Student Engagement with Online Resources and Its Impact on Learning Outcomes

Abstract

There is an increasing demand and expectation for universities to incorporate greater levels of technology into the design and delivery of their curriculum. From an academic perspective, it is of significant interest to determine whether the increased use and availability of online teaching resources have made a positive impact on students’ academic performance and whether this is reflected in improved learning outcomes. This paper reports on the findings from a survey of first-year accounting students to assess the level of student engagement with online learning resources. The results indicate that, despite having three new online options readily available via WebCT, students expressed strong support for the traditional face-to-face approaches delivery as the more effective learning options. To determine whether the access to additional online resources had any impact in assisting the students’ learning in this subject and potentially affecting their assessment outcomes, a review was conducted to compare the overall pass rates attained. It was found that the period in which the improvement was most significant coincided with the availability of online recordings lectures and tutorials. An investigation of WebCT Course Management Statistical Tools revealed a positive relationship between the level of student engagement with online resources and their overall academic result. Across the key online activities measured, the time spent on each activity was considerably longer for the High Distinction students in comparison to failed students. The analysis of the results has been beneficial in identifying the online learning resources that are most useful in supporting student learning and provide guidance for further enhancement to the design and delivery of e-learning content in this subject.