SUPPORTING ONLINE STUDENTS THROUGH THE LIMINAL SPACE FROM FACILITATED ONLINE MODULES TO SELF-STARTING A THESIS

Most third-level institutes now offer online education [1] with Allen et al. reporting that in excess of 28% of all American higher education students are enrolled on at least one online course [2]. Online education offers flexibility, convenience, and benefits that particularly suit the adult learner wishing to study part-time while continuing to work and deal with other life commitments. This flexibility and convenience associated with online education has a drawback as non-completion rates are typically higher than in on-campus education [3] [1] [4]. However, research has shown that online students have outperformed their traditional student counterparts [5] [6] [7]. Maki Maki (in Dixson, 2010) contend that in order for this to happen, a strong instructor presence is required along with strong instructor-student communications [7].Launched in 2004, the online Masters in Software Information Systems (a joint collaboration between the National University of Ireland, Galway and Regis University, Colorado) has seen strong enrolment and retention figures. The Masters programme operates in a part-time mode and the typical student is working while they take the online-content.Analysis of student feedback has shown that one crux-point for student dis-engagement is the strain a student encounters when writing their thesis [8]. In particular, feedback shows that students struggle when transitioning from facilitated online modules to self-starting their thesis literature [8].In this paper the authors present data, from the academic years 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17, showing the percentage of students starting thesis-research and those successfully completing a thesis each year. It also discusses the implementation of a roadmap of student-engagement in the mastery of identified related threshold concepts.