Engage Me Through BigBlueButton

Abstract

This study examines student engagement in an online environment concerning the perception regarding the course and the technology used. A research model was developed from the principal tenets of the expectancy-value theory to which values and expectations are assumed to influence how students build engagement. The model conjoins student perception related to course factors (content and rigor), technology factor (technology convenience), and student engagement (psychological, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral). The model was tested using a sample composed of 328 business undergraduate students taking the courses online using the BigBlueButton e-learning system due to the global emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Hence, respondents did not voluntarily choose the online teaching delivery method. The results imply that both course content and perceived technology convenience predict overall student engagement, while course rigor influences student cognitive, emotional, and behavioral commitment, but not psychological engagement.