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Reasons for Non-Completion of Online Computer Software Course: A Preliminary Study
Abstract
Business majors are required to complete a course using Microsoft Office. The course is offered both online and in a traditional hands-on classroom setting. Students who enroll in the traditional setting have a completion rate of 97% while the online students have a completion rate of only 75%. All students complete the same assignments and take the same exams. Extensive online help is available for all students. Demonstrations of all in-class activities are captured in Microsoft Captivate and are available at any time. Demonstrations are created in two formats: with sound and without. The demonstrations with sound have the instructor showing the specific skill while talking through the skill. The demonstrations without sound have the same skill but have word balloons explaining the step. The two types of demonstrations are available to meet different learning styles and different computer hardware setups. The online students were surveyed to gather data on locus-of-control, self-efficacy, use of available course tools and demographic information. Preliminary results show a strong correlation between grade earned in a required prerequisite class and completion of this software class. A secondary predictor of success was self-efficacy.
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