The Engagement Theory

The Engagement Theory is widely covered in our course readings. It explains the learning preferences of 21st century students. The fundamental idea underlying the concept is that students must be meaningfully engaged in learning activities through interaction with others and worthwhile tasks (1).

By engaged learning it was asserted that all student activities must involve active cognitive processes such as creating, problem-solving, reasoning, decision-making, and evaluation. In addition to this, students must be intrinsically motivated to learn through the meaningful nature of the learning environment and activities (1).

Creating these learning environments requires a deeper understanding of students’ preferences and lifestyles. In this respect it is important for teachers to recognise that today’s students represent the first generations to spend their entire lives surrounded by technology (1).

Thus, through the engagement theory we might suggest that teachers use the technological tools of the digital age as a platform for resonating with their students to create more effective learning experiences. Teachers who use these tools not only capitalise on their collective appeal among their students but are also able to take advantage of these technologies’ utility in learning contexts by providing teachers with the ability to reach their students at any place, any where, and at any time (1).

However, for genuine engagement with the course content to take place Kearsley and Shneiderman assert that learners must be prompted to RELATE to a real-world, authentic problem scenario. They need to, in small teams, CREATE solutions to this problem and then DONATE the solution back into the real world. Simply using technological tools as a means for relaying old ways of teaching through a new medium will not suffice (1).

This is because the Engagement Theory promotes human interaction in the context of group activities, not individual interaction with an instructional program. It highlights the difference between engagement and interactivity, promoting a shift of the role of computers in educational settings by suggesting they are best utilised as communication tools rather than media delivery devices (1).

Thus, due to the theory's strong emphasis on technology as a critical factor in fostering the creativity and communication needed to nourish engagement, I believe it, as an approach, should be used to shape the ways in which educational institutions construct their course activities and teaching methods. According to the theory, interaction is critical to creating engaged learning, and technology, including ICTs, are an excellent mode for enhancing the collaborative relationships between students and teachers. Thus, I would strongly suggest the use of ICT’s as well as face-to-face interaction as a basis for engagement to enhance student learning experiences

References
1)Kearsley and Shneiderman 1998 Engagement Theory: A framework for technology-based teaching and learning, viewed online 15/11/09 http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm



REFLECTIONS
Do you think that using technology as a medium for relaying the old ways of teaching onto students will be enough to engage them in today's learning environments? Or, do the current methods of teaching need to be adapted to suit the new learning mentalities of today's students and if so, what are your recommendations for change?