On-campus students taking online courses: Factors associated with unsuccessful course completion

On-campus students are requesting online course options, and campuses are increasingly providing online sections of core courses, with a common offering involving online science lectures accompanied by on-campus lab courses. However, low course completion rates by on-campus students in online courses have become an area of concern. This study seeks to identify factors associated with unsuccessful online course completion and withdrawal by investigating course completion rates in an online physics lecture course. The authors use eight years of data (N = 3032) to establish lecture course completion patterns then compare these patterns with three semesters (N = 940) of a hybrid course combining online lecture with face-to-face laboratories. Deviations from established patterns are identified and student characteristics which are uniquely associated with unsuccessful course completion and withdrawal in online sections are isoloated. Differences in rates of students repeating the class, lower rates of repeating student completion in online sections, and early disengagement by repeating students are found to be important. Results imply the need for early course interventions and/or potential policies regarding repeating students.