Drop-Out, Retention, Satisfaction and Attainment of Online Learners of Dutch in Adult Education

Understanding reasons for drop-out, factors contributing to student satisfaction and strategies for enhancing student retention is fundamental to the success of online (language) courses. This study examines drop-out rates, student satisfaction, retention rates and attainment in fully online elementary-level courses for Dutch as a second language (L2) in Flanders. Results show that drop-out rates are highly "front-loaded" and that success in the A1 level course is a good predictor for success in the subsequent level. Retention strongly increases after the first module. Student-tutor interaction is a key element in student satisfaction that deserves attention from instructional designers, policy makers and educators.