Of Possums, Hogs, and Horses: Capturing the Duality of Student Engagement in eLearning

Abstract

The current preoccupation with activity and interactivity in pedagogical research on eLearning precariously elevates the importance of students' behavioural engagement and insufficiently accounts for other forms of productive involvement in learning. We argue that theoretical developments on the concept of student engagement offer a critical opportunity to revise this stance and problematize online activity. Through the lens of engagement, we depict online engagement as a multi-dimensional concept that encompasses behaviour, emotion and cognition. We further argue that the focus of online engagement may be dual in nature: engagement with online pedagogies and, separately, with the substantive knowledge being acquired. This study draws on qualitative data from postgraduate management research students in an online research methods course. To tease out the complexity of engagement, we use evidence of online activity to categorize learners into three distinct types: hogs, possums and horses. We juxtapose these behavioural categories against narrative accounts of engagement in eLearning to reveal a rich set of textures as well as misalignment among behaviour, emotion and cognition. The findings seem to question the privileged status of interactivity in online pedagogy and tentatively suggest the possibility that online disengagement may not be detrimental to learning.

Using Online Class Preparedness Tools to Improve Student Performance: The Benefit of “All-In” Engagement

“…In short, while facilitating and encouraging behavioral engagement may not directly correspond to academic achievement, or even other aspects of engagement (Morgan- Thomas & Dudau, 2019), this research suggests that students' successful and ongoing use of OART should enhance inclass experiences and learning of the concepts. Evidence also indicates that OART might also enhance cognitive and emotional engagement, dimensions that frequently receive less attention (Morgan- Thomas & Dudau, 2019).…”

“…In turn, this sense of being prepared can lead to greater in-class participation, improve understanding of the topics, and allow instructors to focus on high-level concepts during those interactions (Bond et al, 2020;Gopalan & Klann, 2017;Rajabalee et al, 2020). In short, while facilitating and encouraging behavioral engagement may not directly correspond to academic achievement, or even other aspects of engagement (Morgan- Thomas & Dudau, 2019), this research suggests that students' successful and ongoing use of OART should enhance inclass experiences and learning of the concepts. Evidence also indicates that OART might also enhance cognitive and emotional engagement, dimensions that frequently receive less attention (Morgan- Thomas & Dudau, 2019).…”

Exploring the Relationship Among Learning Styles, Engagement, and Learning Outcomes in the Context of Role-Play Activities

“…Future research could also explore other dimensions of engagement that were not captured in our study, such as cognitive and emotional engagement (Morgan-Thomas & Dudau, 2019;Taylor & Statler, 2014), and examine their relationship with learning styles and learning performance. Additionally, given the observed difference between perceived learning and actual learning, the relationship between learning performance and satisfaction could be further examined.…”

Designing and Implementing the MySusCof App—A Mobile App to Support Food Waste Reduction

“…A hybrid approach can also be used for mobile apps by using both hedonic and utilitarian values. Morgan-Thomas and Dudau [ 32 ] define participation in online learning as a multidimensional construct that includes behavioral, affective, and cognitive elements. Behavioral engagement is related to learning activities and interactions with learners and instructors.…”