would have contact with would be
interested in helping students in more than just academic
areas

...most of the faculty I would have contact with would be
genuinely interested in teaching

...I would be satisfied with my intellectual development
after enrolling in this institution

...my academic experience would have a positive
influence on my intellectual growth and interest in ideas
...I would be satisfied with my academic experience at
this institution

...that few of my courses would be intellectually
stimulating

...my interest in ideas and intellectual matters would
increase after enrolling at this institution

...I would perform well academically

\ ...it was important for me to graduate from this
institution

I had made the right decision in. choosing to attend
this institution

...it was likely that I would complete my studies

at this institution

...it was not important for me to graduate from this
institution

...I had no idea at all what I wanted to major in

.. getting good grades would not be important for me

Please continue on the next page

86

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Perceptions Midway Through the First Semester in the Online Program

_I did NOT continue in the program past midway in the first semester. Do NOT
compete this section of the survey.
_1 did continue in the program past midway in the first semester. Please read each of
the statements below. For each statement, circle the number that best represents the
extent to which you agree/disagree with that statement.

*****
Key
Strongly agree = 1 Agree =2 Neutral = 4 Disagree = 3 Strongly disagree = 5
Midway through the first semester in the distance
education program, I felt that...

 

...I was developing close personal relationships with
other students at the institution

 

...I was developing personally satisfying friendships
with students at this institution

 

my interpersonal relationships with other
students were having a positive influence on my 5 4 3 2 1
personal growth, attitudes and values

 

my interpersonal relationships with other students
were having a positive influence on my intellectual 5 4 3 2 1
growth and interest in ideas

 

...it was difficult for me to meet and make friends with
other students

 

...a few of the students I knew were willing
to listen to me and help me if I had a personal problem

 

most students at this institution had values and
attitudes different from my own

 

...my interactions with faculty were having a positive
influence on my intellectual growth and interest in ideas 5 4 3 2 1

 

...my interaction with faculty were having a positive
influence on my personal growth, values and attitudes 5 4 3 2 1

 

my interactions with faculty were having a positive
influence on my career goals and aspirations

 

...I was developing close, personal relationships with at
least one faculty member

 

...l was satisfied with the opportunities to meet and
interact informally with faculty members 5 4 3 2 1

 

...a few of the faculty members I had contact with were
generally interested in students 5 4 3 2 l

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please turn Over :>:>:>:>:>=>=>=>=>=>=>

87

Midway through the first semester in the distance
education program, I felt that...

...a few of the faculty members I had contact with were
generally outstanding or superior teachers

...a few of the faculty members I had contact with were
willing to spend time outside of class to discuss issues of
interest and importance to students

. . .most of the faculty I had contact with were interested
in helping students in more than just academic areas

...most of the faculty I had contact with were genuinely
interested in teaching

...I was satisfied with my intellectual development after
enrolling in this institution

...my academic experience was having a positive
influence on my intellectual grth and interest in ideas

...I was satisfied with my academic experience at this
institution

few of my courses were intellectually stimulating

...my interest in ideas and intellectual matters increased
after enrolling at this institution

...I was performing well academically

...it was important for me to graduate from this
institution

I made the right decision in choosing to attend this
institution

...it was likely that I would complete my studies
at this institution

...it was not important for me to graduate from this
institution

...I had no idea at all what I wanted to major in

...getting good grades was important for me

Please continue on the next page

88

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Perceptions .(fle Year After Enrolling in the Online Program

_I did NOT continue in the program to the end of the first year. Do NOT compete this
section of the survey.

_1 did continue in the program to the end of the first year. Please read each of the
statements below. For each statement, circle the number that best represents the extent
to which you agree/disagree with that statement.

One year after enrolling in the distance education
program, I felt that...

 

...I had developed close personal relationships with
other students at the institution

 

...I had developed personally satisfying friendships
with students at this institution

 

my interpersonal relationships with other
students had a positive influence on my 5 4 3 2 1
personal growth, attitudes and values

 

my interpersonal relationships with other students
had a positive influence on my intellectual growth and 5 4 3 2 1
interest in ideas

 

...it was difficult for me to meet and make friends with
other students

 

...a few of the students I knew were willing
to listen to me and help me if I had a personal problem

 

most students at this institution had values and
attitudes different from my own

 

...my interactions with faculty had a positive influence
on my intellectual growth and interest in ideas 5 4 3 2 1

 

...my interaction with faculty had a positive influence on
my personal growth, values and attitudes 5 4 3 2 1

 

my interactions with faculty had a positive influence
on my career goals and aspirations

 

...I had developed close, personal relationships with at
least one faculty member

 

...a few of the faculty members I had contact with were
generally interested in students 5 4 3 2 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please turn Over 2222222222:

89

One year after enrolling in the distance education
program, I felt that...

 

...a few of the faculty members I had contact with were
generally outstanding or superior teachers 5 4 3 2 l

 

...a few of the faculty members I had contact with were
willing to spend time outside of class to discuss issues of 5 4 3 2 1
interest and importance to students

 

...most of the faculty I had contact with were interested
in helping students in more than just academic areas

 

...most of the faculty I had contact with were genuinely
interested in teaching

 

...I was satisfied with my intellectual development after
enrolling in this institution

 

...my academic experience was having a positive
influence on my intellectual growth and interest in ideas

 

...I was satisfied with my academic experience at this
institution

 

few of my courses were intellectually stimulating 5 4 3 2 1

 

...my interest in ideas and intellectual matters increased
after enrolling at this institution

 

...I was performing well academically 5 4 3 2 1

 

...it was important for me to graduate from this college 5 4 3 2 1

 

I made the right decision in choosing to attend this
institution

 

...it was likely that I would complete my studies
at this institution

 

...it was not important for me to graduate from this

 

 

institution
...I had no idea at all what I wanted to major in 5 4 3 2 1
...getting good grades was not important for me 5 4 3 2 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9O

Approval of study by Athabasca University Research Ethics

Appendix I

Athabasca Universityfil

 

Board
Canada‘s @pen University'

MEMORANDUM
DATE: June 20, 2003
TO: Mr. Bernard Gwekwerere
COPY: Dr. S. Joseph Levine (Supervisor)

Janice Green, Secretary, Research Ethics Board
FROM: Dr. Patrick Fahy, Chair, Research Ethics Board
SUBJECT: Ethics Proposal #03-09 “Decisions influencing persistence in online

distance education”

The Athabasca University Research Ethics Board reviewed the above-noted proposal and
supporting documentation, and I am pleased to advise that it has been awarded FULL
APPROVAL on ethical grounds.

Please provide the following clarification items and any revised documents arising,
for file purposes only:

1. Invitation Letter Changes Required:

a.

b.

Second paragraph, first sentence — change “. . .enroll for distance
education...” to “enroll in distance education”

Third paragraph, first sentence -— change “. . .the administration at
Athabasca University. . . .” to “the Research Office at Athabasca
University”.

Third paragraph, immediately following the first sentence. please add a
new sentence to read: “If you have any questions about how you were
included, or if you have any other questions about the study as an
Athabasca University participant, please contact Janice Green at the
Research Office at Athabasca University: (780) 675—6718 or e-mail
janiceg@athabascau.ca.”

2. Ethics application form:

a.

B1, Question 4: please prove more information as to the actual location of
the lockable file and computer where the data tapes and transcriptions will
be stored.

The approval for the study “as presented ” is valid for a period of one year. If required,
an extension must be sought in writing prior to the expiry of the existing approval.

91

A Final Report is to be submitted when this research project is completed, to
include a bound copy of the final thesis.

As implementation of the proposal progresses, if you need to make any significant
changes or modifications, please forward this information to the Research Ethics Board
Chair via Janice Green, the REB Secretary, for further review.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO CONTACT
JANICEGMATHABASCAUCA.

92

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