Counting Chickens before They Are Hatched: An Examination of Student Retention, Graduation, Attrition, and Dropout Measurement Validity in an Online Master's Environment

Autor/inn/en	Haydarov, Rustam; Moxley, Virginia; Anderson, Dawn
Titel	Counting Chickens before They Are Hatched: An Examination of Student Retention, Graduation, Attrition, and Dropout Measurement Validity in an Online Master's Environment
Quelle	In: Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 14 (2013) 4, S.429-449 (21 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1521-0251
Schlagwörter	Higher Education; Graduate Students; Online Courses; Masters Programs; School Holding Power; Academic Persistence; Student Characteristics; Research Needs; Graduation; Graduation Rate; Program Effectiveness; Comparative Analysis; Undergraduate Students; Academic Achievement; Definitions; Differences; Evaluation Methods; Research Methodology; Colorado; Iowa; Kansas; Michigan; Missouri; Montana; Nebraska; North Dakota; Oklahoma; South Dakota; Texas + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Hochschulbildung; Hochschulsystem; Hochschulwesen; Graduate Study; Student; Students; Aufbaustudium; Graduiertenstudium; Hauptstudium; Studentin; Online course; Online-Kurs; Magister course; Magisterstudiengang; Forschungsbedarf; Abschluss; Graduierung; Schulleistung; Begriffsbestimmung; Unterscheiden; Research method; Forschungsmethode; South-Dakota
Abstract	This article examines definitions, rationales, and calculations associated with higher education performance measures: persistence, retention rate, attrition rate, drop-out rate, and graduation rate. Strengths and limitations of these measures are scrutinized relative to online master's programs. Outcomes of a sample of students (N = 96) enrolled in multi-university online master's programs sponsored by Great Plains IDEA are tracked over six years. The students' unique characteristics and degree completion patterns suggest modifying performance metrics and increasing the tracking time. The study empirically proves that existing graduation and retention metrics used to compare online to face-to-face programs underreport successful outcomes for online master's students by at least one-third. Such comparisons should be made with caution, using consistent terminology and recognizing the limitations of existing metrics. Standard methods for measuring student persistence in master's degree programs should be universally established at the policy level. (Contains 1 table and 2 figures.) (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10