For adult learners, the decision to return to postsecondary education is a major one. The time, effort, and money it takes to complete a degree from beginning to end can make it difficult to commit to a full program of study. With the rise of flexible learning modalities including hybrid and fully online programs, those seeking higher education opportunities now have more options than ever before. In fact, research shows that time constraints and competing responsibilities are major reasons students choose distance learning course options over the traditional face-to-face environment (Hart, 2012; Ivankova & Stick, 2007; M€uller, 2008), yet those are also the very reasons that often lead students to ultimately drop out of online programs (Croxton, 2014; Nash, 2005). This represents a conundrum—a catch-22—with adult learners often best served by the flexibility of online programs but vulnerable to the hazards that flexibility inherently possesses. In addition to influences that create a strain on one’s time, research has shown that lack of confidence in one’s ability to be academically successful may also lead to higher attrition risk (Holder, 2007). This can be particularly true for online adult learners given that many have been removed from formal education for a number of years and may be uneasy about their technology savviness and ability to effectively navigate the learning platform. Feelings of inadequacies can lead students to second-guess their decision to enroll and continue in a program and make them feel like the amount of effort required to be successful is unmanageable. On the other hand, selfefficacy, as noted by Kemp (2002), is directly related to resiliency and can protect a student from dropout when barriers arise. Such confidence is largely linked to understanding the expectations for success and feeling capable of meeting those expectations. Therefore, institutions should be deliberate in communicating to students what they must do to achieve positive outcomes and do so in a way that builds confidence in their ability to accomplish it. In addition to these personal factors, higher education often poses a financial burden on individuals and families. Rising costs of education and rising costs of living result in students weighing the pros and cons of devoting their limited resources to earning a college degree. With all these additive challenges, students who decide to enroll in subsequent terms are, in effect, recommitting to the time, effort, and money it requires to continue in their programs. With each new term representing a new decision point for students to persist or drop out, institutions must make the case that continuous enrollment is the best choice for students to meet their educational and career goals in the face of competing personal, professional, and financial demands. Among the many factors that influence that decision, setting expectations for the course experience and helping students to connect with the institution were central tenets of the current study.

中文翻译：

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第一年：为在线成人学习者衔接内容和体验

对于成年学习者来说，重返中学后教育的决定是一个重要的决定。从头到尾完成学位所需的时间、精力和金钱可能使您难以完成完整的学习计划。随着包括混合和完全在线课程在内的灵活学习方式的兴起，那些寻求高等教育机会的人现在拥有比以往更多的选择。事实上，研究表明，时间限制和竞争责任是学生选择远程学习课程而不是传统面对面环境的主要原因（Hart，2012 年；Ivankova & Stick，2007 年；M€uller，2008 年），但这些都是也是经常导致学生最终退出在线课程的原因 (Croxton, 2014; Nash, 2005)。这代表了一个难题——第 22 条规则——成人学习者通常最适合在线课程的灵活性，但容易受到灵活性固有的危害。除了会给自己的时间带来压力的影响之外，研究表明，对自己在学业上取得成功的能力缺乏信心也可能导致更高的流失风险（Holder，2007）。对于在线成人学习者来说尤其如此，因为许多人已经脱离正规教育多年，并且可能对他们的技术能力和有效导航学习平台的能力感到不安。感觉不足会导致学生重新猜测他们注册和继续参加课程的决定，并使他们觉得成功所需的努力量是无法控制的。另一方面，正如 Kemp (2002) 所指出的，自我效能与弹性直接相关，并且可以在障碍出现时保护学生免于辍学。这种信心在很大程度上与了解成功的期望以及能够满足这些期望的感觉有关。因此，机构应该慎重地向学生传达他们必须做什么才能取得积极成果，并以建立对他们实现目标的能力的信心的方式进行。除了这些个人因素外，高等教育往往会给个人和家庭带来经济负担。不断上涨的教育成本和不断上涨的生活成本导致学生权衡将有限的资源用于获得大学学位的利弊。面对所有这些附加挑战，决定参加后续学期的学生实际上是 重新承诺继续执行他们的计划所需的时间、精力和金钱。每一个新学期都代表着学生坚持或辍学的新决定点，机构必须证明，在面临竞争的个人、专业和经济需求时，继续招生是学生实现教育和职业目标的最佳选择. 在影响该决定的众多因素中，为课程体验设定期望并帮助学生与机构建立联系是当前研究的核心原则。机构必须证明，在面临竞争的个人、专业和财务需求时，继续招生是学生实现教育和职业目标的最佳选择。在影响该决定的众多因素中，为课程体验设定期望并帮助学生与机构建立联系是当前研究的核心原则。机构必须证明，在面临竞争的个人、专业和财务需求时，继续招生是学生实现教育和职业目标的最佳选择。在影响该决定的众多因素中，为课程体验设定期望并帮助学生与机构建立联系是当前研究的核心原则。