Measuring student engagement in technology-mediated learning: A review

• Consensus is needed for the definition and operationalization of student engagement.
• Most technology-mediated learning research uses self-report measures of engagement.
• Physiological and systems data offer an alternative method to measuring engagement.
• More research is needed to study the role of emotional engagement in learning.
• More research needed to determine value of physiological and systems data.

Using digital technology to deliver content, connect learners, and enable anytime, anywhere learning is increasing, but keeping students engaged in technology-mediated learning is challenging. Instructional practices that encourage greater engagement are essential if we are to effectively use digital instructional technologies. To determine the impact of innovative instructional practices on learning, we need useful measures of student engagement. These measures should be adaptable to the unique challenges to studying technology-mediated learning, such as when students learn at a distance or in a blended learning course. In this review, we examine existing approaches to measure engagement in technology-mediated learning. We identify strengths and limitations of existing measures and outline potential approaches to improve the measurement of student engagement. Our intent is to assist researchers, instructors, designers, and others in identifying effective methods to conceptualize and measure student engagement in technology-mediated learning.