Increase Learner Engagement Research Articles

Study of learner's engagement in online learning environments

Due to a number of problems with online learning, the learners today are frequently disengaged. Among these problems, we find, for example the quality of education provided through online programs and distraction of learners in online learning,...etc. So, in order to increase learner engagement in the learning process, we can build e-learning courses on a strong foundation provided by this area. The main objective of this work is to present an overview focuses on learner engagement in higher education in e-learning, through recently published papers. The results of the research papers included in this article show that certain factors like learning management system (LMS) tools, gamification, digital integration, etc. Furthermore, we try to propose in this work an approach to improve learner engagement in online learning environments.

AI-based learning content generation and learning pathway augmentation to increase learner engagement

AI-based learning content generation and learning pathway augmentation to increase learner engagement

Gamification in MOOC: A systematic literature review

Research related to Gamification in MOOCs and the elements that support them has gained popularity and received particular attention in the last decade. Gamification in MOOC has several elements and goals to increase learner engagement, learner retention, and learner motivation to complete the course. This research uses a qualitative method with a systematic literature review approach to answer the research questions. This research resulted in 21 research papers on MOOC gamification. The purpose of the study is to identify gamification elements, the type of MOOC, and the impact of gamification in MOOC to optimize the completion rate of the course. Keywords: Massive Open Online Course; MOOC; Gamification; Gamification Element; Systematic Literature Review eISSN: 2398-4287 © 2022. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by E-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open-access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer-review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behavior Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioral Researchers on Asians), and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behavior Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.

Enhancing Young Learner Engagement in English Classes in Post-Pandemic Times: Current Practices at a Center of Foreign Languages in Vietnam

Getting learners engaged in the classroom is the desirable goal of most teachers yet it is usually the most challenging task, especially with young learners after the pandemic period as these learners responded differently to changes in course delivery and other stresses posed by the crisis. To keep young learners engaged in their learning, teachers need to implement various engaging strategies to increase learner engagement. This study aims to explore EFL teachers’ evaluation of young learner engagement in the new normal compared with that before the Covid-19 pandemic. The descriptive method was employed with a group of 23 EFL teachers of young learners at a center for foreign languages in the South of Vietnam. The results revealed that the learning environment in post pandemic times is much safe and positive, and learning engagement of young learners is still much emphasized in the behavioral, affective and cognitive development. However, it is important to note that the Covid-19 pandemic has created a new opportunity for appropriate adaptations of engagement practices in classrooms. These adaptations can redefine engagement in the new normal in which teachers and learners can have more flexibility in learning modes, in interactions and in learning materials. The study can provide important information for both educators and teachers to identify and implement more engaging and interactive methods to enhance the level of learner engagement.

"Lounge & Learns": Benefits and Challenges of Using Virtual Platforms to Increase Learner Engagement in Continuing Education.

What if you could increase learner engagement while providing data-driven education in a virtual format? Nursing professional development practitioners transitioned poorly attended, in-person continuing education opportunities to a virtual platform. Using technology, nursing professional development practitioners created a template to perform a needs assessment and designed targeted virtual education to address deficiencies using the ADDIE model. Increased attendance, continuing education credit claims, and postactivity confidence were realized. Lessons learned were examined.

A Case Study on Effective Use of Active Learning Strategies to Increase Learner Engagement in Digital Marketing Course

The usage of active learning approaches for the delivery of courses can enhance the learning ability of students. This case study establishes the effectiveness of active learning strategies and benefits in grasping the curriculum which is a central concept of student-centered learning, derived from the productive approach. This study focuses on the Course in Digital Marketing where there is a scope to enhance and encourage active participation of students to explore and configure recent tools such as Blogger, Google Ads, Facebook Ads manager, small SEO tools to name a few. The students can analyze and review the performance of advertising campaigns with the Analytics tool and suggest improvement plans based on performance metrics. The active learning approach enhances their interpersonal, and communication skills and a chance for employability in the field of marketing or have their own business ventures.

An investigation into the relationship between multimedia lecture design and learners' engagement behaviours using web log analysis.

The purpose of this transaction log analysis was to evaluate university students' engagement behaviours with a catalogue of multimedia lectures. These lectures incorporated selected instructional design principles from the cognitive theory of multimedia learning (CTML). Specifically, thirty-two multimedia lectures which differentially employed the signalling, segmenting and embodiment principles from the CTML were delivered to a cohort of 92 students throughout an academic trimester. Engagement with each multimedia lecture was measured in three domains: affective engagement was measured using a Likert-style survey that accompanied each multimedia lecture; behavioural engagement was measured using the web logs provided by YouTube Studio analytics (average watch time); cognitive engagement was measured using students' average score on a quiz that accompanied each multimedia lecture. Separate multiple linear regression analyses for measures of affective, behavioural and cognitive engagement revealed that multimedia lectures that 'stacked' the instructional design principles of embodiment (whereby the lecture was interspersed with clips of an enthusiastic onscreen instructor), segmenting (where lectures were divided into shorter, user-paced segments) and signalling (where onscreen labels highlighted important material) increased measures of engagement, including overall watch time, number of survey submission and number of quiz attempts (P < 0.05). There was no association between any of the tested principles and students' quiz scores or their responses on the Likert-style survey. This study adds to the available literature demonstrating the effectiveness of the signalling, segmenting and embodiment principles for increasing learner engagement with multimedia lectures.

Learning Sciences with Technology: The Use of Padlet Pedagogical Tool to Improve High School Learners’ Attainment in Integrated Sciences

This study sought to examine the integration and application of an online collaborative instructional technological tool, known as Padlet, to reinforce and strengthen Ghanaian high school learners’ understanding of Integrated Sciences (IS). The study utilised a sequential mixed-methods exploratory design to collect qualitative and quantitative data. The study used purposeful sampling to select four high schools to participate in the study. Twenty science teachers and 100 high school learners were sampled for the study. The sampled teachers were trained in a professional learning community on the utilisation and integration of Padlet in classroom instructions and integrated the tool in their classroom instructional practices for one month. Data collection was carried out through classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, and learner task performance assessments. Quantitative data were analysed descriptively to determine the relationships between the variables using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences’ (SPSS) mean, frequencies, t-test, and ANOVA. The qualitative data were analysed using thematic content analysis. The findings show increased learner engagement and retention, which improved learner achievement in the subject. Therefore, it is recommended that effective pedagogical courses should be included in the training of science teachers on technology integration to facilitate learner understanding and retention in the subject.

Augmented Reality in Radiology for Education and Training-A Design Study.

Education is an important component of every healthcare system. Patients need to be educated about their planned procedures; healthcare professionals need to be trained in their respective profession. Both patient education and the training of healthcare professionals are often completed in person, which requires resources and is bound to certain times and places. Virtual educational environments can potentially save human and monetary resources, increase learner engagement, and enable users to learn according to their own schedules. This design study describes proofs of concept for two augmented reality-enabled (AR) educational tools, utilizing a Microsoft HoloLens head-mounted display. In the first use case, we demonstrate an AR application which could be used to educate cancer patients about their radiotherapy treatment and potentially reduce patient anxiety. The second use case demonstrates an AR training environment, which could complement the practical training of undergraduate radiography students. Two prototypes—VIPER, for patient education, and ARTUR for the training of radiography students—were developed and tested for viability and usability, both based on individual user tests. Both patient and student education were evaluated as viable and usable additions to conventional educational methods, despite being limited in terms of accessibility, usability, and fidelity. Suitable hardware is becoming more accessible and capable, and higher-fidelity holograms, better utilization of real-world objects, and more intuitive input methods could increase user immersion and acceptance of the technology.

Perceptions and behaviors of learner engagement with virtual educational platforms

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has increased utilization of educational technology for surgical education. Our aim was to determine attitudes and behaviors of surgical education champions towards virtual educational platforms and learner engagement. MethodsAn electronic survey was distributed to all Association of Surgical Education members addressing i) methods of engagement in virtual learning ii) ways to improve engagement and iii) what influences engagement. Stratified analysis was used to evaluate differences in responses by age, gender, level of training and specialty. Results154 ASE members completed the survey (13% response rate). 88% respondents accessed virtual learning events at home. Most (87%) had joined a virtual learning event and then participated in another activity. 1 in 5 who did this did so “always” or “often”. Female respondents were more likely than males to join audio and then participate in another activity (62.3% v 37.7%, p = 0.04). ConclusionsVirtual platforms do not automatically translate into increased learner engagement. Careful design of educational strategies is essential to increase and maintain learner engagement when utilizing virtual surgical education.

Getting newcomer English learners off the sidelines: Strategies for increasing learner engagement while developing language and literacy

Getting newcomer English learners off the sidelines: Strategies for increasing learner engagement while developing language and literacy

The transfusion service laboratory in virtual reality.

Due to the global SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, in-person laboratory medicine clerkships were converted to distance learning. The remote clerkship format provided advantages of allowing participation of students from more locations and greater scheduling flexibility but provided new challenges of maintaining learner engagement and providing experiential content of the laboratory environment. Gamification of educational content is one educational modality that has shown effectiveness in a multitude of different contexts to increase learner engagement and retention. Therefore, we created an interactive, educational 360° virtual reality walkthrough tour using off-the-shelf commercially available 360° cameras and software of the Transfusion service and Microbiology Laboratories. The process consists of taking multiple 360° still-images within the space, color-correction, blurring the faces of staff or sensitive information, adding navigation buttons, and other interactive elements. The virtual tours were used for both recruitment and education with further plans to integrate the learning modality into the curriculum. The clerkship is likely to remain as partially or fully as remote learning so such walkthrough tours will continue to remain relevant. This technology can be applied globally to other departments and institutions for education or recruitment.

The Effect of Using Educational Games as a Tool in Teaching English Vocabulary to Arab Young Children: A Quasi-Experimental Study in a Kindergarten School in Saudi Arabia

Vocabulary is an essential element of English language learning. There are many strategies, which teachers can use in teaching vocabulary, especially to young learners. One of these strategies is using educational games to teach vocabulary more effectively. The aim of this quasi-experimental study is to investigate the effect of using educational games on the vocabulary learning of young children. The research was conducted at a kindergarten in Saudi Arabia, in which the participants were 40 Arab young learners. They were between 5 and 6 years old, and all of them were nonnative speakers. Participants were divided into two groups, control, and experimental group. The experimental and control group comprised of twenty students each. The experimental group was taught using games in which the children were involved. On the other hand, the control group was taught using a more “traditional” method by repetition. A vocabulary-based test, presenting as a pre-test, post-test, and delayed post-test, was assigned to both groups. The study revealed that applying educational games as a learning technique with young learners, increased learner engagement, improved knowledge absorption and retention, and gave learners the opportunity to see real word application. Accordingly, this study recommends using educational games in teaching vocabulary more creatively with young learners.

Improving Extension Curriculum Design Using Learner-Centered Templates

Extension professionals’ use of learner-centered instructional practices can maximize engagement and more effectively address expressed needs within their diverse communities. The Outcome-Based Extension Education Design and Facilitating Teaching and Learning templates enable educators to effectively implement curricula that identify context-specific learner needs, activities that increase learner engagement, and assessment tasks that gather evidence of essential knowledge construction and skills development. Using these two practical tools, Extension professionals can streamline the creation of compelling and efficacious programs that focus on the intended learning outcomes.

Trialling micro-learning design to increase engagement in online courses

PurposeThis paper reports on how micro-learning design principles are being trialled in an Australian and a Malaysian university to make online courses more accessible and attractive, and a more positive experience, with the aim of increasing student success. Central to this approach is segmenting materials into “bite-size” instalments by way of short micro-lecture presentations and reducing other content. The aim of this “less is more” strategy is to reduce unnecessary cognitive load as an impediment to learning so that focus can shift to prioritising the most essential skills and content. The purpose of this trial is to explore the efficacy of micro-learning as a means for increasing student engagement and learning.Design/methodology/approachThe trials involved a mixed mode methodology drawing on qualitative and ratings data from course satisfaction surveys and records on grades and completion.FindingsTo date, results have shown significant increases in student engagement and satisfaction, and also performance. Our application of micro-learning included reducing volume of content based on its practical value, use of novelty (e.g. infusing guest presenter input) and design of practical and collaborative student activities.Research limitations/implicationsEarly results are encouraging regarding apparent utility for engaging learners and ease of application, i.e. implementability and transference potential. However, the rapidly expanding area of online learning requires further research to establish a well-validated evidence base for effective online teaching practices.Practical implicationsThe findings are relevant to universities involved in online and blended learning. Micro-learning design methods show promise in being able to address major engagement barriers including cognitive overload.Social implicationsMore students are struggling with learning in today's social environment brought about with the massification of higher education. Micro-learning seeks to address major barriers these learners face with methods that go beyond traditional teaching practices.Originality/valueFindings here are encouraging and contribute to existing understanding on ways to increase learner engagement in the competitive and fast-growing area of online learning for universities globally.

A Pediatrician, a Resident, and a Medical Student Walk Into a Clinic: The Role of Humor in Clinical Teaching.

Never upset a pediatrician. They have very little patients. Egerton Yorick Davis It is often said that laughter is the best medicine (not true, it’s actually amoxicillin). But how often do we consider the power of laughter or, more broadly, the role of humor in our teaching of medicine? When executed well, humor can increase learner engagement and participation, cultivate relationships, foster an effective learning environment, and increase satisfaction during teaching encounters.1,2 It may also calm students’ anxieties and result in a more approachable dynamic between learner and instructor.3 There is some, albeit weak, evidence that humor can lead to improved learning, particularly if that humor is directly relevant to the topic.2 There is also evidence that the prudent use of the right kind of humor can increase engagement and participation during university lectures.1 Overall, humor is identified as a key contributor to teaching effectiveness. This article continues the series by the Council on Medical Student Education in Pediatrics by exploring the role humor plays in medical education. Humor is defined as a funny or amusing quality, whereas a sense of humor is defined as the ability to be funny or to be amused by things that are funny. Despite the seemingly innocuous nature of humor, historically humor has generally received a bad reputation in professional settings.4 Humor can increase group cohesion, bring individuals together, and alleviate tension. On the other hand, it can disparage others, create misunderstandings, or foster isolation and division and thus hinder the learning environment. So how is it that sometimes humor is amusing and other times it is offensive? … Address correspondence to Robert A. Dudas, MD, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, 601 5th Ave S, Room 5206, St Petersburg, FL 33701. E-mail: rdudas{at}jhmi.edu

A flipped classroom approach to teaching search techniques for systematic reviews to encourage active learning

This project report describes the rationale for moving a one-shot library teaching session on advanced searching for systematic reviews to a flipped classroom approach (e-learning ahead of face-to-face teaching) and the process this took. It examines the e-learning and active learning elements designed to support learners engage with challenging threshold concepts including subject headings. Learner feedback during, immediately at the end of each session, and in response to a follow-up impact survey is considered. Overall, learner feedback on the flipped classroom was very positive and teachers reported improved learner outcomes (formative in-class informal assessment). Areas identified for development are presented. The report extends the body of research on the use of the flipped classroom in information literacy and provides evidence that active learning techniques can be successful in increasing learner engagement and achievement even in a one-shot setting.

Gamification as an Effective Learning Tool to Increase Learner Motivation and Engagement

In this paper, we reflect on the implementation of a gamified application for helping employee learn important facts about their training program for level up capability. Gamification of education is a developing approach for increasing learners’ motivation and engagement by incorporating game design elements in educational environments. With the growing popularity of gamification and yet mixed success of its application in educational contexts, the current review is aiming to shed a more realistic light on the research in this field by focusing on empirical evidence rather than on potentialities, beliefs or preferences. Gamification can be used on all the types of education. Be it student or to the employee training. There are no boundaries how the gamification in education can be made. Gamification the educational process can be a real challenge because in the making of the process one must have a balance between the fun in the game session but also got the knowledge from the study that is intended. The game cannot be more addicted than educating the student that use the feature. But the game cannot to be boring either and make the student and employee more reluctant to study.There is a direct link between increased motivation and higher levels of engagement when the gamification intervention is introduced. This is a application review on gamification motivation and engagement learner.

WebEx Breakout Sessions: Enhancing Student Engagement during Remote Learning

Remote learning is the new norm in education. For the past year, it is globally accepted that it has become the routine for all educators and learners, specifically in higher education, to adopt remote learning as their forced choice of teaching and learning mode. However, it invites glitches in lesson delivery and classroom activities to adjust to ensure meaningful teaching and learning occur during online classes. One of the most significant problems is student engagement. Since synchronous learning is part of the lecture method used in higher education, WebEx offers breakout groups that enable learners to mix and mingle online to share thoughts and present ideas. This current study seeks to explore learning activities and strategies adopted via WebEx to increase learner engagement. Through a series of participant observations and student reflection entries from Padlet, the researchers provide some insights from course participants. 4 themes emerged from the data – Engaging lessons, Interesting activities, Positive vibes, and Improving communication. The findings from this study can be used in preparing a module on using WebEx effectively with students in higher education.

A Distance-Learning Approach to Point-of-Care Ultrasound Training (ADAPT): A Multi-Institutional Educational Response During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) education. Medical schools and residency programs placed restrictions on bedside teaching and clinical scanning as part of risk mitigation. In response, POCUS faculty from 15 institutions nationwide collaborated on an alternative model of ultrasound education, A Distance-learning Approach to POCUS Training (ADAPT). ADAPT was repeated monthly from April 1 through June 30, 2020. It accommodated 70 learners, who included 1- to 4-week rotators and asynchronous learners. The curriculum included assigned prework and learning objectives covering 20 core POCUS topics. A rotating group of 30 faculty and fellows delivered daily virtual teaching sessions that included gamification to increase learner engagement and hands-on instruction through teleguidance. After participation, faculty and learners completed anonymous surveys. Educators reported a significant decrease in preparatory time (6.2 vs 3.1 hours per week, P < .001) dedicated to ultrasound education after implementing ADAPT. The majority of 29 learners who completed surveys felt "somewhat confident" or "very confident" in their ability to acquire (n = 25, 86.2%) and interpret (n = 27, 93.1%) ultrasound images after the intervention; the majority of 22 educators completing surveys rated the program "somewhat effective" or "very effective" at contributing to learner's ability to acquire (n = 13, 59.1%) and interpret (n = 20, 90.9%) images. Most learners (n = 28, 96.6%) and all educators (n = 22, 100%) were "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with ADAPT as a whole, and the large majority of educators were "very likely" (n = 18, 81.8%) to recommend continued use of this program. A virtual curriculum that pools the efforts of multiple institutions nationwide was implemented rapidly and effectively while satisfying educational expectations of both learners and faculty. This collaborative framework can be replicated and may be generalizable to other educational objectives.