Dropout, persistence, and retention on online higher education: The case of the Open University of Catalonia

This doctoral thesis focuses on student dropout in online higher education (OHE), with a focus on the experience of students and faculty at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC). The thesis is presented as a compendium of six publications that address issues related to dropout, persistence and r...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autor: Xavier, Marlon
Tipo de recurso: tesis doctoral
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2023
País:España
Institución:CBUC, CESCA
Repositorio:TDR. Tesis Doctorales en Red
OAI Identifier:oai:www.tdx.cat:10803/688023
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10803/688023
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:abandó universitari
abandono universitario
dropout
persistència
persistencia
persistence
educació superior en línia
educación superior en línea
online higher education
primer any
primer año
first year
experiència de l'estudiant
experiencia del estudiantado
student experience
Educación y TIC
378
Descripción
Sumario:This doctoral thesis focuses on student dropout in online higher education (OHE), with a focus on the experience of students and faculty at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC). The thesis is presented as a compendium of six publications that address issues related to dropout, persistence and retention in OHE. A qualitative and exploratory descriptive research design is used that includes in-depth open interviews and qualitative content analysis. The findings highlight the importance of the first year for dropout and persistence, with time-related factors being the main barriers to persistence and reasons for dropout. In addition, persistent students presented different characteristics and dynamics compared to students who dropped out. Various theoretical and practical implications derived from the integrated findings are discussed, including a series of practical recommendations and possible interventions.