Student Engagement in Open, Distance, and Digital Education

Abstract

Engaging students in their learning, and within their learning community, is a key goal of educators. However, ongoing discussions about its nature, conceptualization, and measurement have led to a diffusion of the concept’s understanding, and ability to apply it within both research and practice. This chapter draws on theoretical and empirical primary and secondary ODDE research, and provides an overview of student engagement and disengagement, particularly as they relate to educational technology. The four dimensions of behavioral, affective/emotional, cognitive, and social (dis-)engagement are presented, alongside example indicators. In addition, a bioecological model of student engagement is explored with explicit links to digital learning. The chapter concludes by providing open questions and directions for future research, including further emphasis and exploration needed on the role of social engagement in ODDE contexts, as well as disengagement as a separate construct.

Assessing the Influence of Learning Styles, Instructional Strategies, and Assessment Methods on Student Engagement in College-Level Science Courses

“…There is a need for further research to explore the role of social engagement in online and digital learning contexts, as well as the concept of disengagement as a separate construct. (Bond & Bergdahl, 2022;Leach & Zepke, 2011;Parsons & Taylor, 2011;Setionoa et al, n.d.;Wong & Liem, 2022)…”

The current state of using learning analytics to measure and support K-12 student engagement: A scoping review

“…Engagement has been conceptualized as a twodimensional construct with affective/emotional and behavioral dimensions [28], as a three-dimensional construct with affective/emotional, behavioral and cognitive dimensions [20,29], with various dimension labels, for example cognitive, academic, emotional and behavioral [7], and as four-dimensional with an emotional, a behavioral, a cognitive and a social dimension [30,31,32]. Building on [19], we define engagement in learning as the emotional, behavioral, cognitive, or social energy and effort that students direct towards learning.…”

“…To address this call, LA scholars have recently shown relevant efforts by mapping out learning theories used by LA researchers [93]. Yet, despite the potential LA has for shining greater light on engagement and allowing engagement theory to develop further [19], insights on how LA research explores K-12 student engagement remains limited [18]. This scoping review, therefore, seeks to provide deeper insight into how LA have been used to understand and support student engagement within K-12 settings with a view to help shape our understanding of engagement, and to provide advice for the undertaking of more robust and theoretically rigorous research in the future [63].…”

Optimizing Components Selection in Blended Learning: Toward Sustainable Students Engagement and Success

“…Selecting the right components can foster sustainable student engagement and success. It can create an environment where students are consistently motivated, actively participate, and remain invested in their learning experiences throughout their educational journey [4,5].…”

“…Face-to-face collaborative learning: students work together in person within the physical classroom environment to complete assigned tasks [6]. 4.…”