Hillman, N. W., Tandberg, D. A., & Fryar, A. H. (2015). Evaluating the impacts of “new” performance funding in higher education. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis , 37 (4), 501-519
This study is based on the larger hypothesis that poor government policy is among the challenges facing retention and completion rates in American higher education. The study evaluates how government incentives towards improving retention and completion in community colleges have been counterproductive.
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To collect data for the study, the researchers created a data panel using primary data from the U.S. Department of Education’s Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). The data panel was meant to evaluate the impact of funding incentives by the government based on the number of students who completed their studies in community colleges. Using this method, the researchers arrived at data that reflects the numbers of students who completed community college before and after the government incentive was issued. More importantly, the researchers also evaluated what nature of completion took place differentiating between those who completed degree courses and those who took short-term certificate courses. The level of analysis was at the micro-level as the trends assessed related to how the macro-incentive given to colleges affected individual students.
The evaluation revealed that the government increased the numbers of students completing their studies but the increase was not reflected in degrees but rather in short-term certificates. However, based on a literature review of the American modern job market, short-term certificates have limited professional or vocational value compared with a college degree. The increase in the numbers of students who graduated with college certificates, therefore, satisfied the conditions given by the government for the procurement for funding yet did not substantively improve the rates of completion and retention in a significant manner.
Based on the argument, discussion, and conclusions made in the article, the study reveals a fundamental challenge that faces the issue of retention and completion in US higher education. Relevant policy is developed without taking enough time and effort to carefully evaluate how it will impact retention and completion. Eventually, good government money is thrown into the problem but through an approach that does not provide viable solutions despite semblances of cosmetic success.
Khalil, H., & Ebner, M. (2014, June). MOOCs completion rates and possible methods to improve retention-A literature review. In EdMedia: World Conference on Educational Media and Technology (pp. 1305-1313). Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE)
This article reports on a study to evaluate the challenges facing retention and completion rates specifically within the massive open online course (MOOC) segment. MOOC is a critical addition to the modern higher education in the USA more so for the lower social echelons as it enables poor students to attain higher education while engaging in full-time employment to earn a living. The article seeks to research the reasons behind the extremely low rates of retention and completion in MOOC courses. The hypothesis that the study was based on was that the problem is with the system and not the students.
Data collection took an approach defined by the researchers as “ descriptive research methodologies ” (pp. 1238 & 1239) to evaluate data from a wide range of primary research articles to arrive at the reason given by MOOC students for failing to complete their studies. As most of MOOC interaction between students and instructors are through the internet, the researchers also performed a form of online ethnography using the research interaction. The direct study data and the literature review data were, however, analyzed separately. The level of analysis was at the micro-level as the reasons for failing to complete studies were evaluated based on individual students then combined to create trends.
Based on the results, the trends showed that most of the students identified lack of interactivity due to the nature of MOOC courses and how they are offered, hidden charges by organizations offering them and finally poor background and skills within the courses offered. The researchers, therefore, argued that it is the nature of the courses and how they are offered as opposed to lack of student commitment that provides the primary challenge for retention and completion in MOOC. In the discussion and conclusion, therefore, further research on how to improve MOOC so as to improve retention and completion rates is recommended.
Wolf, P. S., David, A., Butler-Barnes, S. T., & Zile-Tamsen, V. (2017). American Indian/Alaskan native college dropout: Recommendations for increasing retention and graduation. Journal on Race, Inequality, and Social Mobility in America , 1 (1), 1-15
This research article reports on a study undertaken to establish ways and means of increasing higher education retention and completion for a very specific socioeconomic and demographic segment of students. The research is based on the hypothesis that socioeconomic factors are crucial to the issue of retention and completion in US higher education. Further, the researchers operate on the understanding that these socioeconomic factors are endemic to particular demographic groups. Finally, the study operates on the hypothesis that the solution to the high dropout rate within the specific demographic group can be found in the adjustment of how higher education is offered to the specific group. The demographic group on the focus of the instant study is the American Indian/Alaskan group while the higher education segment on focus is the college level.
Data was collected through a comprehensive literature review that evaluated available studies on the subject. To arrive at a balanced understanding of the subject, the researchers evaluated data from government sources, including a study commissioned by the White House and also data collected by academic researchers. The main focus of the researchers was to arrive at an understanding on why college students of American Indian descent had a low retention and completion rate in college. The level of analysis of the data was mainly on a macro-level as it was predicated on trends as opposed to individual students.
After evaluation and analysis of data from the research carried out, the experts recommend the improvement of SRL opportunities for the students, creating an environment where the student niche will have a sense of belonging, and finally making the living and learning conditions more suitable for the students. The researchers also indicated the need for further research on the subject as available literature does not definitely explain why American Indian/Alaskan Native have an exponentially high dropout rate.
