Data Driven Retention Strategies for Online Students

1. 2003 League CIT Data Driven Retention Strategies for Online Students Dr. Jeffrey P. BartkovichMarie J. FetznerOctober 21, 2003

2. Purpose of Presentation • Provide an overview of MCC’s online research agenda • Review research that impacts online student retention • Services • Policies • Discuss online retention strategies that are informed by research data

3. MCC’s Online Program • Joined SUNY Learning Network (SLN) in 1997 • Fall 2002: 1,716 non-duplicated headcount • 44.2% FT; 59.8% PT • 37.4% online only; 62.6% OL and other • OL represents 10.7% of MCC’s enrollment • 71.3% Female; 28.7% Male • Over 120 course sections

4. MCC’s Online Research Agenda • Level 1 – Descriptive • Basic demographics • Basic production • Basic enrollment • Basic finance

5. MCC’s Online Research Agenda • Level 2 – Evaluative • Basic performance • Student and faculty satisfaction • Integration with campus IR • Modify existing surveys “to fit”

6. MCC’s Online Research Agenda • Level 3 – Comparative • Statewide benchmarks • National benchmarks • Complete surveys-–be a case study • Level 4 – Theoretical • External – in the literature • Internal – on the campus

7. Data-Driven Retention Strategies Part I – Services Characteristics and Attitudes of Non-Retained Online Students Office of Educational Technology Services Monroe Community College Jeff Bartkovich and Marie Fetzner

8. The Problem Why are certain MCC online students (those with grades of F/W) not succeeding in their online courses?

9. MCC’s Online Retention Research • Archival Data Analysis • Past three years’ grades and demographics for students in online courses retrieved from student records database • Student Survey • Survey created and administered to sample of students who received an “F” or “W” in an online course for the Fall semester in 2000, 2001 and 2002

10. Study Limitations • Overall response rate is low—difficulty in obtaining responses from the target population (contact information) • Small sample size (especially for Hispanic and Asian students) • Ability to generalize • Good News: feedback was received from non-retained online students

11. Basic Student Demographics OL and Site-based, By Percent*

12. Overall Grade DistributionOL vs. Site-based, By Percent*

13. Grade RatesOL vs. Site-based, Fall Semester

14. Success Rates in Comparable Online and Traditional Courses

15. Top 10 Reasons for MCC Non-retained OL students When asked to identify the one reason why they were not successful in their online course, students reported that they: • Couldn’t handle the balance between school and other responsibilities (15%) • Got behind, couldn’t catch up (13%) • Course was too unstructured (13%) • Lacked the needed computer skills (13%) • Personal problems (10%)

16. Top 10 Reasons, con’t • Course was too hard (9%) • Lacked motivation (5%) • Course took too much time (5%) • Space opened up in a campus-based class (5%) • Didn’t like the instructor’s teaching style (3%)

17. Reasons for Taking an OL Course* • Reasons for Taking Course Online: • Conflict with Personal Schedule 49% • Family Responsibilities 23% • Distance or Transportation 10% • Other 10% • Course Not Offered on Campus 5% • Interest in Technology/Internet 3%*Retained Students

18. Reasons for Taking an OL Course MCC vs. all other SUNY Students* • PRIMARY Reason MCC* SUNY* • Personal Schedule Conflict 49% 31% • Family Responsibilities 23% 16% • Distance or Transportation 10% 20% • Other 10% 12% • Not Offered On Campus 5% 15% • Interactive Technology 3% 7% *Retained Students

19. Retention Data • Conducting further analysis to investigate the relationship between online student reasons for non-success, and satisfaction variables for successful online students • Services that were implemented as a result of the retention study to be discussed after information is presented in Part II

20. Data-Driven Retention Strategies Part II - Policies An Analysis of SLN Students’ Performance and Differentiation Office of Institutional Research Monroe Community College Angel Andreu

21. The Problem It is observed that the failure and withdrawal (F/W) grades for online students are increasing in number and percentage.

22. The Observation Percentage of F/W Grades, Fall Semester 19981999200020012002 Online* 19 25 26 30 30 College 17 20 21 21 21 *N in 1998 was 409; 2002 was 2,473

23. The Research Previous research identified characteristics of students at risk of F/W grades in online courses. These were: • First time students • Full-time students with less than 30 earned credits • Students under the age of 25 • Minority students

24. The Research The MCC “Andreu” study affirmed these characteristics and looked specifically at: • Time of registration • Basic academic skills

25. The Data: Time of Registration • Only 7% of the “C or better” students registered during the first week of classes, compared to 16% of the “F/W” students • Students who registered during the first week of classes had a 50/50 chance of earning a grade of C or better • The odds of getting C or better decreased by 13% for each week closer to the first week of classes

26. The Data: Age • 65% of the F/W grades were among students under the age of 25 • Between the ages of 21 and 22, a student had a 50/50 chance of earning a C or better

27. The Data: Age

28. The Data:Age and Time of Registration • Age and time of registration are each significant contributors to grade performance • Their interaction is not significant • The best chance of getting a C or better • Register 5 weeks before the start of the semester • Be age 25 or above

29. The Data: Experience(i.e. number of accumulated credit hours) • The rate of F/W grades between first and second year students is significant • Experience is not significant when combined with age or time of registration

30. The Data: Part/Full Time Status • Part/Full time status is not significant • The interaction of status and age was significant

31. The Data:Part/Full Time Status

32. The Data:Basic Academic Skills • MCC’s ACCUPLACER tool • The variables used included reading and sentence scores • The metrics are placement scores at the college English level (78 for reading, 83 for sentences)

33. The Data:Basic Academic Skills • For students to have a 50/50 chance of earning a C or better in an online course, their basic academic skills should be at the college English level

34. What Does the Analysis Show? Factors important to success in online courses: • Time of registration • The age of the student • The academic preparedness of the student

35. What Does the Analysis Show? Factors in the decision model: • College is enrollment driven • The online program is supporting enrollment growth • The demographics of enrollment growth for the College are the same demographics of non-success in online courses

36. What Does the Analysis Show? Policy Factors: • Should policy account for motivation • At what “odds of failure” do we restrict enrollment • Should online growth be allowed to continue to support college enrollment growth • What is the balance between student success and online enrollment growth

37. Policy Development 1 • In all cases, a student with an ACCUPLACER score below 78 (reading) and/or 83 (sentence) is prohibited from taking an online course at MCC. • This prohibition is lifted at such time that the student successfully completes the Transitional Studies coursework appropriate to address the deficiency. • All online sections will be closed to registration one week before the start of class. Qualified students (see definition on next slide) who wish to enroll after this date will be allowed to “green slip” in until the College’s ‘Add’ deadline.

38. Policy Development 1 • Qualified students include mature students with a record of success in college-level coursework. Student must also have satisfactory ACCUPLACER scores to have successfully completed the Transitional Studies coursework appropriate to address any deficiency. Students who have successfully completed an online course previously are also considered qualified. Note that data indicate that students 22 years old or older have a significantly greater chance of success in online coursework.

39. Policy Development 2 Considerations • Forget policy, make it a course prerequisite • Must be programmable • Cannot rely upon faculty involvement for exceptions due to availability • Does resolution of the online problem become a standard

40. Policy Development 3 Draft X • Students in remedial English courses are prohibited from enrolling in online courses • All registrations for online courses are closed on the first day of classes

41. Research to Inform Practice:Student Advice Question to online students who received F/W grade on their online course: “What advice would you give a fellow student considering registering for an online course?”

42. Research to Inform Practice: Student Advice • Results – Top Five Topics • Be ready for independent learning. Must be self-motivated. • Once you get started, stay on track. • Online courses require lots of reading, homework and research. Get ready for the demands. • Must develop a schedule to go online, must manage your time. • Talk to other people, other students before you take the class and during the class

43. Research to Inform Practice:Student Advice • Practical Use of Online Student Advice • Integrate into brochures, orientation seminars • Do mock testimonies for video displays • Share with Counseling and Advising staff • Share with Faculty

44. Research to Inform Practice:Managing Services • Manage the Expectations • Additional pre-start information sharing • Additional orientations offered • Manage the Support Services • Greater integration with support team • Additional points of access to services • Manage the Academics • Faculty course design issues and training • Emphasis on multiple interactions

45. Research to Inform Practice:Managing Services • Manage the Expectations • Welcome Letter from Academic Vice President has been expanded • Face-to-face student orientations offered* • MCC Online Orientation CD distributed • Phone Calls made to all Fall 2002 Online Students and 1st-time Spring 2003 Online Students*additional analysis conducted

46. Research to Inform Practice:Managing Services • Manage the Support Services • Student Services web page expansion • Revisions made to the service gateway to online learning web page • Brochures at Records and Registration and at the Counseling Center

47. Research to Inform Practice:Managing Services • Manage the Academics • Retention strategies integrated into faculty trainings • Discipline-specific retention studies • Discussions on other academic support—online tutoring, writing centers, etc. • Pilot test CourseSpace (use of online template for web course enhancement)

48. Research to Inform Practice:On-campus Orientation Question: Is there value to an on-campus orientation course for online performance?

49. Research to Inform Practice:On-campus Orientation On-Campus Orientation Results: • Most students felt they had the necessary skills to be successful • Skill preparation is not related to performance • Students who attended the on-campus program were more likely to earn a C or better C/BetterF/W On-campus Orientation 78% 18% Online Orientation only 64% 30%

50. Research to Inform Practice:On-campus Orientation To Continue the Course • Practice Demonstration Course • Structure not Skills • Market the grade differential • Keep faculty involved in the program to provide “authentic experience”