Blended Learning and Student Engagement

At a glance

Engaging students in your subject is a multifaceted endeavour. Adopting a blended learning design can facilitate the following aspects of student engagement by harnessing the advantages of both face-to-face and online modes:

  • wellbeing
  • self-efficacy
  • belonging; and
  • cognitive engagement

In depth

Student engagement is a term which has been much debated in educational research literature. However, it is largely agreed that students’ engagement with their learning relies on three key dimensions:

  • emotional/affective
  • cognitive
  • behavioural

Added to these dimensions are further facets of engagement including:

  • self-efficacy
  • belonging
  • wellbeing

A blended learning design may facilitate some of these dimensions of student engagement in the following ways:

  • In an asynchronous online mode, students can (within reason) study at their own pace which may reduce stress related to class scheduling clashes with other commitments such as work. In addition, any stresses students may experience in attending classes (e.g., financial stress related to travel costs) may be alleviated. Well-being may also be enhanced for students who feel under-confident in their language abilities or in their ability to communicate with peers and teachers in person.

  • Automated online feedback on low-stakes (but meaningful) tasks may improve students’ self-efficacy. That is, if students can receive regular online feedback (e.g., on short multiple-choice quizzes which test comprehension of key facts/theories/concepts), they may develop confidence in their ability to understand, progress and engage with your subject.

  • Interaction between students is not limited by time and space in online modes. It may be easier to facilitate interactions between students in online modes via the use of discussion boards, and other online communication tools such as Padlet than in large lectures, thereby contributing to students’ sense of belonging.

  • Self-paced online work can allow for deeper cognitive engagement with subject domain knowledge. While engaging with asynchronous content, students can pause to reflect, question, re-watch/read to ensure they understand or note, consider and form questions about what they do not understand.

Time in class may be ‘freed-up’ to spend on practising and applying crucial domain knowledge; discussing theories and concepts to aid deep learning; solving complex problems; and asking questions.

Caution: Although it is tempting to include many interactive tasks in an asynchronous online mode, it is worth noting that “activity and learning achievement are not synonymous” and that “student engagement is a complex, multifaceted concept that cannot be reduced to its behavioural component” (Morgan-Thomas & Dudau, 2019). That is, sometimes ‘engagement’ is not visible. Further, non-meaningful online activities can become annoying for students.

Click here for more information on designing engaging and meaningful online activities.

Further reading and resources

Kahu, E. R. & Nelson, K. (2018). Student engagement in the educational interface: understanding the mechanisms of student success. Higher Education Research & Development, 37(1), pp 58–71.
https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2017.1344197

Morgan-Thomas, A. & Dudau, A. (2019). Of possums, hogs, and horses: capturing the duality of student engagement in elearning. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 18(4), pp 564-580.
https://doi.org/10.5465/amle.2018.0029