Enhancing Students' Online Engagement: A Study on Online Distance Learning Institutions' Students

Abstract

Objective - This study evaluates the direct relationships among online learning attitude, online peer collaboration, psychological motivation, digital readiness, and online engagement among students in Malaysia's online distance learning (ODL) higher education institutions. Methodology/Technique - The structural Equation Model (SEM) method was employed to evaluate the direct influence of online learning attitude, online peer collaboration, and psychological motivation on digital readiness and the direct influence of digital readiness on online engagement. The model was developed based on the conceptual development and subsequently analysed using the Partial Least Square (PLS) technique on 391 data acquired during the survey. Finding - The outcomes from the statistical data analysis have clearly shown that the online learning attitude, online peer collaboration, and psychological motivation have positively and significantly influence digital readiness. Novelty - The model of this study is the first model been used by utilising Smart-Pls version3 for data analysis to study students' engagement in ODL higher institutions in Malaysia. Type of Paper - Empirical Keywords: Online Learning Attitude; Online Peer Collaboration; Psychological Motivation; Digital Readiness and Online Engagement. JEL Classification: 120