The relationship between acclimation and retention for traditional‐aged students enrolled in online bachelor’s programs : a qualitative case study.

Online learning in higher education has steadily grown since the early part of the 21st century, and traditional-aged students are now sometimes enrolling in online programs over their traditional campus counterparts. Unfortunately, online student attrition is a serious issue for many universities, and understanding the online student population is vital to ensuring student retention and academic success. Little research exists on how traditional-aged students acclimate to online learning.

Using online learning readiness theory to guide this study, I used a qualitative holistic single case study to understand how traditional-aged students acclimated to their online undergraduate programs at a university geared toward non-traditional students. The university I selected typically steered traditional-aged students to campus programs yet still accepted a small portion of its students to their online programs. I used semi-structured interviews and a focus group to collect data on their experiences in the first year of their program.

The purpose of this case study was to understand how traditional-aged students acclimated to online learning in higher education during the first year of their online program by examining readiness factors, technology skills, motivation, and perceived usefulness of learning. I found an abrupt transition increases stress, and the students needed support as they adjusted especially when helping younger online students acclimate. Connecting with other students and feeling part of the school are important to avoid feeling isolated and becoming demotivated. Students wanted faculty engagement and course standardization while learning because their absence led to stress, anxiety, and burnout.

The findings from this study support the implementation of full-time teaching faculty in online undergraduate programs. Administrators can positively influence how students adjust to their online environment by hiring faculty dedicated solely to their learning. Administrators can also facilitate student acclimation by providing ways to connect them with their classmates and the university. Teaching faculty need to effectively engage with their online students by getting to know them and finding ways to utilize their specific learning styles within the online environment. Incorporating collaborative projects in the curriculum will also benefit student collaboration and connection.