Student perceptions of online engagement: A comparison of online and traditional courses

Abstract

As community colleges continue to see growth and coursework shifts to an online delivery mode, the need to examine student perceptions of course engagement in online courses grows as well. This study examined student perceptions of course level engagement by surveying students at two small, Mid-western community colleges. A modified version of the Student Course Engagement Questionnaire (SCEQ) was used to survey community college students enrolled in online and traditional courses. The selected courses are all part of the state mandated general education core, required for obtaining an associates degree or transferring to a four-year institution. Additional demographic data including gender, age and hours worked weekly, were gathered. Findings indicate that the community college students were more engaged in traditional delivery courses. However, the means were all at a level that suggest that community college students in online and traditional courses perceive themselves as being engaged in both types of delivery modes. No difference in engagement score was found across course discipline area. No difference was found between engagement levels across gender, age or the hours worked per week. Additional studies in this area are needed due to the small sample size.