Research Article
Shivani Inder
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 14, Issue 1, Article No: ep336
ABSTRACT
The purpose of the study is to develop and validate the scale for measuring the extent of student engagement for online courses. The study draws a battery of variables from literature on student engagement. The study proposes a 6 construct based scale with 26 items. A total of 1602 university students completed the responses for the scale. All participants had a minimum of two months of experience for online courses for inclusion in survey. Firstly, exploratory factor analysis on the initial scale has been carried out and then confirmatory factor analysis has been carried out for testing the validity and reliability of the scale. After establishing the validity of the scale, a scale with six main constructs has been confirmed. The results indicated that skills, emotional, participation and performance engagement along with value to students are the main drivers of student engagement for online courses. The scale can provide an insight to educators about the main factors that can lead to enhanced levels of engagement while delivering courses online and improve the learning experience for students.
Keywords: online courses, student engagement, confirmatory factor analysis, skills, participation
Research Article
Unal Cakiroglu, Fatih Erdogdu, Seyfullah Gokoglu
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 9, Issue 2, pp. 171-185
ABSTRACT
Clickers as electronic response systems allow students to respond instantly to questions. The aim of this study is to compare the effects of using clickers on student participation during different periods of EFL courses. The intervention was implemented in question–response sessions of an EFL course at a secondary school. A quasi-experimental design was used in which twenty participants were assigned to two groups, Group A (n = 10) and Group B (n = 10). The implementation process is divided into three periods. In the preparation period, both of the groups did not use clickers, in the first period while the Group A used clickers, Group B continued without using clickers in the lessons. Then in the second period; in contrary, Group A and Group B students changed the roles in using the clickers; that is Group B started with clickers in the second period and Group A followed the lesson without clickers. When the clickers used the students’ participation rates were determined by clicker system records and an observation form is used when non-clickers strategies were used. As a result, even if they used clickers in different time periods both Groups A and B increased their participation rates while using clickers. Moreover, when the students in Group A were non-clickers, their correct answer rates were decreased. In contrast, when the students in Group B were non-clickers, their correct answer rates were increased. Results showed that even after students ceased to use clickers, positive effects on participation continued; however, the quality of the students’ answers declined. Along with the study findings, suggestions for clickers use in various periods of the courses are included.
Keywords: Participation, Clickers, Traditional response strategies, Language teaching