Online college courses are a rapidly expanding feature of higher education, yet little research identifies their effects. Using an instrumental variables approach and data from DeVry University, this study finds that, on average, online course-taking reduces student learning by one-third to one-quarter of a standard deviation compared to…

Enrollment in online courses has outpaced overall university enrollment for the past several years. The growth of online courses does not appear to be slowing. The purpose of this study was to compare course completion and student academic performance between online and traditional courses. Archival data from the host university student records…

Past research in the area of college retention shows that social and academic integration are important elements in ensuring high retention rates. Many past studies show that learning communities are beneficial in helping raise retention rates as learning communities effectively increase the rates of social and academic integration. The purpose of…

This study compared two approaches to a first-year seminar, special academic theme vs. college transition theme, to determine if one approach was more effective in terms of one-year retention rates, first-year grade point averages (GPAs), and student perceptions of the course experience and outcomes. Participants included 177 first-semester,…

A mixed method study was conducted to evaluate the effects of clicker use on retention rates, success rates as measured by final grades, and improvement from pretest to posttest scores in a community college business microcomputer applications course. Learner perceptions towards clicker use were also evaluated. The study group consisted of…

In recent years the demographics of individuals pursuing teacher certification has changed. Many individuals with a bachelor's degree who are interested in a change of career pursue teaching after receiving a college degree in areas other than teacher certification. Institutions of higher education have made a distinction between their traditional…