(1484.pdf) THE EFFECT OF EDUCATIONAL PRINCIPLES, POLICIES AND PRACTICES ON RETENTION IN ONLINE COURSES

摘要

This project measured the relationship among educational principles, policies and practices andtheir effect on retention in online undergraduate courses. As educational intuitions set guidelinesand standards for professorial activity in online courses, their effects can be seen in variousindices of student success. This study focused on benchmark participation rates and their effect onstudent retention. Initial results from a study of 1,227 students in 20 introductory psychologycourse sections measured one year apart seemed to demonstrate the result of policy and practicechange related educational principals based on conventional educational theory. Thoseconsequences via an analysis the relationship between the number of questions asked in threadeddiscussions, professorial response rates and dropout rates indicated a reduction of attrition. Ineffect, a high tech high touch policy was implemented. Correspondingly, the increasedengagement by professors appeared to stimulate a more participatory environment for studentresponse giving credence to Bandura's Social Learning Theory - the notion that most humanbehavior is learned by observation and in turn this coded information then serves as a model foraction. Thus, viewed within the context of high tech high touch and social learning theory thesefindings suggested the effect of empirically based education principals drove institutional policiesand instructional practices in college level online education. These results may informmethodological approaches for future faculty training, development, and peer reviews.