Determination of Factors Influencing Student Engagement Using a Learning Management System in a Tertiary Setting

Abstract

Determining the key factors that affect student engagement will assist academics to improve the student motivation. The Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT) reports have shown low engagement levels in higher education students [21, 22, 23]. While factors such as online education, lack of attendance and poor design of course content have been attributed to this cause, it is still not clear as to the determination of those factors influencing student engagement in a higher education setting. In the modern tertiary settings, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) plays an essential role in disseminating the course related information with a Learning Management System (LMS) which become the platform to communicate crucial course-related information. Academics can develop course materials on these LMS' to engage students beyond the classrooms and students need to interact with those LMS' to get apprehend the transmitted knowledge. Since LMS' are operated on a computer platform, academics and students require strong ICT skills which are further utilized in preparation of course materials. Their relevance, appropriateness, the way various tasks are prepared, how communication is facilitated, the role and utilization of discussion forums and other social media structures available to students to interact with, and the way in which assessments are conducted, providing a Just in Time (JIT) type of knowledge students require. The investigation into these major factors forms the basis of this study. Thus, understanding how various factors related to LMS' in a tertiary setting influence student engagement and then determining those factors that contribute to this engagement are the main objective of this study. To pursue the main objective of this study, a hybrid method mainly involving a pseudo meta-analysis to unearth additional evidence required for the study, a comprehensive qualitative component to understand the sector factors and perhaps a small quantitative component to confirm the sector views will be employed.