Evasão na Universidade Aberta do Brasil: o caso da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria

Abstract

Distance Education is characterized by the flexibility of study hours, no need to attend to traditional classrooms and the reach of long distances. These characteristics have been expanding continuously this teaching modality; however, problems such as dropout have been accompanying this evolution. Based on this, the study analyzed the dropout determinants from courses offered at the Open University of Brazil (UAB), Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM) providing management and pedagogical policies to retain the student until the course conclusion. Methodologically, the study had a mixed approach, as it presents both quantitative characteristics – when working with the data obtained through an online survey sent to the evaded students – and qualitative – when analyzing the legal and institutional documentation, which was complemented by a consultation performed using the course coordinators. In the results, from 520 respondents, the evaded student profile of the public that seeks UAB/UFSM courses was: women, over 30 years old, exclusively from public high school and who studied Pedagogy. Still, it was found that almost 50% of the evaded student did not even complete the first semester, and more than half of them were in their first experience in distance learning. Following, the analysis, five factors was obtained for the dropout of UAB/UFSM students, as a) academic aspects; b) domestic conditions and skills; c) competing situations and adversity; d) individual performance; e) complexity of the course and its activities. The competing situations and adversities were the most influential to evaded students, while the factor domestic conditions and skills contributed the least. Thus, it is evident that there is a difficulty in managing time or the erroneous idea about the dedication that an EaD course demands, as well as that distance education students feel displaced as members of the institution. Therefore, it is necessary to invest in a constant disclosure about the teaching-learning process and the course development, as well as helping the student with time management so that they can reconcile all their activities. The institution must develop ways to get closer to the student and, considering the specificity of the EaD audience, seek greater knowledge about he context in which their study is developed, anticipating an intervention that inhibits evaded students.