The relationship of student characteristics, help seeking behavior, academic and environmental variables with student course completion in community college online courses: An application of a conceptual model.

• Main Author: Schumann, Sherry Haskin
• Other Authors: Cutright, Marc, 1952-
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: University of North Texas 2009
• Subjects: Community college; Help-seeking behavior.; student characteristics; online course completion; Academic achievement.; Distance education.; Community college students.; Web-based instruction.
• Online Access: https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc12198/

The purpose of this study was to examine differences and relationships in student definition and background characteristics, help seeking behaviors, academic and environmental variables between and among community college students at a single institution who successfully completed and those who did not complete online courses during a single term. An adapted version of Bean and Metzner's conceptual model of nontraditional student attrition provided the theoretical framework for the study. The results of data analysis revealed statistically significant differences between completers and noncompleters on the basis of definition, gender, ethnicity, experience and prior GPA. Statistically significant relationships were found between definition, ethnicity, gender, experience, prior GPA, orientation and completion and noncompletion. No statistically significant interactions were found between definition and experience and help seeking behaviors. No statistically significant differences, relationships or predictor variables were found by degree seeking, preassessment, or technical help seeking. Additional analyses by defining characteristics revealed statistically significant differences between completers and noncompleters on the basis of residency, age and enrollment status. Predictor variables found to be significant were definition, gender, experience, prior GPA and orientation. The odds of completion increased with nontraditional definition, female gender, higher prior GPA, and orientation participation. The odds of completion decreased with experience.