Persistence of Women in Online Degree-Completion Programs

Although online courses at postsecondary institutions promise adults access, flexibility, and convenience, many barriers to online learning remain. This article presents findings from a qualitative case study, which explored the phenomenon of undergraduate and graduate women learners’ persistence in...

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Autor principal:	Terry Müller
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Athabasca University Press 2008
Materias:	online learning adult learners women learners postsecondary persistence barriers to persistence Special aspects of education LC8-6691
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/48de620cf5fd4e83ac03d61b9164d51c
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:48de620cf5fd4e83ac03d61b9164d51c2021-12-02T19:25:21ZPersistence of Women in Online Degree-Completion Programs10.19173/irrodl.v9i2.4551492-3831https://doaj.org/article/48de620cf5fd4e83ac03d61b9164d51c2008-06-01T00:00:00Zhttp://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/455https://doaj.org/toc/1492-3831Although online courses at postsecondary institutions promise adults access, flexibility, and convenience, many barriers to online learning remain. This article presents findings from a qualitative case study, which explored the phenomenon of undergraduate and graduate women learners’ persistence in online degree-completion programs at a college in the Northeast of the United States. Research questions asked why women learners persisted or failed to persist, and how factors supporting or hindering persistence influenced learners. Interviews with a purposeful sample of 20 participants revealed the complexity of variables affecting learners’ persistence to graduation. Findings suggested that multiple responsibilities, insufficient interaction with faculty, technology, and coursework ranked highest as barriers to women’s persistence. Strong motivation to complete degrees, engagement in the learning community, and appreciation for the convenience of an online degree-completion option facilitated persistence.Terry MüllerAthabasca University Pressarticleonline learningadult learnerswomen learnerspostsecondarypersistencebarriers to persistenceSpecial aspects of educationLC8-6691ENInternational Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, Vol 9, Iss 2 (2008)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	online learning adult learners women learners postsecondary persistence barriers to persistence Special aspects of education LC8-6691
spellingShingle	online learning adult learners women learners postsecondary persistence barriers to persistence Special aspects of education LC8-6691 Terry Müller Persistence of Women in Online Degree-Completion Programs
description	Although online courses at postsecondary institutions promise adults access, flexibility, and convenience, many barriers to online learning remain. This article presents findings from a qualitative case study, which explored the phenomenon of undergraduate and graduate women learners’ persistence in online degree-completion programs at a college in the Northeast of the United States. Research questions asked why women learners persisted or failed to persist, and how factors supporting or hindering persistence influenced learners. Interviews with a purposeful sample of 20 participants revealed the complexity of variables affecting learners’ persistence to graduation. Findings suggested that multiple responsibilities, insufficient interaction with faculty, technology, and coursework ranked highest as barriers to women’s persistence. Strong motivation to complete degrees, engagement in the learning community, and appreciation for the convenience of an online degree-completion option facilitated persistence.
format	article
author	Terry Müller
author_facet	Terry Müller
author_sort	Terry Müller
title	Persistence of Women in Online Degree-Completion Programs
title_short	Persistence of Women in Online Degree-Completion Programs
title_full	Persistence of Women in Online Degree-Completion Programs
title_fullStr	Persistence of Women in Online Degree-Completion Programs
title_full_unstemmed	Persistence of Women in Online Degree-Completion Programs
title_sort	persistence of women in online degree-completion programs
publisher	Athabasca University Press
publishDate	2008
url	https://doaj.org/article/48de620cf5fd4e83ac03d61b9164d51c
work_keys_str_mv	AT terrymuller persistenceofwomeninonlinedegreecompletionprograms
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Persistence of Women in Online Degree-Completion Programs

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