Sociology

Abstract
Modern technology had been changing too fast. Information is also evolving in a faster rate while population explodes. The number of school facilities and instructor are insufficient to suffice the increasing demand for education. Moreover, most people are already joining the labor force soon after they graduated from high school. Thus, distance or online learning is the most flexible way to get college or post secondary education. Nonetheless, recent findings have revealed that the numbers of dropouts in distance learning courses are greater than those in traditional learning. This undermines the capacity of distance learning to impart knowledge and to be effective in answering the need for college graduates and professionals in the United States.  Thus, this study would like to evaluate how age, educational attainment, gender and socio-economic status influence the completion of distance learning courses.

As population continues to explode, the number of students increased rapidly. School facilities and educational professionals are not enough to satisfy the needs of the current generation. In a traditional school setting, the classes would be too cramped if everyone will be accommodated. Moreover, people who would like to learn more would highly be discouraged. One of the main reasons would be the increasing price of education. It is a common economic principle that the scarcity of supply increases the price. With these in mind, people who would like to study in universities would not be able to afford the price. They would either work at low-paying jobs than to spend their hard-earned money for a college diploma. Since the facilities and the educators are not enough to satisfy the growing demand, the quality of education could be sacrificed. If this were the case, then learning would not improve and would only be viewed as a waste of money. It is therefore, necessary to create educational programs that would cater to the need of the general public. Given that the population continues to increase and that technology is constantly changing towards becoming more accessible and more affordable, the use of the Internet in education is highly innovative and helpful. Through the online learning approach, people who were not able to have andor complete their college degree would have a chance to do without going to school. People who never been formally educated could also apply for online programs to study. The online learning approach could be beneficial for working people, people with disabilities, and housewives who could not go to traditional schools. Minority groups are also encouraged to join online courses. Furthermore, since online or distance learning does not happen inside traditional schools, the costs of education are relatively lower. More people are also being exposed to modern technology, such as the use of computers, the Internet, and different software, which could help in finding jobs.

This research proposal would like to investigate the success of online or distance learning. Factors such as age, educational attainment, gender and socio-economic status would be studied to shed light on the success of online learning. By reflecting on these factors, the necessity of online learning could also be revealed.

Literature Review
Angelino and colleagues (2007) defined distance education as a method of delivering courses with the aid of the Internet. They cited different modes of e-learning that includes video and audio teleconferences, asynchronous learning networks and bulletin boards, synchronous chats and television broadcast (Angelino, et al., 2007). Distance educationlearning could be viewed as a modern intervention andor form of education. It incorporates the use of the latest technological innovations to address and deliver the educational needs of the public. Nevertheless, Angelino and colleagues (2007) pointed out that the attrition rate in distance learning is high. Attrition rates refer to the number of student who drops andor stop attending the course prior to the completion of the requirements. It is alarming to note that 80 percent of the employees that signed up for online learning would drop out before the completion of the course (Geutal and Stone, 2005115). Moreover, while the drop rates in traditional learning is about 40-45, Berge and Huang (2004) found several studies that showed 10-20 more attrition rates in online learning.

Age and educational level
The majority of online learners are 25-54 years old. The highest age group that the National Center for Education Services had identified was between 35-44. The US Census Bureau, 85 percent of all US citizens above the age of 25 in 2003 had a high school diploma (Berge and Huang, 2004). The courses that were offered for distance or online learning commonly required high school diploma. Since the people with high school diploma are usually those that are beyond 25 years old, it is therefore, logical to assert that this is the reason why most online learners are beyond 25 years old. Learners who are 25 years old and above are usually composed of students that had some college education or those who either completed associates degree andor vocational courses. Those who did not complete high school level are the least to apply for distance learning.

According to the study made by Elizabeth L. Cooper at the Snead State Junior College (1990), younger students are more likely to drop subjects than upperclassmen due to job-related andor financial conflicts. Berge and Huang (2004) noted that the number of drop outs is highest during the first year in college. These imply that younger students have a high inclination to drop courses during their first year in college. Angie Parker (1999) argued that first time students lacked the necessary independence and time management skills needed for persistence.

Gender
In as early as 1991, Cornelia Brunner had been able to determine the gender difference in perspectives about distance learning. According to the study she conducted, the expectations and need of men and women largely differ. Brunner specified that women were interested in learning things that allow them to collaborate, to create, to share their work, and to integrate their work and home lives. Men, on the other hand, view online learning as something that could give them enormous power, fabulous speed, and infinite wisdom (Brunner, 1991). The findings proved to be essential in the creation of online learning and the integration of distance learning into schools and community.

The result of the National Center for Education Statistics in 2005 revealed that out of 93,939 online learners, 52,216 were female while 41,724 were male. This data revealed that women are more interested in online learning than men. Men are usually confronted with long-hour jobs that are usually full-time. Women, especially mothers, are engaged in mostly part-time jobs. In conjunction to this observation, Stoops (2004) reported that women have a higher rate of high school completion than men. However, in developing countries the situation is reversed. According to Lyndsay Green and Lawry Trevor-Deutsch (2002), the number of men outnumbered women who are enrolled in distance learning classes in Africa. They argued that poverty and socio-cultural factors are the most influential barriers that prevented women in Africa from having access to online or distance learning. Thus, fewer women take the opportunity to study online. Berge and Huang (2004) also found out that women consistently have higher retention and graduation rates. Parker acknowledged that women are more persistent in completing college education. Distance learning is viewed as a liberating experienced by most women (Parker, 1999). Cooper (1990) identified family responsibility as a major factor that affects the high persistence of women.

Socio-economic Status
More than 50 of students and learners enrolled for post secondary education are working adults (Ausburn, 2004). It is interesting to acknowledge that as much as 75 of adults would like to study part-time while working. In 2002, most of the employed adults would like to improve their educational achievements to meet the requirements for their career (Ausburn, 2004). Nonetheless, most are unable to do so because they could not attend the traditional school. Ausburn (2004), recognized that many adults indicated the efficacy of e-learning in meeting their needs, and the largest audience for online education today is nontraditional adults working adults age 26 or older who study part-time, hold full-time jobs, and are unable to commit to rigid class schedules imposed by traditional classroom based programs.

Adults are interested in online programs primarily because their time is spent on their job. Others would like to increase their employment status by acquiring higher qualification. The National Center for Education Statistics revealed that 56,906 of the online learners in 2005 are employed full-time. Another 14, 430 learners are employed part-time. Some 3,784 online learners are unemployed but looking for work. Only 18,819 distant learners are not yet in the labor force. Berge and Huang (2004) found out that the high numbers of employed learners have a tendency to have higher attrition rates.

Hypothesis
There is a number literature that showed that the attrition rates in online learning are higher than their campus-base counterparts. If attrition rates would be treated as an indicator of the ability of online learners to complete the course, then the factors that affect attrition rates could be treated as influences to the completion of online courses. One of the factors presented above was age.

According to the studies, most dropouts occur during the first year of taking the course. Considering that most have completed their high school before 25, first year student would be composed largely of people who had recently completed their high school programs. The first hypothesis is concerned about younger students being less likely to complete their online courses. Moreover, students who have not attained any education beyond high school also have higher chances of dropping out.
As early as 1991, Brunner had already revealed that gender affect distance learning. This is largely influenced by the responsibility that each gender hold. Women, being recently liberated and allowed to study, are trying hard to finish responsibly what they have started. Moreover, there are fewer jobs for the unskilled and non-professional women. Thus, the second hypothesis argues that women are more likely to complete their distance learning courses.

Lastly, socio-economic status could also influence the decision to enter and complete distance learning courses. Most of the people who are taking online courses are employed full-time, part-time or currently looking for work. Therefore, the last hypothesis argues that people who are employed are more likely to take online courses.

Method
This study will involve the latest data found in the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES). The NCES gives information regarding the latest trends and the factors that affect education. The NCES prides itself as the federal-sponsored institution responsible for the collection of facts and information necessary in the evaluation and assessment of education. These statistics are made by incorporating data from post-secondary institutions in the United States. Online learning was made possible to modernize education and help educate those who do not have the time and resources to enter traditional learning. Collected data revealed that the attrition rates in most post secondary education are highest during the freshman years.

This research would like to propose that age, educational attainment, gender and socio-economic status influence the completion of online degree programs. The independent variable would be the number of completed online courses. The dependent variable areconsisted of indicators such as age, educational attainment, gender, and socio-economic status. Younger, high school fresh graduates, male and unemployed learners are more likely to drop courses. The reason could be due to lack of determination and expertise to finish the online course. Notably, the inability to manage time between work and school is considered as the main reason for dropping.

Conclusion
Distance learning is a new trend in education. The idea that the attrition rate in distance learning is higher than the traditional classes is alarming despite the rapid increase in the number of enrollees. If the number of dropouts would continue to increase, then it could be concluded that online learning is not effective and merely a waste of time, effort and money. It is therefore, important to look into the factors that influence its success. Most of the studies regarding the increase of the attrition rates in distance learning is attributed to age, educational attainment, gender and socio-economic status. General consensus denotes that younger males, who had recently completed high school and are unemployed would most likely drop out of online education. Knowing what influences the rate of attrition and retention could help design a more convenient program in distance learning that would uplift national education as a whole.