Assessing Online Readiness of Students

The rise of distance education has created a need to understand students' readiness for online learning and to predict their success. Several survey instruments have been developed to assess this construct of online readiness. However, a review of the extant literature shows that these instruments have varying limitations in capturing all of the domains of student online readiness. Important variables that have been considered in assessing the online readiness of students for distance education include attrition and information and communications technology (ICT) engagement. Previous studies have indicated that high attrition rates for online programs can be prevented by assessing student online readiness. The present study examined undergraduate students' online readiness using an instrument that was developed by the researchers that included constructs such as information communications technology engagement, motivation, self-efficacy, and learner characteristics. The addition of these subscales further strengthen the reliability and validity of online learning readiness surveys in capturing all the domains of student online readiness.