Analyze Motivation-Hygiene Factors to Improve Satisfaction

One of the problems in Internet-delivered online instructional programs is high attrition. Despite the various potential benefits of online instruction, online learners tend to drop out of online instruction much earlier or more frequently than they do in traditional classroom instruction (Kember, 1995). There are various reasons for dropouts. For example, learners may stop attending on line classes because they think they have learned enough. Learners may stop enrolling in online courses because they have financial difficulties to support their continuous education. Learners may quit learning in online instruction because they are not satisfied with their online learning experience. It is critical to analyze the root causes of attrition before designing effective interventions to combat attrition (Chyung, 1999, 2001a, 2001b). If learners express dissatisfaction toward the online programs, the factors that cause dissatisfaction should be further investigated and eliminated. While isolating factors that cause dissatisfaction toward online instruction, it is also important to recognize factors that satisfy online learners and to continue to utilize those motivating strategies in online instruction. A helpful theory that guides such root cause analysis processes is Herzberg's motivation-hygiene theory