Online engagement framework

What is it?

Student  engagement is an area that has been widely discussed in higher education as a significant component of successful learning  (Redmond, Abawi, Brown and Henderson, 2018) One way we can examine student engagement is through the student’s involvement in their learning, (e.g. participating in a discussion, collaborating with peers on solving problems) and how this contributes to the achievement of learning outcomes and sustains motivation and further involvement in course activities (Meyer, 2014).

To support you in creating effective online learning experiences, this online engagement framework (Redmond et. al, 2018) proposes a model exploring engagement within online environments. The framework incorporates and builds on the three key areas of student engagement: behavioural, emotional, and cognitive (Henrie, Bodily, Manwaring, & Graham, 2015). It presents us with five interrelated elements of engagement for the online space: social engagement, cognitive engagement, behavioural engagement, collaborative engagement, and emotional engagement.

The table below provides a summary of the elements and indicators for each element. The aim is to provide a tool to unpack the dynamic nature of online engagement. It has been adapted to include and link to relevant strategies and tools.

Element	Indicator	Strategies/Tools
Social	Building community Creating a sense of belonging Developing relationships Establishing trust	Creating a community of Inquiry through online discussions Community of Inquiry Icebreaker activities
Cognitive engagement	Thinking critically Activating metacognition Integrating ideas Justifying decisions Developing deep discipline understandings Distributing expertise	Authentic assessment Authentic tasks Authentic context Case Studies Learning Journal Multiple Choice Questions & vUWS Quizzes Self Study – Reading Materials Concept/mind map Four-corner exercise
Behavioural engagement	Developing academic skills Identifying opportunities and challenges Developing multidisciplinary skills Developing agency Upholding online learning norms Supporting and encouraging peers	Keeping it active Use active learning to facilitate discussions Decentralising the discussion Breakout rooms Panel discussions Interviews One-minute paper
Collaborative engagement	Learning with peers Relating to faculty members Connecting to institutional opportunities Developing professional networks	Group work Brainstorming Snowball technique World cafe Jigsaw Fishbowl
Emotional engagement	Managing expectations Articulating assumptions Recognising motivations Commitment to learning	Learning Journal Self and Peer Assessment

References

Henrie, C., Bodily, R., Manwaring, K., & Graham, C. (2015). Exploring intensive longitudinal measures of student engagement in blended learning. The International Review Of Research In Open And Distributed Learning , 16 (3). doi: 10.19173/irrodl.v16i3.2015

Meyer, K. A. (2014). Student engagement in online learning: What works and why. ASHE Higher Education Report, 40(6), 1–114

Redmond, P., Abawi, L., Brown, A., Henderson, R., & Heffernan, A. (2018). An Online Engagement Framework for Higher Education.  Online Learning , 22(1), 183-204.