Dropout caused by improper choice of programme
A number of dropouts felt that they did not choose the right programme, some because they found the programme difficult and some because they registered in haste without sufficient forethought. Among those who chose the wrong programme, some students remedied the issue by changing programmes, and others simply gave up schooling.

• I received my associate degree at an RTVU, majoring in law. I felt that open learning was quite flexible. Furthermore, we can now learn online…English was one of my hobbies, but was put aside for quite a few years. When I was at work, some of my colleagues wanted me to register with them for open learning and asked what programme I would choose. At that time, I had no idea of what really needed to be learnt, so I chose my hobby. But I found in studying that the gap was too big between the ideal and reality…That was why I chose to transfer to law science.
• I chose to study in the RTVU because I wanted to get a diploma, which could be of some help to my later employment…At that time I wanted to be a teacher, and registered in the programme… I am now working in the field of engineering, and after working I don't think the programme is of much use, so I chose to quit.
• It was a hasty decision to choose English. As I originally majored in gardening, I wanted to learn civil engineering, but you said you didn't offer the programme. I then thought to choose primary school education, but it was not offered either. In the end I hurriedly chose the English programme, because I was already at the registration area.

Dropout caused by work-study conflict
Dropouts, English tutors and class supervisors all recognized that students’ jobs and frequent business trips caused them to miss face-to-face tutorials, and their gradually falling behind significantly affected the dropouts. Class supervisors and students further stated that time conflicts between examination and work hours made it impossible for students to take examinations normally.

• After I registered, I got a job for various reasons. It is a full-time job. I have no time for study. Since I work for an engineering company, I am out all the time. I have no time for study or for examinations. As you know, companies like the one I work for are at building sites all over the country all year round. I've got no time and no holidays. That is the very reason.
• Students are under great pressure at work, time is limited. For example, students in a certain shipping company are especially busy with daily work, and they are not free on the weekend if ships come. What's more, enrollment for this shipping company is mainly targeted at graduates of the old vocational schools. Most of them are leaders of their units, which makes them busier. They have no time to attend classes.
• The examination times are not arranged very reasonably. RTVU examinations generally last one week. The students have to ask for several days or even one week of leave for the exams, resulting in no small economic loss because of deduction of salary and bonus. Leaders of some individual units refused to give students time off, so they couldn't take part in the examinations at all. This greatly affected the students’ initiative for study.
• Though absence from class does cause a lot of difficulty, it can be overcome by alternative methods of study.    However, absence from examination means all the hard work in the semester is in vain.
• Examination times are too spread out. They last too long. I missed the examination for English Listening at the end of last semester because work was too busy and I couldn't get leave. When I did get a short leave, I had to rush through the questions. Inadequate review and misunderstanding of the questions led to my failure in English Reading. With no time for class and examination conflicts, I am afraid the study will become a burden, so I want to quit.
• The examination span is stretched out too long. Four or five subjects take one week to test with only one subject per day. It is a great waste of our time and resources. Several leaves had to be asked for with a lot of work delayed. Leaders are quite dissatisfied.

Dropout caused by not being able to adapt to ODL study methods
The dropouts themselves felt that they were not good at time management. Class supervisors said that business trips, overtime, or work adjustments all lead to students’ failure in completing their study tasks. English tutors felt that students could not adapt to the study method of ODL and lacked independent study skills. Although there were slight differences in what the interviewees said, the interviews consistently reflected the students' inability to adapt to the study style and methods of ODL. Supposing that the students’ foundation in English satisfied the requirements of the programme and that the students chose their programme correctly, they could still easily drop out if unable to master effective ODL study methods or independent study skills. Specifically, problems included being weak in time management, unable to study efficiently, unable to utilize study resources provided by the school because of a busy work-life schedule and unable to study independently to make up for missed tutorials. The results in Table 5 show that many students also acknowledged that their weakness in time management and lack of study method led to dropout. Interviews with the students indicated that they were very dependent on face-to-face tutors.

• My English base is bad, very bad. (Can you keep up?) Just so so. About 3 days was spent every week. If I were studying with the teacher sitting next to me, the result would be quite good. But without the teacher, it wasn't possible.
• I can finish with the teachers, but not without them.
• If something happened at home, I couldn't follow the teachers’ teaching sometimes, and I felt stressed. When I found I couldn't follow the teachers, I felt more stressed.
• Normally, I didn't have much contact with teachers or classmates. We are all busy…Regarding the study groups, I also had no time to contact them, let alone study together. We would meet at the examinations or in class now and then. Everybody was busy making a living.

Dropout caused by economic hardship or health problems
Some students gave up schooling because of economic hardship. The interviews brought out a related issue which is that some students had limited Internet access or lacked the computer skills necessary for study.

• I have changed my job now. I feel the tuition is quite expensive, so I don't want to go on.
• I was preparing to get married after registration. At that time, I needed money. That's why I paid only the registration fee and not the tuition.
• Employment conditions are not very favorable. Some students had jobs when they registered, but now they are out of work. They lost money for tuition and even for living expenses. The loss of financial support for schooling led to the idea of dropping out.
• In the case of dropping out caused by loss of job, can application be submitted to the school for a student loan according to the actual circumstances? Maybe you will wonder whether it is worth asking for a loan for this little amount of money. But it is a problem for them. Our school resolved this by arranging for the students to pay their tuition in installments for the first semester. But a student said, “Teacher, where will I get money for tuition when I hardly have money to buy food.”…
• After all, there are restrictions on Internet access… Some, I mean, not everyone can afford Internet access.
• Some students have limited Internet access and even lack computer knowledge. They don't fully understand the teachers' guidance about online study methods, and they can't make full use of online measures for learning. This also becomes a bottleneck for their study in RTVUS.

Through the interviews, we found explanations for why students with high passing rates also dropped out (100% for some students, see Table 6). The class supervisors said that this was because some female students who became pregnant and other students who fell ill or ran into economic difficulties applied to suspend their schooling. The interviews above provide a basis for us to better understand the questionnaire results in Table 5: emergencies in work and life such as economic hardship and health problems, namely, major events unforeseen before admission but actually occurring during the course of study have an influence on whether the students can finish their studies.

Dropout caused by utilitarian motives for obtaining the diploma
English tutors noted that some students cared little for the learning process and their solely utilitarian motive for obtaining the diploma influenced whether they could persist in their studies.

• We attach importance to the learning process. For example, the formative assessment and summative assessment are done according to the OUC requirements. Some students think that they can graduate and get the diploma simply by paying the tuition. These types of students might give up.
• There are a few students who come to the RTVUs not for knowledge but only for diplomas. They are often late for face-to-face tutorials. Because of their lack of interest in studying, they may quickly give up as soon as they encounter difficulties or obstacles, such as inability to understand, difficulty in learning or failure to pass examinations.

The interviews also helped us understand the questionnaire results indicating that dropouts did not think class supervisors were factors in their dropping out.

• The class supervisor was very caring, she often called me to ask why I didn't go to class, and she also helped me resolve difficulties. Several times, the class supervisor offered to look after my child to give me time for class. I was very moved.
• The class supervisor was very responsible, and offered to help phone my boss to ask leave for the final examination.
• The class supervisor phoned me many times to persuade me not to give up studying and I was really very moved.

Comparing Table 4 and Table 5, we can see that the results from the interviews are consistent with the results from the online questionnaires; they verify and supplement each other. The questionnaire reported that weak knowledge base and great difficulty in courses and examinations were causes for dropout, and this illustrates the gap between the demands of the English programme and the students’ knowledge base. Work-study conflicts posed great challenges for on-the-job learners in finishing their studies. Time management, study methods and teacher-student interaction had an impact on whether the students could master effective ODL study methods. Unforeseeable emergencies such as economic hardship, work changes, health problems and family misfortunes would directly lead to dropping out. After one semester of learning, the students would reexamine whether they chose the right programme. If obtaining the diploma would be much more difficult than originally thought, the students would quit their studies.