News

What are those things that motivate students and help them to be engaged in online course? Read Jutta Tavaila's master's thesis on Aalto doc.

We are happy to share with you an exceptional master thesis work by Jutta Tavaila that investigates the online course engagement and motivation and clarifies the student' perspective on those very timely topics.

Online courses have become a major part of studying. After returning from full online education to face-to-face education, we have now the perfect time to reflect on what has worked and what has not worked regarding online courses. It is also time to weigh which topics need live attendance and which parts work better remotely.

The aim of this study is to find out what could be improved in online lectures and what should be considered when planning an online course. Ten students from ten different Universities were interviewed, to find out what makes them engaged and motivated or vice versa during online courses. The interviews were conducted as semi-structured expert interviews. The thoughts of these students were compared to what was found in literature, to answer the research questions.

The interviews were analyzed with the help of ATLAS.ti. Six main categories of engagement methods in online courses were formed: expectations of the course, clarity, community in class, structure and design of lectures, exercise types, and support. The main findings indicate that regardless of the field, students wish for more clarity in course structures. Two other important notes were that practical exercises and realizing, how the course connects to the real world is motivating. In addition, the lecturer's presence and presentation skills have a big impact on engagement.

Read the thesis on Aaltodoc

  • Updated:
  • Published:
Share
URL copied!

Read more news

Soldiers in camouflage in a forest, face of a female soldier in the foreground
Awards and Recognition, Research & Art Published:

Yasmin Najjar’s short film TJ28 selected for Cannes’ La Cinef section

For the second consecutive year, a short film from Aalto University has been selected for the student film section at the Cannes Film Festival.
Research & Art Published:

The PDF files in the Aalto research portal are not loading

The PDF files in the ACRIS research information system’s research portal (research.aalto.fi) are currently not loading. The issue is being investigated.
Three people talk at a round table; woman holds a cup, phone nearby, tech wall behind
Research & Art Published:

How to attract employees back to the office

Return-to-office policies are popular among employers, but securing employee cooperation hinges on offering them a fair exchange in return for accepting less autonomy.
A dog and two researchers. Photo: Aalto University/Mikko Raskinen
Research & Art Published:

Assistance dogs interpret needs of the person they assist non-verbally

A recent study shows that assistance dogs not only help people with practical tasks, but also actively contribute to their care