ISEDJ

Abstract: Prior research in higher education shows that engagement has been inconsistently conceptualized: semantic inconsistency has been compounded by variations in the constructs used to operationalize engagement. Acknowledging these limitations, we conceptualize student engagement as a multi-faceted meta-construct, overcoming some of the limitations evident in prior studies. This supports a research design that enables us to tap the capacity of the LMS at our institution to operationalize the constructs that undergird the Bundrick et al (2014) model. Our inter-cohort analysis reveals significant variations in individuals’ engagement with the on-line course. Our findings suggest that interactions among the primary elements of the learning environment—the student, the teacher, and the content— significantly affect engagement and student outcomes. Our findings also suggest an urgent need to deepen investigation of student engagement to more fully investigate the dynamics of interaction as on-line learning environments account for an increasing proportion of higher education.

Keywords: analytics, engagement, Information Systems, interaction, On-line learning

Download this article: ISEDJ - V13 N3 Page 4.pdf

Recommended Citation: Davis, C. J., Kmetz, K. (2015). Student Engagement: the core model and inter-cohort analysis. Information Systems Education Journal, 13(3) pp 4-14. http://isedj.org/2015-13/ ISSN: 1545-679X. (A preliminary version appears in The Proceedings of ISECON 2014)