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The Investigation of Instructors’ Role in Increasing and Sustaining Student Engagement in eCampus

Ren, Xinyue
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1042-0100
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1588855087484303

Abstract Details

2020, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, Instructional Technology (Education).
The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the instructors’ perceptions and experiences of increasing and sustaining student engagement in eCampus. Online courses and programs have become a growing phenomenon in many postsecondary institutions. Online learning could be beneficial to accommodate the needs of students with diverse learning preferences and styles. However, research findings showed that the attrition rate of online courses was often 10% to 20% higher than that of traditional face-to-face classes. The high attrition rate could be problematic to prevent students from successfully completing their online courses or earning their online degrees. Engagement is a significant factor to influence the quality of students’ online learning experiences. Many studies have been done to explore online engagement from learners and instructors’ perspectives. For example, online learning strategies were helpful to enhance students’ online learning experiences. Other researchers have suggested the importance of online teaching strategies to promote student engagement, including interactive learning experiences, instructor social presence, immediate feedback, well-designed assessment activities, and learners’ anxiety control. However, limited research has been conducted to investigate instructors’ perceptions and experiences of enhancing student engagement in online environments. Guided by two engagement frameworks, I recruited 12 online instructors from the eCampus at the target institution. Individual interviews and document analysis were applied to collect data. Two cycles of coding, open and pattern coding, were used to generate the themes to address two research questions. According to the findings, online instructors believed that a heavy workload was needed to promote online engagement in course design and deliver phases. They perceived online engagement as a complicated concept and three levels of interaction. Instructors also explained different functions performed by each engagement component in online courses. In terms of instructors’ experiences in engaging online students, online instructors shared the strategies they used and the challenges they faced while increasing and sustaining student engagement. The findings indicated some strategies to promote five engagement components, the sustainability of online engagement, and collaboration with other staff. However, instructors faced several challenges, including the barriers of enhancing online engagement, the limitations of the learning management system, and ineffective engagement practices. Finally, the implications for future practices at higher education institutions and recommendations for future research were discussed.
Greg Kessler , Ph.D (Advisor)
Jesse Strycker, Ph.D (Committee Member)
Yuchun Zhou, Ph.D (Committee Member)
Laura Harrison , Ph.D (Committee Member)
203 p.
Educational Technology
online learning; student engagement; online instructors

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Ren, X. (2020). The Investigation of Instructors’ Role in Increasing and Sustaining Student Engagement in eCampus [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1588855087484303

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Ren, Xinyue. The Investigation of Instructors’ Role in Increasing and Sustaining Student Engagement in eCampus. 2020. Ohio University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1588855087484303.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Ren, Xinyue. "The Investigation of Instructors’ Role in Increasing and Sustaining Student Engagement in eCampus." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio University, 2020. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1588855087484303

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ohiou1588855087484303
218
© 2020, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Ohio University and OhioLINK.
Release 3.2.12