Purpose
Statement and Quantitative Research Questions
The
purpose of this quantitative study is to determine how validation mechanisms
(e.g., like-buttons, rewarding sound effects and graphics, cheerleading
avatars, lesson-games, students-of-the-week postings, student comments, and
instructor comments) affect online graduate students’ participation, course
access, feelings of isolation, and retention rates at a large, private,
not-for-profit university in the southeastern United States. Online
graduate school programs have been significantly increasing in popularity over the
last two decades (Hayward, 2015). But student attrition rates are also very
high due to online students’ feelings of isolation (Schwier, & Seaton,
2013). Sutton (2014) wrote that drop-outs among online students were six to
seven times higher in 2009 than those among campus based students. These
feelings of isolation often cause online students to gradually reduce their
online classroom logins and participation due to declining motivation (Schwier,
& Seaton, 2013). As a result these students risk missing important
information that could affect their academic success. Declining academic
success reduces their motivation to the point where they often either drop out
of their online program or fail their online class.
Quantitative
Research Questions
1) How
do validation mechanisms affect student retention in online graduate school
programs?
2) How
does the application of validation mechanisms affect student participation in
online graduate school programs?
3) How
do the application of validation mechanisms affect student course access in online
graduate school programs?
4) How
does the application of validation mechanisms affect feelings of isolation among
online graduate students?
5) How
does the application of validation mechanisms affect academic achievement among
online graduate students?
References
Hayward,
M. S., & Williams, M. R. (2015). Adult learner graduation rates at four
U.S. community colleges by prior learning assessment status and method. Community College Journal of Research and
Practice, 39(1), 44-54.
Schwier,
R. A., & Seaton, X. J. (2013). A comparison of participation patterns in
selected formal, non-formal, and informal online learning environments. Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology,
39(1), 15.
Sutton,
R. (2014). Unlearning the past: New foundations for online student
retention. Journal of Educators
Online, 11(3), 30.
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