Several of the studies on the use of Twitter included broad, all-encompassing measures of scholar engagement and produced blended findings. For instance, some studies counsel that Twitter increases scholar engagement (Evans, 2014; Gagnon, 2015; Junco, Heibergert, & Loken, 2011) whereas different studies counsel that Twitter has little to no affect on pupil engagement (Junco, Elavsky, & Heiberger, 2013; McKay, Sanko, Shekhter, & Birnbach, 2014). Therefore, making Twitter use mandatory, rising faculty involvement in Twitter, and integrating Twitter into assignments may assist to increase scholar engagement. Facebook is an internet-primarily based service that enables customers to create a public or non-public profile and invite others to attach.

One overarching theme is that a lot of the applied sciences we reviewed had a positive influence on multiple indicators of scholar engagement, which can lead to a bigger return on funding in terms of studying outcomes. For instance, digital video games influence all three kinds of scholar engagement and six of the seven indicators we identified, surpassing the opposite technologies in this evaluation. There were several key variations within the design and pedagogical use between digital video games and different technologies which will explain these findings. Experiential studying principle suggests that learning occurs via interplay with one’s surroundings (Kolb, 2014) while grownup studying theory means that grownup learners need to be actively concerned within the learning process and find a way apply learning to actual life situations and problems (Cercone, 2008). Twitter is an online-based service the place subscribers can publish quick messages, referred to as tweets, in actual-time which are now not than a hundred and forty characters in size.

In addition, in lots of studies that did use experimental or quasi-experimental designs, members weren’t randomized; quite, individuals who volunteered to make use of a selected expertise have been in comparison with those who selected not to use the technology. As a outcome, there is a possibility that basic variations between users and non-customers may have affected the engagement results. Furthermore, many of the studies didn’t isolate particular technological features (e.g, utilizing only the breakout rooms for group work in net-conferencing software program, quite than utilizing the chat characteristic, screen sharing, and breakout rooms for group work). Using multiple features at once may have conflated pupil engagement results. Fourth, many studies have been conducted throughout a very brief timeframe, such as one tutorial time period.

Our search yielded only a few studies on how informational technologies, corresponding to video lectures and podcasts, influence scholar engagement. Unlike the applied sciences we recognized earlier, informational applied sciences replicate a behaviorist approach to learning by which students are passive recipients of knowledge that’s transmitted from an expert (Boghossian, 2006). Findings from our literature evaluate provide preliminary assist for including technology as an element that influences scholar engagement in present models (Table 1).

Computer and Internet Use

As a outcome, optimistic pupil engagement findings may be attributed to a “novelty effect” (Dichev & Dicheva, 2017) associated with using a new technology. Finally, many studies lack enough details about studying activities, raising questions about whether or not poor instructional design might have adversely affected results. For example, an instructor could intend to elicit larger-order pondering from students, but if studying activity instructions are written using low-stage verbs, such as identify, describe, and summarize, students might be much less likely to engage in larger-order pondering. As a end result, universities have shown a robust interest in tips on how to enhance scholar engagement, notably given rising exterior pressures to improve learning outcomes and put together college students for academic success (Axelson & Flick, 2011; Kuh, 2009). Therefore, the primary function of our literature evaluation was to discover whether expertise influences scholar engagement.

Computer- and

In the sections that observe, we provide an summary of the findings, an evidence of present methodological limitations and areas for future research, and an inventory of finest practices for integrating the applied sciences we reviewed into the educating and studying course of. Another commonality is that a lot of the applied sciences, except perhaps for digital video games, are designed primarily to advertise interplay and collaboration with others.

Twitter subscribers could “observe” different users and achieve access to their tweets and in addition could “retweet” messages which have already been posted (Hennessy, Kirkpatrick, Smith, & Border, 2016; Osgerby & Rush, 2015; Prestridge, 2014; West, Moore, & Barry, 2015; Tiernan, 2014;). Instructors might use Twitter to post updates concerning the course, clarify expectations, direct college students to extra studying supplies, and encourage students to debate course content (Bista, 2015; Williams & Whiting, 2016).

While there appears to be preliminary help for the usage of many of the technologies to promote pupil engagement, there are significant methodological limitations within the literature and, consequently, findings ought to be interpreted with caution. First, many research used small pattern sizes and were limited to 1 course, one diploma degree, and one college. Second, only a few studies used experimental or quasi-experimental designs; therefore, very little proof exists to substantiate a trigger and impact relationship between applied sciences and student engagement indicators.

Of the technologies we reviewed, digital games, internet-conferencing software program, and Facebook had essentially the most far-reaching effects throughout multiple varieties and indicators of student engagement, suggesting that technology should be considered an element that influences pupil engagement in existing models. Findings concerning blogs, wikis, and Twitter, nevertheless, are much less convincing, given an absence of research in relation to engagement indicators or blended findings. Significant methodological limitations may account for the big selection of findings in the literature. For example, small pattern sizes, inconsistent measurement of variables, lack of comparability groups, and missing details about specific, pedagogical uses of technologies threaten the validity and reliability of findings. Therefore, more rigorous and strong research is needed to verify and construct upon limited however optimistic findings, clarify combined findings, and tackle gaps significantly concerning how different technologies influence emotional and cognitive indicators of engagement.

Within an academic context, Facebook has typically been used as a supplementary tutorial software to lectures or LMSs to assist class discussions or develop, ship, and share educational content and assets. The majority of research on Facebook tackle behavioral indicators of scholar engagement, with far fewer focusing on emotional or cognitive engagement. Social networking sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn, allow customers to create and share digital content material publicly or with others to whom they’re connected and communicate privately by way of messaging options. In the sections that comply with, we study how both Facebook and Twitter influence various kinds of student engagement.