We can’t always measure what matters: revealing opportunities to enhance online student engagement through pedagogical care

Abstract

Online learning was initially introduced to support face-to-face learning, but now represents a dominant pedagogical approach in Higher Education. The rapid shift from face-to-face learning to online platforms has left many academics feeling pedagogically unprepared. In this research, we initially sought to understand and enhance online student engagement in three undergraduate teacher education courses through the mapping of ‘pedagogical touchpoints’ – encounters students had with their online learning environment – to better understand their needs, preferences and behaviours as online learners, with a focus on recognising what students valued and identified as ‘engaging’. While seeking insight into the student experience through a range of data, including course feedback, survey data, interviews and researcher critical reflections, we noted that they approached their studies with a diverse range of needs and preferences for engaging in online learning, and that some aspects that were valued most highly were not necessarily identifiable or ‘measurable’, but represented less definable, but importantly – engaging qualities that students highly valued. These ‘unmeasurable’ elements were found to be related to the exercising of pedagogical care, not just in interactions between teacher and students, but an overall online pedagogy of care that permeated all aspects of course design and delivery. The research thus contributes an important insight into effective and engaging online pedagogy that forefronts the value of pedagogical care, and what this may look like when facilitating online learning.