Taking the Pulse of the Online Classroom: Data-based Student Engagement

Abstract

A potential area for improvement in online classroom instruction arises from the ability of the online instructor to see and facilitate changes in the way students engage with course materials, peers, and the instructor, while the class is running. This paper proposes that instructors can look more closely at classroom interactions by examining student data to note patterns in each student’s engagement in classroom discussions. Instructors can then take the opportunity provided by the asynchronous online environment to thoughtfully adjust messages to bring about changes in student behavior as they engage in classroom discussions. This allows instructors to take more immediate action than current metrics allow. A simple method of collecting data for this purpose is suggested.