Running Head: CHARACTERISTICS OF SUCCESSFUL ONLINE LEARNERS 1

Characteristics of Successful Online Learners

M. Lynne Perritt

University of Arkansas

December 2013
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Abstract

Distance education has existed in various forms for hundreds of years evolving over time

to keep pace with technology. Recent developments in technology such, as smaller more

powerful computers and the internet, make distance education more accessible to the masses. As

online learning grows in popularity the need to understand distance learners also grows in

importance. Studies show a higher dropout rate in distance courses than in equivalent courses

taught on campus (Atwell, 2007, Willging & Johnson, 2009, Young, 2005).This paper

investigates demographics and learning characteristics of successful and satisfied online learners.

Introduction

In the most general terms, Distance Education describes a course of study delivered to

students in a non-classroom setting. The instructor and students are separated by distance and

very little, if any face-to-face instruction occurs. By this definition, distance education, in one

form or another, has existed in the United States for centuries (Schrum & Hong, 2002). Through

the 1970s distance education depended primarily upon one-way communication and delivery

methods such as the postal service, radios, and television. In the 1980s new technology,

including teleconferencing and fax machines, provided opportunities for quicker communication

and 2-way communication. In the 90s the debut of the internet opened wide the possibilities and

availability of distance education. Online learning, occasionally referred to as cyber learning or

e-learning, a type of internet based distance learning, emerged only two decades ago and

quickly evolved into the most prevalent form of distance education (White, 2006). Thus, the

terms online learning, cyber learning, and distance learning are often used interchangeably and

will be used as such in this paper.

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The purpose of this paper is to examine characteristics of typical online learners. The

research seeks to answer the following questions. What similarities exist among online learners

and, what differences, if any, exist between online students and students in traditional face-to-

face classes? Do any demographic factors or learning styles affect online student satisfaction or

success? Finally, this paper posits that online students demonstrate as much, if not more,

academic success than traditional students (Aragon, Johnson & Shaik, 2002, Prins, Drayton,

Gungor & Kassab, 2012, Koch, 2005).

Methods

The methods described below were used in order to find the most informative and

suitable sources of information the. Using ERIC, Ebsco, Google Scholar and ProQuest as

database search engines, combinations of the following terms were used to identify possible

sources: successful distance learners, characteristics of online learners, predictors of online

course success, and learning styles of online learners. In order to narrow the selection, only

books and articles containing primary research focusing on tertiary distance learners were

considered for further investigation. Ultimately, 30 professional articles and doctorate

dissertations were chosen as references.

Literature Review

The U.S. Distance Learning Association defines distance learning as supporting the

pursuit of lifelong learning for all (Butler, 2008). Yukselturk and Bulut (2007) call it anywhere

anytime learning. In fact, the internet does make information available anytime and anyplace

(Prokop, 2008). Tech savvy employers, corporations, educators, vocations, avocations, and
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schools can, and do, use the World Wide Web to deliver information, education, and job related

training to millions. According to a 2008 study, by the fall of 2007 nearly 3.9 million students

were enrolled in online courses (Schwiebert, 2008). As online courses grow in popularity, so

grows the research. Facets of and uses for distance education are unbounded, thusly, this paper

focuses primarily on adult tertiary learners and what makes them satisfied and successful

students.

Online student success and satisfaction is important for many reasons. Awareness of

factors contributing to, or distracting from, satisfaction and success helps instructors create better

online experiences for their student; in 2000 Mitchell posited that students should be instructors

primary design element of their online courses. Students who are cognitive of factors that may

aid or thwart their success will be able to make informed decisions when choosing between

online or traditional class formats. Employers benefit from such research when they effectively

train employees in remote locations without paying for travel or spending time away from the

office to train. Additionally, recruiting and retaining students is a competitive business. Some

students, especially non-traditional adult learners, view themselves as consumers as well as

students. They consider themselves to be consumers of education services (p. 101), potentially

giving to the institution their time and financial resources (Dumais, Rizzuto, Cleary & Dowden,

2013). As more colleges and universities offer online classes the competition to attract and keep

students increases, making student satisfaction more important than ever (Little, 2008).

Unfortunately, as in the education field in general, there exist almost as many definitions

of online learning satisfaction and success as there are learners, instructors, and researchers.

Some of the researchers, like Atwell asked students to define success by letting them choose

from options like, receive an A in the class, receive a B in the class, pass the class, complete and
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turn in assignments on time, or learn what my instructor/institution expects me to learn. Other

studies defined student success as completing a course (Atwell, Harrell & Bower, 2011),

completing an entire program (Willging & Johnson,), GPA (White), receiving a C or better in a

course (Wiens, 2005), application of learned knowledge during instruction or in ones job (Lim

& Kim, 2002), or passing post graduate national exams (White). Defining and measuring student

satisfaction proved even more subjective. This disparity results in inconsistent results and makes

patterns in success and satisfaction data difficult to recognize.

In contrast, most of the studies measured similar student demographics such as age,

gender, race, hours worked per week, and education level (Butler, 2008, Koch, 2005, White,

Yukselturk & Bulut ). Researchers employed several methods to determine learning styles and

characteristics. To assess learning styles, four of the studies (Daniel, 1999, Elliott, 2006,Little,

Nguyen & Zhang, 2011) used Kolbs Learning Styles Inventory; one researcher (Wiens) used a

modified version of the Grasha Riechman Student Learning Style Scale; Butler (2008) used the

Group Embedded Figures Test. Harrell and Bower chose the Barsch Learning Styles Inventory to

determine the learning styles of their respondents. Several others created their own learning

characteristics assessments (Wang, Peng, Huang, Hou & Wang, 2008, Atwell White, Yukselturk

& Bulut). Elliott and Mitchell evaluated personality types for their research using the Myers-

Briggs Type Indicator.

The Koch study, summarized in his 2005 article Does Distance Learning Work, sampled

76,866 student performances in online courses at Old Dominion University, in Norfork, VA. In

comparison, many of the studies surveyed for this paper were conducted using a convenient

sampling method, resulting in much smaller data pools (typically of 200 or less) and, perhaps,

more homogenous subjects. Some of the results proved statistically significant in these studies;
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this information is helpful in finding patterns and gleaning insight, but should not be over-

generalized to other situations (Knowles & Kerkman, 2007,Little, Willging & Johnson,

Yukselturk & Bulut). However, this does not make this data any less informative or valuable.

Demographic Findings

In the United States, the average distance learner is older than the traditional bricks and

mortar learner. In 2006, the average traditional undergraduate student was 21 years and the

average age of the online student was 26 (Butler, Koch). Little found that 51.9% of his subject fit

in the 30 39 year age group. More online learners are women than men (Koch, Neuhauser,

2002). Most online learners attend school part time (Little, Lim & Kim) and most work at least

10 20 hours a week (Schrum & Hong). Distance students also tend to have more children than

their peers in traditional classes (Butler). Almost half of all distance learners enroll in online

classes because of the scheduling flexibility it affords (Navarro & Shoemaker, 2000, Prins, et al.,

Prokop, Reio & Crim, 2013,Young).Other demographic information collected by the researchers

includes race, ethnicity, native language, marital status, income, level of education, distance from

school, and technology experience.

Learning and Personality Characteristics

Researchers collected information about their subjects through industry accepted

learning style assessment tools, self-descriptions, researcher created surveys, and instructor

descriptions. Daniel, Elliott, Little, and Nguyen & Zhang used Kolbs LSI which divides learning

styles into four groups: accommodating, diverging, converging, and assimilating. White suggests

using Canfields Learning Style Inventory to determine students preferred methods of learning.

Butlers study determines learners field-dependence vs. field-independence using the Group

Embedded Figures Test. And Wiens used a modified Grasha-Riechman Student Learning Style
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Scale to describe students learning and interaction styles as avoidant, participant, competitive,

collaborative, dependent, or independent. The Barsch Learning Styles Inventory, used in Harrell

and Bowers research, designated participants as auditory, kinesthetic, tactile, or visual learners.

Some of the other characteristics most often assessed follow: self-motivation, internal or external

locus of control, test anxiety, intrinsic or extrinsic goal orientation, self-efficacy, self-regulation,

organization, and self-directed learning.

Findings - Demographics

In Whites study 2nd semester the average online student GPA of 3.0 is .5 higher than that

of the average brick and mortar students. Neuhauser observed students enrolled in different

sections of the same course, taught by the same instructor. One course was offered online, the

other on campus. The mean final grade for the online section was 3.5 (out of 4.0); the mean on

campus grade was 3.35. This is consistent with data from other studies (Aragon, Johnson &

Shaik, Koch, Prins, et al.). Despite higher GPAs, online students tend to have a higher drop-out

rate than traditional on campus students. Koch found that mens online learning performance was

inferior to womens and Lim & Kims study showed women demonstrated a significantly higher

degree of learning in online classes than men. Similarly, Willging and Johnson found that men

dropped out at a higher rate than women. In their study, 33.7% of the students who began the

course dropped out; 42.9% of men did not complete the course. There was no significant

difference in the percent of white students (29.7%) and the percent of black students (30.8%)

who dropped out. Most of the students who dropped out indicated that time was a factor in their

decision. Some experienced difficultly balancing demands of work and school; others initially

underestimated the amount of time an online class would consume. Most data indicates that pre-

existing computer skills have little influence on cyber learning success or satisfaction
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(Thurmond, Wambach, Connors, & Fray, 2002). Surprisingly, in Harrell and Bowers study of

distance college students a higher level of computer experience was associated with failure to

complete the course.

Conversely, some demographic characteristics increase ones chance of succeeding in an

online course. Butler and Koch both found a positive correlation between student age and student

success. More specifically, Kochs study showed that an online student 10 years older than the

average of 26 years will earn a GPA .14 higher than the average aged student. Education level

and high school and current GPA also correlate positively with learning success (Harrell &

Bower). Most student demographics seemed to have little effect on student success or

satisfaction. Butlers study showed that age, education level, and race influence student

satisfaction. While computer technology self-efficacy showed no correlation to student

performance or satisfaction in college level online courses, a study by Gunawardena, Linder-

VanBerschat, LaPointe, and Rao (2010) identified computer self-efficacy as the most significant

factor affecting learner satisfaction on online education in high-tech companies.

Findings Learning Styles and Characteristics

These studies showed that some learning characteristics influence student success and

satisfaction. Instructors interviewed in Schrum and Hongs study agreed that the nature of

distance learning magnifies the consequences of negative influences such as lack of organization

and lack of self-discipline. Students with external loci of control may also find online courses

more difficult than the on campus counterparts (Knowles & Kerkman). Nguyen and Zhangs

divergent learners struggled with the flexible scheduling of e-learning; alternative activities

served as distractions, thus divergers had more difficulty meeting due dates than convergers,

assimilators, or accommodators.
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Cyber learning is often closely associated with the constructivist theory of learning

because distance learning promotes greater student responsibility and involvement in the

learning process. By its nature, it also nurtures each students propensity and ability to actively

construct internal meaning (Navarro & Shoemaker). Successful distance learners tend to be

highly motivated self-starters (Koch, Nguyen & Zhang, White). Self-motivation and discipline

are essential characteristics of successful distance learners (Huckabee, 2010, Schwiebert, 2008).

And students with an internal locus of control are more likely to persist in distance learning than

those with an external locus (Daniel).

Wiens found that a correlation exists between learning/interaction style and online course

satisfaction but not with academic success. Three of the 6 learning/interaction styles (avoidant,

participant, competitive, collaborative, dependent, independent) appear to have an association

with student satisfaction. Wiens study showed a negative association exists between satisfaction

and avoidant. Students who thrive off learner to learner interaction incline to be disappointed by

the lack of student to student interaction in online classes. Discussion boards, chats, and emails

prove to be insufficient substitutes for face to face contact. Students who are motivated by

competition also often prefer traditional classes. A strong positive correlation exists between

satisfaction and participant; a moderate positive correlation exists between satisfaction and

collaborative learners (Wiens). Littles accommodating students indicated high levels of

satisfaction with their online classes with preferences for the activities that allowed for building

relationships.

These studies show that effective cyber courses are more than mere digital versions of

face-to-face classes, that most distance learners are somewhat demographically different from

their on-campus peers, and that successful online learners demonstrate high levels of self-
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motivation. As such, some researchers suggest institutions use informal screening processes to

help students determine whether online or on campus instruction is best for them. Screening of

this type could also help instructors better prepare for their courses.

Conclusion

In conclusion, student demographics appear to play a small role in the success and

satisfaction of cyber learners. Yet, statistics show women drop out of online classes less than men

and older students have higher GPAs. However, research indicates that some learning

characteristic may predict success or satisfaction. Participants, accommodators, and students

with internal loci of control demonstrated the highest levels of satisfaction with online classes.

The most common learning characteristics of successful online learners are self-motivation,

discipline, and their ability to self-regulate and take responsibility for their learning experiences.

Additionally, most of the research reviewed for this paper asserts that cyber education is as

effective as traditional face-to-face education.

The main weakness found among these studies is the often used small sampling group

which can affect reliability and validity. Results from smaller more localized studies are difficult

to generalize. The education fields vast array of definitions of success in tertiary education

leads to results that are difficult to compare across studies. Finally, more large sample, control

group studies of online student experiences would be beneficial.

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