Gauging engagement (online/ in Moodle)

What do we mean by student engagement?

A learner’s involvement in a course, whether it be cognitive, behavioural or emotional.

“In education, student engagement refers to the degree of attention, curiosity, interest, optimism, and passion that students show when they are learning or being taught, which extends to the level of motivation they have to learn and progress in their education.”

In class and online?

When a student begins to feel burdened or shows even the slightest signs of disinterest in your course, it may be time to consider intervention. Teaching and learning environments today often require flexibility, with students and educators navigating both face-to-face and online settings.

Gauging engagement in traditional classroom settings can be challenging—contrary to popular belief, it is not always easy to determine if someone is paying attention simply by observing their facial expressions. Online learning environments introduce their own opportunities and challenges when it comes to monitoring and fostering engagement.

Moodle tools that may help indicate engagement

Aside from assessment submission, Moodle includes some built-in features that can help indicate whether students are engaging with the online resources and activities provided as part of a course. However, these tools should not be used in isolation, particularly in blended learning environments, since a complete picture of student engagement requires consideration of both online and in-class participation.