Impacts of engagement on academic outcomes in technology-enhanced learning

Abstract

Engagement is essential for improving academic outcomes, especially in technology-enhanced learning (TEL) environments where self-regulated learning is critical. This study investigated the longitudinal impacts of different levels of engagement on undergraduate students’ short-term and long-term academic outcomes in TEL. Using a learning analytics and learning management system (LMS) log data obtained from a large university blended course, the research (1) identified six key TEL engagement variables, (2) clustered students into four distinct learning profiles based on different levels of TEL engagement, and (3) tracked their summative assessment scores over a term. Material access, formative quiz attempts, and system logins were significant predictors of course performance. The results revealed that TEL differences among student groups, initially minor, expanded over the term, and finally significantly impacted the final exam scores, with highly engaged undergraduates achieving better outcomes. The findings highlight the long-term benefits of fostering TEL or academic success.

Keywords:

• Learning engagement
• learning management systems
• academic outcome
• longitudinal investigation
• learning analytics

Disclosure statement

The authors report there are no competing interests to declare.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author Dr. Chang Lu. The data are not publicly available due to their containing information that could compromise the privacy of research participants.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Shanghai Pujiang Program under Grant 22PJC058; Shanghai Jiao Tong University Social Science Youth Talent Cultivation Project under Grant 2023QN010; and Shanghai Jiao Tong University New Faculty Startup Project under Grant 22X010503470.

Notes on contributors

Chang Lu

Dr. Chang Lu is an assistant professor in the School of Education at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. She is affiliated with the Center for Educational Data and Evaluation. She obtained her PhD in Measurement, Evaluation, and Data Science from the University of Alberta.

Okan Bulut

Dr. Okan Bulut is an associate professor in the Measurement, Evaluation, and Data Science program and a researcher at the Centre for Research in Applied Measurement and Evaluation at the University of Alberta.

Carrie Demmans Epp

Dr. Carrie Demmans Epp is an assistant professor in the Department of Computing Science and the director of the Educational Technology, Knowledge, Language, and Learning Analytics (EdTeKLA) Research Group at the University of Alberta.

Mark Gierl

Dr. Mark Gierl is a professor of Educational Psychology and a member of the Measurement, Evaluation, and Data Science at the University of Alberta. He holds the Tier I Canada Research Chair in Educational Measurement.