A Comparative Measure of Student Engagement Using Log Files and a Student Self-report Survey

The purpose of this paper was to investigate the extent to which the data from a learning management system (LMS) log file provide insights into the cognitive, behavioural, and emotional dimensions of engagement of students at a higher education institution. For this study, both the log file data from a LMS and a survey instrument using an engagement scale tailored for blended learning modality was used to measure engagement. The study found only partial agreement with the engagement metrics obtained from the log files and the survey. Using an algorithm to cluster the data into groups found greater agreement between the LMS logs and the survey. Educators could employ the techniques used in this study to assess student engagement using the unobtrusive data collection method that the LMS logs provide.