Fundamental considerations of students' desertion in distance education programs
Abstract
Student desertion in distance education programs is the area that has received the most attention to identify the problematic of desertion by the students. Several investigations explain the desertion from three basic approaches: The first one is related to the characteristics of the students including age, gender, number of children, previous education, work condition and academic load. The second one consists in checking the courses and identifying which of its characteristics are associated with high or low rates of desertion. The third one is orientated by factors with psychological internal variables, as well as external environmental variables. This means that the decision of deserting or continuing is a result of the interaction of both.
