Academic Communities of Engagement (ACE) Framework

Abstract

The Academic Communities of Engagement (ACE) framework was originally created to identify the critical factors that limit or facilitate students’ ability to engage in online and blended learning environments (Borup et al., 2020). Specifically, the ACE framework builds on previous educational psychology research that has three interconnected dimensions of engagement: affective, behavioral, and cognitive (the ABC dimensions of engagement). Within a blended or online learning environment, students can independently engage in learning activities without the support of others. However, much of the existing research has assumed the in-person learning environment and has not considered the affordances and constraints of online and blended environments that can facilitate or inhibit a learner’s ability to engage in learning activities. For instance, the nature of asynchronous online courses can leave learners feeling isolated and require that they exercise more self-regulation abilities compared to their in-person counterparts. These challenges are reflected in online learning’s relatively high attrition rates (Freidhoff, 2021). When online learners’ ability to independently engage affectively, behaviorally, and/or cognitively is insufficient, they require support from others to be successful. The ACE framework defines the ABC dimensions of engagement and explains how environments, communities, and learner characteristics can limit or facilitate academic engagement.