Bornschlegl, Madeleine, and Cashman, David (2018) Improving distance student retention through satisfaction and authentic experiences. International Journal Of Online Pedagogy And Course Design, 8 (3). pp. 60-77.

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Abstract

As attrition rates of Australian undergraduate distance programs are consistently high, this article investigates whether retention can be increased by increasing the students' satisfaction through improving the student experience. This project examines the distance student experience informed by students' satisfaction with already identified crucial program factors. The authors propose that the Experience Economy model, utilised in tourism studies and general economics, is also relevant to education. An online survey collected data from 75 undergraduate distance students. Gathered data was analysed using two simple mediation models. The distance student experience and the students' satisfaction with crucial program factors were strongly indirectly related to the students' intention to persist through the students' overall satisfaction. The results indicate that designers of tertiary distance courses should consider program factors and the characteristics of the distance student experience to ensure high levels of student satisfaction and to increase the students' intention to persist.

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