What Factors Affect Graduate Health Administration Students’ Decisions in Selecting Academic Institutions and Their Choice of Course Delivery?

This study investigated the reasons graduate health administration students choose face-to-face programs while attending a predominantly online university.1 Institutions of higher education in the United States, in particular, as well as elsewhere around the world, have gradually adopted a strategy of online learning delivery in lieu of, or in combination with, the traditional in-class, on-campus education.2 According to the most recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics, approximately 2.6 million students were enrolled in fully online degree programs, and 5.5 million were taking at least one online course.3

Technology has become an integral part of the American higher education system.4 It is now established practice for colleges and universities to offer online courses and entire programs via the Internet, in the United States and other developed economies.5 Abramenka6 noted that students are increasingly being offered online education experiences, whether through hybrid or blended learning environments or greater use of technology, even in the traditional classroom environment. Hybrid, or blended, programs include those in which 30% to 79% of course content (e.g., syllabus, class assignments) is delivered online with class meetings all conducted face-to-face.7 Limited information exists on the reasons graduate health administration students still choose to attend face-to-face programs at predominantly online institutions.1

Distance education is based on the premise that education is possible without the face-to-face interaction between the student and teacher. Today, with advances in communications technology and the connectivity of computers and the Internet, distance education is commonplace. As Kentnor says, “Distance education continues to play an important role in education in the United States, as it provides greater access and, in some respects, an affordable option.”8

It is possible, as Kolowich noted, that in 10 or 20 years, when the great universities are judged, the standards will consider not only their research accomplishments but the reach of their teaching as well.9 Distance education has always been concerned with making knowledge accessible to more than just a privileged few.8

The Issue

Even though online programs and the demand for them are growing, graduate health administration students are still choosing to attend face-to-face programs, even at predominantly online institutions.1 Although graduate health administration students appear to be eager to take on new hybrid learning opportunities, they still value traditional direct interaction with their instructors and may not want to choose online programs exclusively.6 Graduate health administration students electing a field of study are confronted with the choice of selecting courses and programs in a traditional face-to-face setting, a hybrid or blended setting, or a fully online program.5

The Design

The research design for this study included three components: philosophical assumptions; research strategies to be employed; and the methods to be used to collect the data.1

Institutions of higher learning could use the implications and inferences of this study in several ways. Based on participants’ responses about their reasons for enrolling in face-to-face programs, academic advisors could suggest optimum course placement toward graduate health administration students’ academic and future career success. The study’s findings could help administrators evaluate the feasibility, retention, and expansion of face-to-face graduate programs at predominantly online universities. Implementation of face-to-face programs would attract more students who prefer and thrive in face-to-face programs.1

Results

Twenty graduate health administration students from two for-profit, predominantly online universities in South Florida were interviewed regarding their choices to attend face-to-face programs at predominantly online universities. The interviews included 12 semi-structured, open-ended questions. The responses revealed 3 common themes and 12 subthemes overall. The first major common theme was that participants made their choices to attend their predominantly online university based on previous successful experiences in the traditional face-to-face learning environment. Their decision to pursue a graduate program in the face-to-face format was influenced by their previous success in the traditional face-to-face format.1

Significance of the Study

This study is significant for institutions as well as for students choosing to enroll in a face-to-face graduate program. The findings of this study could be helpful to institutions of higher learning in several ways. They could contribute to proper course placement advising; potentially contributing to both the academic and future career success of the traditional graduate student. Our findings also could assist predominantly online universities in considering the feasibility and retention of face-to-face graduate programs, especially for students who may prefer and depend on face-to-face program delivery to succeed in their education.1

As more institutions of higher education invest heavily in online instructional methodologies, it becomes imperative to understand and address the critical factors needed to convert face-to-face students to online students.

The study explored the experiences of the participants in face-to-face and online educational formats. Overall, experiences with the two formats were different, influencing the participants’ choices to attend face-to-face programs at these predominantly online universities. Further research is needed in analyzing the impact of teaching styles and methodology as they relate to student choices and student self-efficacy with regard to academic delivery of courses. To help students succeed, it is of the upmost importance to understand and address the implicit factors affecting their decisions. As more institutions of higher education invest heavily in online instructional methodologies, it becomes imperative to understand and address the critical factors needed to convert face-to-face students to online students. Identifying and addressing these factors may allow educators to affect the students’ choice while addressing self-efficacy issues. Another area of interest for future research may be a retrospective study comparing and contrasting the success of students in a given field of study based on the delivery methodology used during their courses of study—face-to-face versus online. This may be most valuable by focusing the study on a specific field within healthcare administration.1

References

1.    Roopnarinesingh U. Exploring Graduate Health Administration Students’ Choices to Attend Face-To-Face Programs at Predominantly Online Institutions. Doctoral dissertation, 2019. Available from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. (Publication No. 27544123.)
https://search.proquest.com/openview/8fea6ddd6444ed86501a53e6dfec8e4e/1.pdf?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y.

2.    Alsaaty FM, Carter E, Abrahams D, Alshameri F. Traditional versus online learning in institutions of higher education: minority business students’ perceptions. Business and Management Research. 2016; 5(2):31-41. doi:10.5430/bmr.v5n2p31.

3.    National Center for Education Statistics. (2016). Fast facts. https://nces.ed.gov/IPEDS/

4.    Mast LJ, Gambescia SF. Assessing online education and accreditation for healthcare management programs. J Health Adm Educ. 2015; 32:427-467.

5.    Holzweiss C, Joyner S, Fuller M, Henderson S, Young R. Online graduate health administration students’ perceptions of best learning experiences. Distance Education. 2014;35:311-332. doi:10.1080/01587919.2015.955262

6.    Abramenka V. Students’ motivations and barriers to online education. Online Distance Education Commons. 2015;4(1):38-55.

7.    Allen IE, Seaman J. 2013—Grade Change: Tracking Online Education in the United States. Oakland, CA: Babson Survey Research Group and Quahog Research Group.
http://sloanconsortium.org//publications/survey/grade-change-2013.

8.    Kentnor H. Distance education and the evolution of online learning in the United States. Curriculum and Teaching Dialogue. 2015; 17(1/2):20-25.

9.     Kolowich S. Coursera chief: reach of teaching will define great universities. Chronicle of Higher Education. 2014;10(1):23–24. www.chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/
coursera-chief-reach-of-teaching-will-define-great-universities/53445.