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This report presents the findings of an exploration of possible reasons why students enrolling in vocational education and training (VET) courses do not complete those courses. The findings are based on evidence of two kinds: (1) evidence obtained from a statistical investigation of the outcomes of course enrolments; and (2) evidence obtained from telephone interviews with past students. The report focuses on the relationship between course completion rates and course structure and its scope is limited to TAFE in New South Wales (NSW), Victoria and Western Australia. The study finds that two broad groups of factors appear to influence the rates of course completions: (1) the more modules there are in a course, the lower the completion rate; and (2) the more module choices there are in a course, the lower the completion rate. Another factor that was found to influence course completions in NSW (it was not investigated in the other two states) was that courses consisting of modules with ungraded assessments had higher completion rates than courses consisting of modules with graded assessments. Presented here is preliminary evidence on the factors associated with completion and non-completion of TAFE courses. It is suggested that further studies should consider the identified factors in more detail.

This publication is the web edition of a report on a study commissioned by the National Research and Evaluation Committee (NREC) to explore the expectations and experiences of online students in the vocational education and training (VET) sector. The study aimed to: explore the theoretical frameworks/models underpinning student support and intervention strategies in online learning; examine the current assumptions and practices in the delivery of online VET programs; investigate student expectations and experiences of current practices at various stages in their programs of study; and develop guidelines for online support for both practitioners and students. This report contains the literature review, the background to the study, the methodology, the findings and conclusions and a set of guidelines for providers. This web addition also contains the Appendices.