With the increasing use of virtual reality (VR) technology in education, it is crucial to understand the factors that affect its effectiveness. One area where VR has been utilized is in online orientation, which can be especially beneficial for distant students to start their university programs. This study examines the impact of the learner…

Online learning continues be the largest growth sector in higher education (IPEDS, 2019), however, students enrolled in fully online programs are retained at a lower rate than students enrolled in traditional face to face programs. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study is to determine if online students who participate in an online…

Inequalities in student enrolment, retention and success for specific demographic groups exist throughout the higher education sector. Although there are numerous and diverse initiatives implemented in universities to support student retention and/or success, experience and/or satisfaction, the feasibility or effectiveness of programs targeting…

The purpose of this study is to determine if student confidence levels change when attending a series of five pre-semester orientation success workshops. This research was conducted at a Canadian Community College whose attrition rates for the Practical Nursing program within the host college average 36%. The workshop sessions occur prior to the…

The first-year experience for students enrolled in an online degree program, particularly the orientation and the first course experience, is critical to success and completion. The experience of one online university in improving persistence through enhancing orientation and the first academic course is presented. Factors impacting persistence…

In the fall of 2007, the author came to Northland College excited for the opportunities that it presented--a low faculty-to-student ratio and professional connections. But what he was really interested in was the new student orientation to the college. It just happens that this was one of a number of trips comprising Northland's Outdoor…

According to Sparks (2011),"the cost of college is increasing faster than inflation with the government funding over 19 million student loans....Congress is demanding answers from colleges and universities about the quality of their education and the return on the government's investment"(p. 1). According to Bruffee (1999), the current…

Alternate reality games (ARGs) are a relatively new form of collaborative game that make use of both the virtual and real worlds to engage players in a series of challenges within a compelling narrative. The Alternate Reality Games for Orientation, Socialisation and Induction (ARGOSI) project aimed to use this game format to provide an alternative…

Wilderness orientation programs have been utilized by colleges and universities in the United States for nearly 75 years. This study, using means-end theory, reveals the outcomes of a wilderness orientation program for incoming students. A retroactive study was conducted for all participants who had taken part in a wilderness orientation program…

Wilderness orientation programs (WOPs) are becoming a popular method of encouraging college student retention and success. Previous studies have identified outcomes and correlates of participation in these programs, but a cohesive model of impact is lacking. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of WOPs on first-year student success…

Although orientation for online students is important to their success, little information about how to develop an online student orientation (OSO) has appeared in the literature; therefore, the purpose of this article was to describe the entire process of developing an OSO. This article describes the analysis, design, development, and evaluation…

Presently, community colleges are bursting at the seams. In 2011, community colleges turned away more than 400,000 prospective students. In the next six years, 63 percent of all U.S. jobs will require postsecondary education. Twenty two million new workers with postsecondary degrees will be needed by 2018. Community colleges are turning…

The transition to higher education can be problematic for some students as they adapt to institutional procedures and degree level working at the same time as developing new social networks. To help facilitate these complex transitions institutions are increasingly turning towards digital technologies to provide both flexible access to resources…

Minnesota's Intervention for College Attendance Program (ICAP) is a program of competitive grants awarded to postsecondary institutions, professional organizations and community-based organizations. Funded programs focus on increasing the access and success of groups traditionally underrepresented in higher education by strengthening their…

The CollegeKeys Compact[TM] is a national call to action to school districts, colleges and universities, state education agencies, and nonprofit organizations to identify, share and expand programs and practices that address the needs and challenges of low-income students and help them get ready for, get into and get through college. The College…