Examining voice and choice in online learning

• Published in: International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education Vol. 20; no. 1; pp. 31 - 19
• Main Authors: Henrikson, Robin, Baliram, Nalline
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.12.2023; BioMed Central, Ltd; Springer Nature B.V; SpringerOpen
• Subjects: Adult Basic Education; Adult Learning; Adult Students; Andragogy; Asynchronous; Best Practices; College Students; Communities of Practice; Computer Appl. in Social and Behavioral Sciences; Computer Science; Computers and Education; Cooperative Learning; Course Content; Distance Education; Distance learning; Educational Environment; Educational Objectives; Educational Technology; Electronic Learning; Elementary Secondary Education; Engagement; Graduate Students; Higher Education; Humanities; Influence of Technology; Information Systems Applications (incl.Internet); Law; Learner Engagement; Learning Strategies; Lecture Method; Online Courses; Online instruction; Online learning; Opportunities; Pedagogy; Preferences; Private Colleges; Qualitative analysis; Research Article; Researchers; Statistics for Social Sciences; Student Characteristics; Student issues; Student participation; Synchronous; Teacher Education; Washington; Engagement; Synchronous; Asynchronous; Pedagogy; Support; Tools; Student issues; Online learning
• ISSN: 2365-9440; 2365-9440
• DOI: 10.1186/s41239-023-00401-w

Maximizing student engagement and learning in online courses is critical. The purpose of this study was to determine the nature of how and why graduate-level online students chose learning strategies and how it impacted their perceived levels of engagement. The researchers offered students four strategies for learning content. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected across four quarters. Findings summarized students’ perceptions of their learning and engagement when given a choice on how to engage in the content. Most participants chose asynchronous methods for learning the content, citing time constraints as the primary reason for not choosing synchronous methods of learning. When participants had autonomy to learn content and engage with others in a manner they deemed useful, they better understood the content and remained highly engaged in course activities. Participants who chose to interact with the content asynchronously also remained highly engaged. Graphical Abstract