In search of a solution to the problem of student attrition in online learning, three Midwest-area Ph.D. faculty members looked closely at how student expectations affect student retention and persistence in online learning. The trio developed a survey to assess exactly that, and they published the results this month in the winter issue of the Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration.

The Student Expectations of Online Learning Survey (SEOLS) examined expectations regarding overall instructional quality, course content, social interactions, the course delivery system and other personal variables. Participants were registered in a master’s-level counseling program at a mid-sized university in the Midwest. And the data from the pilot study suggest that “the SEOLS can be used to reliably assess student expectations of the online learning environment.”

Harris, Sandra M.; Larrier, Yvonne I.; Castan0-Bishop, Marianne (Winter 2011). Development of the Student Expectations of Online Learning Survey (SEOLS): A pilot study. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration.