Learners' Perception of Engagement in Online Learning

Abstract

The widespread popularity of online classes is evident in both professional and academic settings. Learners' engagement and satisfaction with the online courses, especially from the learners' perspective, are considered core to the promotion of quality learning. The voices of the present day's “virtual generation” need to be heard. The opportunities they see and the challenges they face can be utilized in creating engaging online learning environments. This chapter discusses online class engagement strategies that work. Multiple sources including semi-structured interviews with eight participants at a Research 1 University in Southwest United States, online course documents, email exchanges, and discussion transcripts were used to collect and analyze data. The findings indicate online class engagement factors and issues that need to be considered in effective design and successful delivery of online courses. The findings can be used to help faculties and learners achieve optimum benefits from online classes.