ERIC Number: EJ1201604
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2019
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1066-8926
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Examining Distance Education Coursetaking and Time-To-Completion among Community College Students
Community College Journal of Research and Practice, v43 n3 p201-215 2019
The discrepancy in the empirical literature surrounding distance education (DE) coursetaking among community college students has led to the online paradox, where short-term or more proximal academic outcomes associated with DE coursetaking are negative, but the long-term or distal academic outcomes are positive. Importantly, no previous study has yet examined the relationship between DE enrollment and the time it takes community college students to complete their degree programs or succeed in transferring to a four-year school. This gap in the research literature is unfortunate, as understanding the relationship between DE and time-to-completion may shed light on mechanisms underlying the online paradox. Consequently, the current study looks at the relationship between DE coursetaking and time-to-completion among first-time community college students. The study uses large, nationally representative data and propensity score matching (PSM) to mitigate the impact of self-selection into DE courses. Results indicate that students who completed at least one DE course during their first year of study finished their BA degrees, on average, two to three months sooner than similar students who did not take a DE course. Policy implications for DE and community college leadership are discussed.
Descriptors: Distance Education, Two Year College Students, Community Colleges, Course Selection (Students), Educational Technology, Technology Uses in Education, Time to Degree, Postsecondary Education, Associate Degrees, Bachelors Degrees, Certification, Student Characteristics, Institutional Characteristics
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Two Year Colleges; Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A