Large qualitative sample and thematic analysis to redefine student dropout and retention strategy in open online education

Open online education experiences persistently high dropout rates, and the efficacy of dropout interventions has been questioned. Despite considerable research, dropout reasons are not fully understood, and further in-depth investigation has been called for. Prior qualitative retention studies have frequently relied on smaller samples that are unable to generate deeper appreciation of dropout reasons. Over 200 in-depth interviews were therefore conducted with students that had dropped out of open online education. The probability-based qualitative sample facilitated capture of subthemes down to a 5% incidence level or frequency of occurrence. Thematic analysis revealed 41 subthemes within 10 broad dropout reasons. While the broad dropout themes have been identified previously, the subthemes are new and provide richer understanding. This study also captured students' suggestions for what might have prevented their dropout. Thematic analysis identified 19 subthemes within 5 broad intervention themes that respond to the root dropout causes. Many intervention subthemes address personal and learner context dropout factors that have often been considered uncontrollable and unavoidable. This paper therefore redefines dropout in open online education and offers new insights for improving retention. It also provides a strategic framework for evaluating dropouts and prioritising student-informed interventions that respond to the main dropout causes.

Practitioner notes

What is already known about this topic

• Persistently high open online education dropout suggests existing interventions are ineffective.
• Prior qualitative retention studies identified the main dropout reasons, but small sample sizes failed to generate deeper insights and more in-depth investigation has been called for.

What this paper adds

• A probability-based qualitative sample of 226 participants captured dropout subthemes down to a 5% level of incidence or frequency of occurrence.
• Thematic analysis identified 41 subthemes, within 10 broad dropout reasons. These subthemes are new and offer richer understanding.
• Thematic analysis also identified 19 subthemes within 5 broad dropout intervention areas that students suggested could have prevented their dropout. These include new insights for addressing dropout causes that have often previously been considered unavoidable.

Implications for practice and/or policy

• The strategic framework provides a retention management approach that prioritises responding to the main dropout causes with student-informed interventions.
• This approach and the deeper understanding afforded by robust qualitative investigation should help reduce persistently high dropout rates.

     

Is Drop-out from University Dependent on National Culture and Policy? The Case of Denmark

National cultures are known to influence educational institutions and practices in many ways. It therefore seems reasonable to assume that drop-out from university is also influenced by differences in national cultures. In this article, we compare drop-out from Danish universities with drop-out from European universities. Based on Danish national culture (characterised by individualism, low power distance, femininity, and low uncertainty avoidance) and on the high level of economic support for students, we find that drop-out from higher education in Denmark as compared to most other European countries is less influenced by socio-economic factors and by the students’ degree of social integration. Hence, our review of the research on drop-out identifies some differences that might rest on national cultural varieties. It also points to difficulties in comparing results from different research studies, not only in Denmark but also across Europe. This difficulty results from varieties in research designs and definitions of drop-out.     

间歇性中辍行为特征的探索性研究——以微博数据为例

[目的/意义] 移动社交网络用户的消极使用行为越来越普遍,间歇性中辍行为是其中非常典型的一类,对间歇性中辍行为特征与影响因素进行分析,有助于加强用户消极行为方面的研究,帮助企业有针对性地采取措施,完善运营机制并实现长久发展。[方法/过程] 本文选择有远离微博意向的用户,采用网络爬虫的方式收集用户半年内发微博的时间与内容,基于登录时间间隔、中辍时间间隔与微博内容词云分析对用户的间歇性中辍行为特征与原因进行研究。[结果/结论] 研究结果发现,微博的环境、内容与过度使用都会导致用户产生远离意向,其中活跃用户占大多数,然而在实际行为中,活跃用户采取远离行为的可能性更低,中辍时间间隔也更短,消极用户则相反,用户需求不同导致用户的行为意向与实际行为存在差异。     

研究生“隐性辍学”问题的若干思考

当前,研究生教育中"隐性辍学"现象较为突出,主要表现为行为层面上的频繁请假、无故缺勤、长期离校和心理层面上的身在曹营心在汉、心理问题多样化。可以从教育进入买方市场,生源结构复杂化;信息传播微型化,个体需求多样化;培养模式刚性化,教育教学本科化;现代教育片面化,心灵关怀缺失化四个方面分析研究生"隐性辍学"现象的诱因,并从健全教育管理机制,践行微型化教育,建构学习共同体,建立学校关怀系统等方面提出弱化"隐性辍学"现象的对策。     

美国学生辍学问题研究

学生中途辍学一直是困扰美国社会的一个严重问题。文章在对美国学生中途辍学的相关概念和现状进行描述的基础上，从学校因素、家庭因素、个人因素和社会因素四个方面深入分析了辍学的原因，并对美国学生中途辍学的干预策略进行了探讨。     

Garden-Based Learning: An Experience With “At Risk” Secondary Education Students

The reengagement of disenchanted secondary students is one of the priorities of the educational system. Over a six-year period (2003–2004 to 2008–2009), 63 disruptive and low-performance secondary school students were integrated into a two-year garden-based learning program, which took place in southeastern Spain. This article intends to assess the quantitative and qualitative changes in both academic outcomes and personal behavior brought about by the experience. Results show that school failure decreased substantially, while the dropout rate was reduced from an initial 30% to zero in some years. Disruptive episode control improved significantly in the classroom, where teachers observed a decided improvement in students' skills, self-esteem, and self-confidence.     

The intersection of culture and institutional support for Latino students’ academic success: Remediation or empowerment?

The study is framed by critical race theory to explore the intersection of cultural and institutional factors that influence Latino students’ completion of high school. The purpose of this study is to determine the extent to which factors related to students’ background, culture, socioeconomic status, and institutional-support such as participation in mentoring and/or dropout-prevention programs, can predict Latino students’ successful completion of high school. The overarching research question is: To what extent do family background, students’ educational aspirations, and institutional support programs predict whether Latino students’ complete high school? Using data from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS: 2002), from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) with 2,217 Hispanic participants, the study used a logistic linear regression model for the analysis. The findings identified students’ gender, socioeconomic status, first language, educational aspirations as well as the aspirations of their parents, school poverty concentration, and school support programs to be significant predictors of high school completion. The logistic regression model correctly classified between 78%, 85%, and 81% of the cases included in the group for timely completion according to first-, second-, and third-generation respectively. A similar classification was found for high school completion-within-two-years. The discussion highlights marked differences between the effect of dropout-prevention programs and that of mentoring programs on Latinos’ high school completion. In addition, that the factors represented by individual and institutional variables might not operate in isolation but instead might intersect with socioeconomic and cultural factors that ultimately create barriers for this minority group.     

具有时延和丢包的网络控制系统保性能控制

把具有时延和随机丢包的网络控制系统建模为一类含有服从伯努利分布的随机变量的闭环系统.利用李亚普诺夫方法,给出了使闭环系统指数均方稳定的保性能状态反馈控制器存在的充分条件及设计方法.     

远程开放教育英语专业学习者辍学现象调查(一)——来自电大系统14个省级电大样本观测点的实证研究

高辍学率是远程开放教育不可回避的一个问题。本研究对广播电视大学辍学率较高的英语专业展开实证研究,研究首先选择英语专业招生较集中的广播电视大学系统14个省级电大作为样本观测点,进而确定各观测点2010年春入学的2237名学生进入研究与学业观察范围,研究计划连续跟踪该届学生3个学期,记录每学期发生的辍学现象。到2010年秋季,研究得到了入学半年后首批辍学者名单共204人,研究者邀请到其中的118人填写了调查问卷,并对其中98名辍学者进行了面对面访谈或者电话、网络访谈。研究同时得到了195名辍学者在校学习成绩记录。研究还对辍学者身边的40名英语专业教师以及班主任进行了面对面访谈。基于以上数据,研究揭示了远程开放教育英语专业学生学习半年后发生的辍学现象及其影响因素,并提出了远程教育机构作为方向的思考。     

透过现象看本质——宁波电大开放教育英语专业（本科）高流生率个案研究

本文关注宁波电大开放教育英语专业流生问题及其背后的三大主要原因即工学矛盾、家庭与学习的矛盾、学习困难,并从学习观念,小组活动,师生间联系,课程、形考改革,教师等方面对减少流生率进行了探讨,希望能对减少流生现象有所启示。