I found this article to be interesting. 40% of online students never seek help before dropping out! As a classroom teacher, it should not surprise me. So many of my young students do the same thing. They give up, they “drop out”, when they don’t get something, but they don’t ask for help. It does, however, surprise me with adults. (Now, in all fairness, this study only had 150 respondents, but it still has some great information to ponder.) Here are the main reasons that were given:
Financial challenges (41 percent) proved to be the main contributor to student attrition, followed by life events (32 percent), health issues (23 percent), lack of personal motivation (21 percent), and lack of faculty interaction (21 percent). Nearly half (47 percent) of students who dropped out did so even before completing one online course.
I can certainly relate to the first three! During the course of my online Masters work I have struggled with each of them. (“Life events” contributed to my dropping my first attempt at a Masters program at The University of Georgia several years ago.) I have gone through several surgeries during my program at WGU, and it has been tough, but having a great mentor has helped.
When asked to select the resources that online institutions could have provided to improve the online student experience, 53 percent craved more online student services and Web-based academic advising. Self-help, time management, and organizational advice also ranked as coveted offerings among students who dropped out (46 percent).
Academic advising and student support services are crucial to a successful online program. When you are looking at what is out there, THAT should be a major consideration to you. One of the things that attracted me to the program at WGU was the mentor aspect of it. (Along with the competency based approach, as opposed to the course based approach.) When I start looking at going back for my doctorate (after taking a little breathing time), those are the things that I will look for. NCU in Prescott, AZ appears to have the type of program that I am looking for.
As you wade into the waters of online learning, don’t go in alone. Plan out the finances with someone to make sure that you can see the course through. Look for programs that talk in depth about their support for students and find out what need to do when you have questions or concerns about the program that you are considering. But you know what? By being here, at the Online Student Survival Guide, you have already found a place for support and answers. You are on your way. Just don’t forget to come back here to ask for help if you need it.
Tags: asking for help with online school, help with online learning, online college, online course, online school support, online students, Western Governors University, WGU
