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Education Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Instructional Media Design

Walden University

Theses/Dissertations

2018

Online learning

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Education

Online Doctoral Students And The Importance Of Social Network Connections, Monica Herndon-Stallings Jan 2018

Online Doctoral Students And The Importance Of Social Network Connections, Monica Herndon-Stallings

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

University personnel offering online doctoral degrees struggle to address high attrition of students in the dissertation phase; these students can feel isolated, disconnected, and unmotivated. The purpose of this study was to explore ways online doctoral students in the dissertation phase used social networking sites (SNS) to overcome isolation and to increase persistence. The conceptual framework was situated in communities of practice (CoP) and the theory on self-determination. Research questions explored participants' experiences with using SNS to remain connected and persistent. Data were collected from in-depth interviews with 7 online doctoral students, who met the criteria of being in the …


Factors Affecting Employee Persistence In An Online Management Development Certificate Program, Todd D. Chester Jan 2018

Factors Affecting Employee Persistence In An Online Management Development Certificate Program, Todd D. Chester

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An important approach to prepare new managers for increased responsibility is participation in online management development programs; however, there is a lack of information about the factors that affect employee completion of these programs. This study addressed how chief executive officers (CEOs) can implement these programs to rapidly develop new managers who are qualified to serve in the leadership roles left behind by many retirees. This qualitative descriptive case study explored employees' perceptions about persistence in an online management development certificate program at a U.S. nonprofit organization. Herzberg's motivation-hygiene theory and Rovai's composite persistence model provided the conceptual framework for …