Abstract
This study explored the levels of academic success in online classes for students, both non-student-athletes and student-athletes at a NCAA Division II institution, as well as their experiences in online classes. The aim of the study was to create an evidence-based framework for the institution to implement, with the purpose to advise student-athletes on course selection, including online courses, and maximize each student’s chances of achieving academic success, maintaining athletic eligibility, and graduating. The study used a convergent mixed method methodology that consisted of collecting quantitative and qualitative data concurrently and merging the two sets of data to answer research questions and develop the proposed solution. Quantitative data that showed the academic performance of student-athletes and non-student-athletes at the institution since 2007 was analyzed while qualitative face-to-face interviews were conducted with 8 student-athletes and 7 non-student-athletes. The results of this study indicated that online classes are not an effective way for improving academic success for student-athletes. The results also showed that student-athletes and non-student-athletes were not different in terms of academic performance. The proposed solution that this study created is a framework for academic advisors to use to determine if student-athletes should take an online version of a course or not. The solution recommends that any student-athlete who is a freshman, has a cumulative grade point average below 2.5, or is considering specific course subjects such as English, Statistics, or complex Science subjects such as Oceanography should avoid exclusively online courses. Academic advisors are able to use the solution to provide recommendations for course selection based on data rather than assumptions.|Keywords: Online courses, Student-Athletes, Academic Success, NCAA Division II