How Student Engagement Can Be Improved Using Online Learning in Higher Education

The Sustainable Development Goals indicate the commitments made by governments to improve the quality of life of citizens by 2030. Student engagement varies on a scale from disengaged to engaged which represents engagements experienced by students at different levels. In this case, lecturers have the role of engaging students in academic activities through interacting with the course material with the aim of creating new knowledge. The current teaching methods employed indicate the need to engage students fully to respond positively in the construction of knowledge. The main objective of this chapter is to explore new teaching methods that actively assist in teaching to improve active online learning which places a greater responsibility on students rather than allowing them passively to absorb the learning content. Theoretically, the chapter is informed by the approach of constructivism which is based on the belief that students should be actively involved in the construction of knowledge as opposed to receiving information passively. In the chapter, how student engagement in higher education can be improved through online learning is examined with the aim of improving student performance. Literature about student engagement and online learning in higher education produced by other scholars is reviewed in the chapter. The findings of the chapter indicate that the current teaching methods employed do not fully engage students to respond positively to the construction of knowledge. The results indicate that lecturers should actively engage students and the outcome will be positive, which leads to the construction of new knowledge.