Views of student engagement among students and faculty in online courses

Abstract

As part of an effort to learn more about the technologies currently available to students, three executives in the online division of a private, not-for-profit four-year university requested a survey of students and faculty to learn more about the technologies to which they currently have access. Additionally, each of three executives wanted to better understand student and faculty views of student engagement in the division\u27s online courses. To that end, research-based questions about student engagement levels were added to a survey about access to technology. This mixed-method non-experimental study collected data from students and faculty about which definition of student engagement taken from the literature they primarily relate to, as well as their views of current levels of student engagement in online courses offered by the university. Interestingly, student and faculty responses regarding the definition of student engagement to which they related, whether they felt the only courses are engaging based on that definition and the course activities they found most engaging were nearly identical. Given that the responses between the subject groups were so similar, survey bias may be a valid consideration. Recommendations include editing of survey questions, surveying faculty and students in individual courses and more research on the role gender differences may play in student engagement in online learning environments