UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT ENGAGEMENT WITH SYNCHRONOUS AND ASYNCHRONOUS COURSE ELEMENTS

Abstract

– This study aims to understand student engagement with synchronous and asynchronous elements across the lecture and laboratory sections of a Civil Engineering undergraduate course. This course provided a unique chance to observe and compare synchronous and asynchronous elements as they run concurrently and in parallel. Behavioural engagement, a measure of how many students accessed a course element, was determined from logging data obtained from the course website. The experience of students taking part in virtual laboratory experiments was evaluated with surveys to monitor perception of the experiential laboratories transition to a virtual format. Examining the logging data of 95 students, it was found that students engaged with synchronous lecture material at higher rates and more consistently throughout the semester, averaging 69% participation, whereas asynchronous lectures averaged 33% participation by the suggested date of viewing. Notably 60% of students accessed the supplementary asynchronous concrete lab video within the recommended timeframe, suggesting when provided as a supplementary resource and in a creative format, there may be higher levels of engagement. This study shows that asynchronous content, despite being valuable for self-paced learning and accessibility, should not be the primary form of student engagement as students accessed it at a less consistent and routine pace.