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Cited by 190Online and Blended LearningEvasion and Academic Success FactorsHigher Education Research Studies

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 19 of the 19 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Student retention in distance education: are we failing our students?

Simpson, Ormond·2013·Open Learning: The Journal of Open, Distance and e-Learning
DOI 10.1080/02680513.2013.847363
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Abstract

This paper brings together some data on student retention in distance education in the form of graduation rates at a sample of distance institutions. The paper suggests that there is a ‘distance education deficit’ with many distance institutions having less than one-quarter of the graduation rates of conventional institutions. It looks in some detail at the data for one well-known institution – the UK Open University – and surveys some of the reasons why such a deficit should occur and asks what the effects are on students, institutions and society as a whole. The paper suggests that one reason for the deficit is the ‘category error’ of confusing teaching with learning, and that institutions have focused too much on the provision of teaching materials, especially online, and too little on motivating students to learn. It maintains that there is accumulating evidence for the essentiality of proactive contact for overcoming dropout and the importance of making that contact motivational. The paper claims that such an approach is financially viable and can make surpluses for the institutions concerned if carefully designed. Finally, whilst briefly surveying some of the new developments in distance education in the form of Massive Online Open Courses, learning analytics, and the use of smartphones, this paper suggests more speculatively that rather than resources or organisation, the main barriers to increasing student success in distance education are institutional attitudes to student retention.

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Crossref · 10.1080/02680513.2013.847363

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Citations

Cites

Show all 19 references

Research works printed but not linked: 8

  1. Anderson E., 2006, Retention for Rookies
  2. Case P., 1997, Open Praxis, 1, 30
  3. Lubbock J., 1894, The pleasures of life
  4. Powell R., 2009, Openness and dropout: A study of four open distance education Universities
  5. Seligman M. E. P., 1998, Learned optimism
  6. Student Finance England, 2013, Part time loans and grants
  7. The Education Trust, 2009, Subprime opportunity
  8. Woodley A., 2013, Online distance education – toward a research agenda

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Metadata

Authors
Simpson, O.
Affiliations
University of London (GB)
Corresponding author
Simpson, Ormond
ORCID
Simpson, Ormond
Venue
Open Learning: The Journal of Open, Distance and e-Learning
Publisher
Informa UK Limited
Published
2013-06
Volume
28
Issue
2
Pages
105-119
ISSN
  • 0268-0513 (ISSN-L)
  • 1469-9958
DOI
10.1080/02680513.2013.847363
OpenAlex
W2079302356
Cited by
181
References
19
Citations by year
2026: 8 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 19 · 2022: 23 · 2021: 21 · 2020: 26 · 2019: 22 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 1
FWCI
38.71
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Open Learning The Journal of Open Distance and e-Learning (publishedVersion)
  • Open Research Online - ORO (The Open University) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Education › Online and Blended Learning
  • Social Sciences › Education › Evasion and Academic Success Factors
  • Social Sciences › Education › Higher Education Research Studies
Keywords
student retention, distance education, graduation rates, dropout, Open University, teaching-learning relationship, student motivation, online teaching materials, massive open online courses, learning analytics, smartphones in education, institutional attitudes, financial feasibility

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