University of Northern Colorado Scholarship & Creative Works @ Digital UNC Dissertations Student Research 5-2018 Effectiveness of Student Engagement Using Learning Management System in the Blended Learning Environment at Saudi Electronic University Yousef Almoslamani Follow this and additional works at: https://digscholarship.unco.edu/dissertations Recommended Citation Almoslamani, Yousef, "Effectiveness of Student Engagement Using Learning Management System in the Blended Learning Environment at Saudi Electronic University" (2018). Dissertations. 484. https://digscholarship.unco.edu/dissertations/484 This Text is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Research at Scholarship & Creative Works @ Digital UNC. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholarship & Creative Works @ Digital UNC. For more information, please contact [email protected]. UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN COLORADO Greeley, Colorado The Graduate School EFFECTIVENESS OF STUDENT ENGAGEMENT USING LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN THE BLENDED LEARNING ENVIRONMENT AT SAUDI ELECTRONIC UNIVERSITY A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Yousef Almoslamani College of Education and Behavioral Sciences Department of Educational Technology May 2018 This Dissertation by: Yousef Almoslamani Entitled: Effectiveness of Student Engagement Using Learning Management System in the Blended Learning Environment at Saudi Electronic University has been approved as meeting the requirement for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in College of Education and Behavioral Sciences in Department of Educational Technology, Accepted by the Doctoral Committee ____________________________________________________ Mia Kim Williams, Ph.D., Research Advisor ____________________________________________________ Brian C. Rose, Ph.D., Committee Member ____________________________________________________ Hyun J. Kang, Ph.D., Committee Member ____________________________________________________ Cassendra M. Bergstrom, Ph.D., Faculty Representative Date of Dissertation Defense ____________________________________ Accepted by the Graduate School ____________________________________________________________ Linda L. Black, Ed.D. Associate Provost and Dean Graduate School and International Admissions ABSTRACT Almoslamani, Yousef. Effectiveness of Student Engagement Using Learning Management System in the Blended Learning Environment at Saudi Electronic University. Published Doctor of Philosophy dissertation, University of Northern Colorado, 2018. The use of learning management systems (LMS) in higher education continues to grow, yet research into the impact of the amount of engagement on student outcomes is still developing. This dissertation investigated the relationships between student engagement and student outcomes in the blended learning environment of Saudi Electronic University. It used data from LMS activities self-reported by students with special attention to whether gender played a role in the level of engagement and quality of outcome. This dissertation used a quantitative method to analyze the correlational relationship between the perceived amount of time students spent hourly participating in LMS activities and student grade point average (GPA). Furthermore, this dissertation measured the perceptions of students' level of online engagement utilizing the Students’ Engagement Questionnaire. The participants were 246 students from Saudi Electronic University. Results indicated no statistically significant difference between genders regarding their online engagement. In addition, no significant relationship was found regarding students’ grade point average and online discussion, audio discussion, and virtual lecture. However, a statistically significant difference between genders was found in their perception of the number of hours spent per week on LMS activities. Therefore, Saudi Electronic University must encourage instructors to use more multimedia such as iii video conferencing and audio discussion to enhance students’ critical thinking and engagement in LMS activities, thus improving students’ outcomes. Keywords: Learning management system (LMS), Students’ Engagement, blended learning, and LMS data activities. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................... 1 Statement of the Problem ................................................................................... 4 Purpose of the Study .......................................................................................... 5 Research Questions ............................................................................................ 6 Definitions of Terms .......................................................................................... 7 CHAPTER II. LITERATURE REVIEW .................................................................... 10 Student Engagement ........................................................................................ 10 Online Engagement Based on Gender ............................................................. 14 Outcomes and Student Engagement ................................................................ 18 Learning Management Systems ....................................................................... 24 Higher Education in Saudi Arabia ................................................................... 31 Blended Learning ............................................................................................. 36 Summary .......................................................................................................... 40 CHAPTER III. METHODOLOGY ............................................................................. 43 Study Sample ................................................................................................... 44 Instrument ........................................................................................................ 44 Data Collection and Procedures ....................................................................... 47 Data Analysis ................................................................................................... 48 Limitations of the Study................................................................................... 48 CHAPTER IV. FINDINGS ......................................................................................... 50 Reliability of the Scores ................................................................................... 51 Tests for Assumptions...................................................................................... 52 Results of Multivariate Analysis ...................................................................... 53 Demographics .................................................................................................. 61 Self-Report of Learning Management System Activity .................................. 66 CHAPTER V. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION ................................................. 78 Research Question One .................................................................................... 79 Research Question Two ................................................................................... 81 Research Question Three ................................................................................. 84 v Recommendations/Implications ....................................................................... 87 Future Research ............................................................................................... 88 Conclusion ....................................................................................................... 89 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................ 92 APPENDIX A. SURVEY .......................................................................................... 113 APPENDIX B. CONSENT FORM FOR HUMAN PARTICIPANTS IN RESEARCH ................................................................................................... 119 APPENDIX C. INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD APPROVAL ...................... 122 APPENDIX D. PERMISSION TO CONDUCT RESEARCH AT SAUDI ELECTRONIC UNIVERSITY ...................................................................... 124 vi LIST OF TABLES 1. Cronbach’s Alpha of Student Engagement Questionnaire from Prior Research ........................................................................................................... 47 2. Overall Internal Consistency for the Student Engagement Questionnaire ...... 52 3. Frequencies and Percentages of Participant Demographic Variables .............. 62 4. Educational Level for Gender and Type of College ........................................ 64 5. Educational Level for Gender and Grade Point Average ................................ 65 6. Educational Level for Gender and Courses Taken .......................................... 65 7. Student Estimations of Online Engagement .................................................... 67 8. Multivariate Tests of Online Engagement ....................................................... 68 9. Student Perceptions of Number of Hours Spent Per Week on Learning Management Systems Activities ...................................................................... 72 10. Multivariate Tests of Student Perceptions Regarding Number of Hours Spent Per Week