How Student Engagement Can Improve the Quality of Undergraduate Education Using Course Experience as a Mediating Variable

Abstract

The intent of this paper is to analyse the correlation between student engagement and course experience as a mechanism for improvement of the quality of undergraduate education. Traditionally, research focused separately on student engagement or course experience but it is to be argued that the later can be perceived as a mediating variable onto assessing student engagement as a tool for measurement and improvement of the undergraduate education. Additionally, is to be argued that the critique upon the student engagement and course experience concepts contributes to their further development.

A new sustainable change theoretical framework for the professional disciplines

“…The theory of student involvement provides a unique student‐centric lens to consider the impact of HE change on the student. Numerous studies have taken this theoretical perspective in the HE literature (such as, Felten, 2020; Flynn, 2014; Ropot, 2021). In this theory, students are viewed as partners in innovation and, as such, no meaningful improvements to teaching and learning are possible without their active involvement and ‘buy in’.…”

“…In teaching and learning, the barriers may result in students not being considered as stakeholders in the learning process: decisions are made at a subject/course level and communications between discipline staff and student are characterised as one way, rather than collaborative (Healey, 2021). Using the standpoint of the theory of student involvement, barriers that inhibit sustainable learning gains for students include staff driven to achieve high student evaluations of their teaching for tenure or promotion (Hornstein, 2017), and assessments requiring memorisation (Ropot, 2021).…”

“…Limitations of the theory include difficulties in measuring student engagement (Ropot, 2021), failure to consider student identity (Felten, 2020) and that cognitive challenge is a better predictor of cognitive development than effort (Culver et al, 2021).…”