Rethinking online learning: A synergy among engagement, course design, and students' values and beliefs

Because of the continual increase in online learning, the effectiveness of online learning is a primary concern. Researchers propose one contributing factor to be the absence of acknowledging students' values and beliefs toward learning, especially within the instructional design sector. Literature indicated that utility value, when students determine the worth of an assignment and the process of how to complete it, and course design are intricately related to engagement. According to research, when students find worth in assignments, engagement is ignited. However, if students' value and belief systems are undetermined prior to the design of online courses, the learning experience lacks relevance and purpose to students' future goals. As a result, the quality of online education is compromised, and more importantly, students' learning experience is deficient. Using a descriptive approach, this study examined the relationship among engagement, course design, and students' values and beliefs towards learning. The study was guided by the research question, How do utility value and course design relate to engagement for online high school students? A 24-question survey instrument was used to determine how 46 online high school students viewed the three categories. The results show a relationship among the three categories, suggesting that high school students prefer online environments that stimulate engagement by solving practical problems and by synthesizing information from various sources. In pursuit of their educational goals, the results indicate that high school students would rather judge the importance of and organize online assignments according to their personal values and beliefs. Moreover, it is suggested that by implementing Bloom's affective learning theory in the design of online education, students will find relevance and engage in learning activities.