Engagement Theory and the Flu…What a Combination

Okay, so all week I have been battling the dreaded flu. It would be just my luck that I get the flu this week and not last week during spring break. In spite of my less than feeling 100%, I’m going to try my best to break down the main ideas and concepts behind engagement theory.

According to Kearsley and Shneiderman (1999), in their article, Engagement Theory: A Framework for Technology-based Teaching and Learning, the main idea behind engagement theory is for students to be wholly engaged in the learning process through activities that are based on students interacting with others, and that what students learn from the tasks and activities they participate in can be applied outside the classroom. Engagement theory involves students learning to be collaborative, and there are three basic principles to follow to achieve engaged learning, known as Relate-Create-Donate.

The “relate” principle emphasizes communication, planning, management and social skills. When students learn to work together instead of on their own, they learn to enhance these skills. Through collaboration, students gain opportunities to learn about each other, learn how to problem-solve and learn how to motivate each other in learning.

The “create” principle allows for students to be creative while they are being engaged in their education. In allowing students to create their own projects and tasks, students become more active in their learning, and their education becomes much more interesting—something Kearsley and Shneiderman say cannot be accomplished in a traditional classroom setting (i.e. textbooks, taking notes).

The underlying idea for the last principle, “donate,” is that students are contributing while they are learning. The projects students work on should be authentic, something that can be created and used for the benefit of others. When students feel that they are working and creating on something that is worthwhile increases their interest, their motivation and their satisfaction—the project becomes more than just receiving a grade.

Collaborating is at the heart of engaged learning and can be used in any classroom setting and virtually any subject, especially with the use of technology. E-mail is one of the common ways for students to learn to collaborate with each other, but as far as using other technological tools, it is the teacher’s responsibility to decide what collaborative methods and online communication tools would be most effective for classroom use—from blogging to chatting, using Skype, Second Life, etc…

Kearsley and Shneiderman notes in the article that engagement theory has not be tested empirically, and provided examples of research questions, including the question, “How do we best prepare (retrain) instructors to apply engagement theory?” When in comes to incorporating technology in the classroom, the tools that are available are pretty much unknown to teachers, particularly those instructors who are rooted in traditional classroom settings. And for those who might be aware of the tools available, there’s an uncertainty involved in using them. Teachers need to be educated in what is available, via workshops, conferences; they need to be educated on anything that can enhance the student’s experience in the classroom. My favorite example is the use of blogging in an English class, with students reading each other’s work and providing feedback; through podcasting, students can create their own tutorials not only for themselves, but for their fellow classmates to use and learn from. It is, once again, all about getting the students to be involved in and participating in the learning process.

Reference

http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm