{"id":"https://openalex.org/W2912223217","doi":"https://doi.org/10.28945/4182","title":"Factors Contributing to Student Retention in Online Learning and Recommended Strategies for Improvement: A Systematic Literature Review","display_name":"Factors Contributing to Student Retention in Online Learning and Recommended Strategies for Improvement: A Systematic Literature Review","publication_year":2019,"publication_date":"2019-01-01","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W2912223217","doi":"https://doi.org/10.28945/4182","mag":"2912223217"},"language":"en","primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.28945/4182","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.28945/4182","pdf_url":"http://www.jite.org/documents/Vol18/JITEv18ResearchP019-057Muljana5043.pdf","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S11358226","display_name":"Journal of Information Technology Education Research","issn_l":"1539-3585","issn":["1539-3585","1547-9706","1547-9714"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":true,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310315806","host_organization_name":"Informing Science Institute","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310315806"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Informing Science Institute"],"type":"journal"},"license":"other-oa","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/other-oa","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Journal of Information Technology Education: Research","raw_type":"journal-article"},"type":"article","indexed_in":["crossref"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"diamond","oa_url":"http://www.jite.org/documents/Vol18/JITEv18ResearchP019-057Muljana5043.pdf","any_repository_has_fulltext":true},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5080421398","display_name":"Pauline Salim Muljana","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0668-9083"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I4210092569","display_name":"Dominion University College","ror":"https://ror.org/003kqe171","country_code":"GH","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I4210092569"]},{"id":"https://openalex.org/I81365321","display_name":"Old Dominion University","ror":"https://ror.org/04zjtrb98","country_code":"US","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I81365321"]}],"countries":["GH","US"],"is_corresponding":true,"raw_author_name":"Pauline Salim Muljana","raw_affiliation_strings":["Old Dominion University","Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Old Dominion University","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I4210092569","https://openalex.org/I81365321"]},{"raw_affiliation_string":"Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I81365321"]}]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5023725983","display_name":"Tian Luo","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8138-3722"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I4210092569","display_name":"Dominion University College","ror":"https://ror.org/003kqe171","country_code":"GH","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I4210092569"]},{"id":"https://openalex.org/I81365321","display_name":"Old Dominion University","ror":"https://ror.org/04zjtrb98","country_code":"US","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I81365321"]}],"countries":["GH","US"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Tian Luo","raw_affiliation_strings":["Old Dominion University","Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8138-3722","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Old Dominion University","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I4210092569","https://openalex.org/I81365321"]},{"raw_affiliation_string":"Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I81365321"]}]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":2,"institutions_distinct_count":2,"corresponding_author_ids":["https://openalex.org/A5080421398"],"corresponding_institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I4210092569","https://openalex.org/I81365321"],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":68.1727,"has_fulltext":true,"cited_by_count":212,"citation_normalized_percentile":{"value":0.99933417,"is_in_top_1_percent":true,"is_in_top_10_percent":true},"cited_by_percentile_year":{"min":90,"max":100},"biblio":{"volume":"18","issue":null,"first_page":"019","last_page":"057"},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10162","display_name":"Online and Blended Learning","score":0.9994999766349792,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3304","display_name":"Education"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/33","display_name":"Social Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10162","display_name":"Online and Blended Learning","score":0.9994999766349792,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3304","display_name":"Education"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/33","display_name":"Social Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11122","display_name":"Online Learning and Analytics","score":0.9606000185012817,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1706","display_name":"Computer Science Applications"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11526","display_name":"Innovative Teaching Methods","score":0.9456999897956848,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3304","display_name":"Education"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/33","display_name":"Social Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/popularity","display_name":"Popularity","score":0.5743588805198669},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/psychological-intervention","display_name":"Psychological intervention","score":0.564640998840332},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/psychology","display_name":"Psychology","score":0.5249243378639221},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/systematic-review","display_name":"Systematic review","score":0.48221075534820557},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/timeline","display_name":"Timeline","score":0.4663998484611511},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/promotion","display_name":"Promotion (chess)","score":0.4483816921710968},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/retention-rate","display_name":"Retention rate","score":0.44616642594337463},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/higher-education","display_name":"Higher education","score":0.4389585256576538},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/set","display_name":"Set (abstract data type)","score":0.4355523884296417},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/relevance","display_name":"Relevance (law)","score":0.42798566818237305},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/medical-education","display_name":"Medical education","score":0.3902606964111328},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/applied-psychology","display_name":"Applied psychology","score":0.3287758231163025},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/computer-science","display_name":"Computer science","score":0.30998915433883667},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/social-psychology","display_name":"Social psychology","score":0.18062013387680054},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/medicine","display_name":"Medicine","score":0.1245831847190857},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/medline","display_name":"MEDLINE","score":0.1203770637512207}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780586970","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1357284","display_name":"Popularity","level":2,"score":0.5743588805198669},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C27415008","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7256382","display_name":"Psychological intervention","level":2,"score":0.564640998840332},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C15744967","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9418","display_name":"Psychology","level":0,"score":0.5249243378639221},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C189708586","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1504425","display_name":"Systematic review","level":3,"score":0.48221075534820557},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C4438859","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q186117","display_name":"Timeline","level":2,"score":0.4663998484611511},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C98147612","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q215599","display_name":"Promotion (chess)","level":3,"score":0.4483816921710968},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C79736992","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7316676","display_name":"Retention rate","level":2,"score":0.44616642594337463},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C120912362","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q136822","display_name":"Higher education","level":2,"score":0.4389585256576538},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C177264268","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1514741","display_name":"Set (abstract data type)","level":2,"score":0.4355523884296417},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C158154518","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7310970","display_name":"Relevance (law)","level":2,"score":0.42798566818237305},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C509550671","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q126945","display_name":"Medical education","level":1,"score":0.3902606964111328},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C75630572","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q538904","display_name":"Applied psychology","level":1,"score":0.3287758231163025},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.30998915433883667},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C77805123","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q161272","display_name":"Social psychology","level":1,"score":0.18062013387680054},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C71924100","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11190","display_name":"Medicine","level":0,"score":0.1245831847190857},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2779473830","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1540899","display_name":"MEDLINE","level":2,"score":0.1203770637512207},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C199360897","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9143","display_name":"Programming language","level":1,"score":0.0},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C38652104","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3510521","display_name":"Computer security","level":1,"score":0.0},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C94625758","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7163","display_name":"Politics","level":2,"score":0.0},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C199539241","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7748","display_name":"Law","level":1,"score":0.0},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C118552586","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7867","display_name":"Psychiatry","level":1,"score":0.0},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C17744445","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q36442","display_name":"Political science","level":0,"score":0.0},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C166957645","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q23498","display_name":"Archaeology","level":1,"score":0.0},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C95457728","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q309","display_name":"History","level":0,"score":0.0}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":2,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.28945/4182","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.28945/4182","pdf_url":"http://www.jite.org/documents/Vol18/JITEv18ResearchP019-057Muljana5043.pdf","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S11358226","display_name":"Journal of Information Technology Education Research","issn_l":"1539-3585","issn":["1539-3585","1547-9706","1547-9714"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":true,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310315806","host_organization_name":"Informing Science Institute","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310315806"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Informing Science Institute"],"type":"journal"},"license":"other-oa","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/other-oa","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Journal of Information Technology Education: Research","raw_type":"journal-article"},{"id":"pmh:oai:digitalcommons.odu.edu:stemps_fac_pubs-1080","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/stemps_fac_pubs/80","pdf_url":"https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/stemps_fac_pubs/80","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4377196314","display_name":"ODU Digital Commons (Old Dominion University)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I81365321","host_organization_name":"Old Dominion University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I81365321"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"other-oa","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/other-oa","version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":"STEMPS Faculty Publications","raw_type":"article"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"doi:10.28945/4182","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.28945/4182","pdf_url":"http://www.jite.org/documents/Vol18/JITEv18ResearchP019-057Muljana5043.pdf","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S11358226","display_name":"Journal of Information Technology Education Research","issn_l":"1539-3585","issn":["1539-3585","1547-9706","1547-9714"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":true,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310315806","host_organization_name":"Informing Science Institute","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310315806"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Informing Science Institute"],"type":"journal"},"license":"other-oa","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/other-oa","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Journal of Information Technology Education: Research","raw_type":"journal-article"},"sustainable_development_goals":[{"display_name":"Quality Education","score":0.550000011920929,"id":"https://metadata.un.org/sdg/4"}],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"grobid_xml":true,"pdf":true},"content_urls":{"pdf":"https://content.openalex.org/works/W2912223217.pdf","grobid_xml":"https://content.openalex.org/works/W2912223217.grobid-xml"},"referenced_works_count":83,"referenced_works":["https://openalex.org/W21931587","https://openalex.org/W60371801","https://openalex.org/W132113079","https://openalex.org/W237722408","https://openalex.org/W606798370","https://openalex.org/W1498853351","https://openalex.org/W1531329305","https://openalex.org/W1531573997","https://openalex.org/W1533740819","https://openalex.org/W1539802743","https://openalex.org/W1541772887","https://openalex.org/W1547942725","https://openalex.org/W1565875085","https://openalex.org/W1567498578","https://openalex.org/W1594490194","https://openalex.org/W1598520371","https://openalex.org/W1598794283","https://openalex.org/W1797402740","https://openalex.org/W1858118801","https://openalex.org/W1951241809","https://openalex.org/W1965279302","https://openalex.org/W1974590415","https://openalex.org/W1975108713","https://openalex.org/W1992567309","https://openalex.org/W1997680988","https://openalex.org/W2000292957","https://openalex.org/W2004441345","https://openalex.org/W2008555046","https://openalex.org/W2010312671","https://openalex.org/W2012330476","https://openalex.org/W2017854551","https://openalex.org/W2032110259","https://openalex.org/W2062822275","https://openalex.org/W2064638022","https://openalex.org/W2068727120","https://openalex.org/W2069293092","https://openalex.org/W2075443743","https://openalex.org/W2086317065","https://openalex.org/W2096230878","https://openalex.org/W2097344957","https://openalex.org/W2102358246","https://openalex.org/W2103869222","https://openalex.org/W2104357911","https://openalex.org/W2105379969","https://openalex.org/W2108322297","https://openalex.org/W2110221456","https://openalex.org/W2132990262","https://openalex.org/W2133958158","https://openalex.org/W2143029658","https://openalex.org/W2145562844","https://openalex.org/W2147316766","https://openalex.org/W2162514565","https://openalex.org/W2166903942","https://openalex.org/W2167602294","https://openalex.org/W2291818421","https://openalex.org/W2345267773","https://openalex.org/W2388350949","https://openalex.org/W2518231097","https://openalex.org/W2574543647","https://openalex.org/W2589361247","https://openalex.org/W2601667059","https://openalex.org/W2724262196","https://openalex.org/W2728680662","https://openalex.org/W2734751344","https://openalex.org/W2742836220","https://openalex.org/W2759372327","https://openalex.org/W2759453187","https://openalex.org/W2763883811","https://openalex.org/W2767432089","https://openalex.org/W2796027300","https://openalex.org/W2885792483","https://openalex.org/W2897322314","https://openalex.org/W2954338401","https://openalex.org/W2955259505","https://openalex.org/W2978327759","https://openalex.org/W3015321967","https://openalex.org/W3196487258","https://openalex.org/W4238907171","https://openalex.org/W4249915060","https://openalex.org/W4253369004","https://openalex.org/W4285719527","https://openalex.org/W6675807139","https://openalex.org/W6797141742"],"related_works":["https://openalex.org/W1858249912","https://openalex.org/W2114034199","https://openalex.org/W2317428717","https://openalex.org/W2734259032","https://openalex.org/W4385261515","https://openalex.org/W3094038556","https://openalex.org/W4296345146","https://openalex.org/W2014772881","https://openalex.org/W4254228154","https://openalex.org/W3049477255"],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Aim/Purpose:":[0],"This":[1,157],"systematic":[2,100],"literature":[3,101,162,317],"review":[4,24,102],"investigates":[5],"the":[6,11,14,37,63,80,84,121,131,173,183,187,259,316,344],"underlying":[7],"factors":[8,179,257],"that":[9,287,363],"influence":[10],"gap":[12],"between":[13,109],"popularity":[15],"of":[16,32,48,65,86,117,123,186,190,193,196,262,341,346],"online":[17,42,57,66,169,232,251,263,280,304,322],"learning":[18,43,58,170,264,305,323,367],"and":[19,45,62,111,136,153,166,203,237,245,296,333,339,349,353],"its":[20],"completion":[21,39],"rate.":[22],"The":[23,211],"scope":[25],"within":[26,36,172,258],"this":[27,96,310],"paper":[28],"includes":[29],"an":[30,46],"observation":[31],"possible":[33],"causal":[34],"aspects":[35],"non-ideal":[38],"rates":[40,73],"in":[41,79,168,279,298,303,309,321],"environments":[44,171,306],"identification":[47],"recommended":[49,212],"strategies":[50,167,213,362],"to":[51,119,160,240,249,300,337,355,359],"increase":[52],"retention":[53,72,165,218,277,302,320],"rates.":[54],"Background:":[55],"While":[56],"is":[59,68],"increasingly":[60],"popular,":[61],"number":[64],"students":[67,358],"steadily":[69],"growing,":[70],"student":[71,164,200,217,301,319,347],"are":[74,90,219,265],"significantly":[75],"lower":[76],"than":[77],"those":[78],"traditional":[81],"environment.":[82],"Despite":[83],"multitude":[85],"studies,":[87,135],"many":[88],"institutions":[89],"still":[91],"searching":[92],"for":[93,95,215,224,229,254,283],"solutions":[94],"matter.":[97],"Methodology:":[98],"A":[99],"was":[103],"conducted":[104],"on":[105,292,318],"40":[106],"studies":[107],"published":[108],"2010":[110],"2018.":[112],"We":[113,285],"established":[114],"a":[115,145,191,269],"set":[116],"criteria":[118],"guide":[120],"selection":[122],"eligible":[124],"articles":[125],"including":[126],"topic":[127],"relevance":[128],"(aligned":[129],"with":[130,207],"research":[132,328],"questions),":[133],"empirical":[134],"publication":[137],"time":[138],"frame.":[139],"Further":[140],"steps":[141],"were":[142],"performed":[143],"through":[144],"major":[146],"database":[147],"searching,":[148],"abstract":[149],"screening,":[150],"full-text":[151],"analysis,":[152],"synthesis":[154],"process.":[155],"Contribution:":[156],"study":[158],"adds":[159],"expanding":[161],"regarding":[163],"higher":[174],"education":[175],"setting.":[176],"Findings:":[177],"Revealed":[178],"include":[180],"institutional":[181],"support,":[182],"level":[184],"difficulty":[185],"programs,":[188,352],"promotion":[189],"sense":[192],"belonging,":[194],"facilitation":[195],"learning,":[197],"course":[198],"design,":[199],"behavioral":[201,243],"characteristics,":[202,244],"demographic":[204],"variables":[205],"along":[206],"other":[208],"personal":[209],"variables.":[210],"identified":[214],"improving":[216],"early":[220],"interventions,":[221],"at-all-times":[222],"supports":[223],"students,":[225,343],"effective":[226,361],"communication,":[227],"support":[228,250,348,351],"faculty":[230,350],"teaching":[231],"classes,":[233],"high-quality":[234],"instructional":[235],"feedback":[236],"strategies,":[238],"guidance":[239],"foster":[241],"positive":[242,366],"collaboration":[246],"among":[247],"stakeholders":[248,274],"students.":[252],"Recommendations":[253],"Practitioners:":[255],"Since":[256],"open":[260],"systems":[261],"interrelated,":[266],"we":[267],"recommend":[268,286],"collective":[270],"effort":[271],"from":[272],"multiple":[273],"when":[275],"addressing":[276],"issues":[278],"learning.":[281],"Recommendation":[282],"Researchers:":[284],"fellow":[288],"scholars":[289],"consider":[290],"focusing":[291],"each":[293],"influential":[294],"factor":[295],"recommendation":[297],"regard":[299],"as":[307],"synthesized":[308],"study.":[311],"Findings":[312],"will":[313],"further":[314],"enrich":[315],"environments.":[324],"Future":[325,327],"Research:":[326],"may":[329],"investigate":[330],"various":[331],"data-mining":[332],"analytics":[334],"techniques":[335],"pertaining":[336],"detection":[338],"prediction":[340],"at-risk":[342],"efficacy":[345],"ways":[354],"encourage":[356],"struggling":[357],"adopt":[360],"potentially":[364],"engender":[365],"behaviors.":[368]},"counts_by_year":[{"year":2026,"cited_by_count":8},{"year":2025,"cited_by_count":11},{"year":2024,"cited_by_count":40},{"year":2023,"cited_by_count":52},{"year":2022,"cited_by_count":41},{"year":2021,"cited_by_count":36},{"year":2020,"cited_by_count":21},{"year":2019,"cited_by_count":2},{"year":2016,"cited_by_count":1}],"updated_date":"2026-05-13T08:25:38.343686","created_date":"2025-10-10T00:00:00"}