Abstract

A case study was conducted to assess the efficacy of online communication tools for enhancing independent student engagement in a first-year undergraduate class. Material relevant to course topics was shared with students through three communication platforms and data were extracted to measure student engagement. A questionnaire was also used to validate online data and determine why students chose a particular platform. Online results revealed that more than half of the students engaged with at least one post to some degree through one or more communication platforms. Facebook was the primary platform for student engagement. Students primarily engaged with material on Facebook by “liking” posts and used Facebook to share relevant material that they came across personally. There was no significant difference in student engagement with shared material between instructor-shared and student-shared posts, although Facebook engagement was 29% higher when the instructor commented and/or liked a post 1 day after sharing. Questionnaire results suggested that 90% of all students engaged with material to some extent. Most students engaged with between 3 and 10 posts by seeing a post, clicking the associated link, and reading the material. The majority of students engaged through Facebook and felt most comfortable with this platform. Of those engaging at the highest level, 66% used Facebook. Convenience appeared to be the dominant reason for engaged students choosing a particular platform. Weakly positive relationships between academic performance vs. overall engagement and engagement level were apparent. This study suggests that Facebook can be used to enhance independent student engagement.

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