Study of e-Learning outcomes: The Role of Late-Registration and Self-Selection

The objective of this paper is to study how the registration time (early versus late) and the availability of the self-selection options (online and face-to-face) affect the eLearning outcomes in higher education. The students' performance in terms of the GPA and the DFW (drop, fail, and withdrawal) is compared in two online sections of an undergraduate business core course. Each section represents a different characteristic in the context of the registration time and the available self-selection options. The results show the students who register late for the online classes and do not have an option to self-select between face-to-face and online sections achieve significantly lower grades and higher DFW (drop, fail, withdrawal) rates than those who register early and have self-selection options.