Evaluating Student Engagement with Digital Resources

Literature on student engagement that treats the phenomenon as a multi-dimensional construct tends by necessity to adopt a holistic approach to the subject. This paper draws on insights from this body of work into dimensions of engagement to present two small-scale case studies exploring particular patterns of student engagement with digital and on-line resources. The first of these studies concerns the results of a questionnaire distributed to first and second year Music students (n = 73) to collect data about their experiences of, and perceived agency, with respect to online resources. The findings point to the benefits of educators constructing learning environments in which students can exercise learning autonomy. The second case study explores behavioural and cognitive engagement with blended learning resources within a particular learning design. Examination of data analytics and student interviews reveals a moderate correlation between student engagement with online resources and attainment, but also identifies areas for concern and future development.